Everything you wanted to know about Chameleon's PRV Vertical Antenna Kit
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- I made over 1000 contacts and spent a month working with the Chameleon PRV or Portable Resonant Vertical Antenna kit. The core of the PRV is the Multi Configuration Coil or MCC. This adjustable coil, when paired with an appropriate length whip, will operate on any frequency between 6 and 80 meters. The PRV kit is well suited for outdoor and portable operations such as SOTA, Summits on the Air or POTA, Parks on the Air.
Chameleon PRV (Portable Resonant Vertical Kit):
chameleonantenna.com/shop-her...
A Chameleon PRV POTA Kit was provided in exchange for this video.
Bonus content and activation videos using the Chameleon MCC coil and the PRV kit are available to my patrons. Please visit my page on Patreon for details: / kb9vbrantennas
Timestamp
00:00:00 Chameleon PRV Portable Resonant Vertical Antenna kit
00:00:57 CHA MCC Multi Configuration Coil
00:02:38 PRV SOTA Light and POTA Heavy Kits
00:03:36 Deploying the PRV POTA Heavy Kit with Extensions
00:05:52 Ground Spike, UCM, Carbon Fiber Tripod
00:07:55 PRV SOTA Light Kit Deployment
00:09:15 Tuning the MCC Multi Configuration Coil
00:11:01 Elevated deployment with the wire winder radial
00:12:35 My experience with the Chameleon CHA PRV POTA Kit
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#Hamradio #AmateurRadio #POTA #ParksOnTheAir #PortableHamRadio #SOTA #Summitsontheair #review #Chameleonantenna #ChameleonPRV #chameleonMCC #verticalantenna #wolfrivercoil #superantenna - Наука та технологія
Michael great review on the Chameleon PRV. Excellent demo of the various setups. Chameleon not only makes excellent products but they have top notch documentation. Keep up the great work !
Very informative. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Excellent Video! Here in New York City, Central Park, I'd have to use a clamp mount to hold the antenna to my food wagon. No holes are allowed in Central Park. This antenna will be great out portable.
Thanks for a solid initial review. The solicitation for one of these crossed my inbox a few days ago. So far I have resisted. ;)
Like another commenter, I have the MPAS 2.0 in my inventory and it is a go-to antenna for POTA activations. It is broad band, very quick to deploy/recover, and I've made thousands of POTA contacts with it.
I have a WRC in my inventory, but rarely use it anymore because it is so fiddly to deploy. It looks to me that the PRV is superior to the WRC and offers a lot of options for deployment (typical Chameleon), but will suffer from some of the same drawbacks as the WRC. In particular, it will require adjustment (fiddling) to make a band change.
This is not a problem if one is running a frequency for an activation (or other activity). That is probably the best use case for the PRV (running a POTA/SOTA activation). I might add one to my inventory for that reason.
I have a tripod hack for you, learned from decades as a photographer. Keep a nylon or canvas bag in your kit. Put a few rocks in the bag and hang it from the center of the tripod. The extra weight will stabilize the system in windy conditions and reduce the likelihood that it will tip over.
See you on the bands! de AG7TX
You are correct in the tuning and adjustment aspect of the PRV vs the Wolf River Coil. Both coils function the same in that regard. The Chameleon product is more refined, but is still a base loaded coil.
I'm familiar with the tripod hack (I mentioned sandbagging in the video). I should carry some sacks with me for that purpose. Unfortunately this time of year the ground is frozen, so I am pretty limited to what materials I can use as weight.
Great video on this antenna system. Yes, it's very similar to the Super Antenna MP1. I own and have great success with the MP1 system. After watching your video, I'm going to try the MP1 with tripod and elevated radial.
A timely video for me having just received the heavy kit. I will first try the 2 mil whips with a cap hat between them with the elevated radial on a 4' tripod and guys. Thanks so much for your trail blazing.
That sounds like an interesting setup.
That setup will probably be too long for 20 meters, but it will totally rock on 40m
@KB9VBRAntennas yes, agreed. We are about to have a blizzard in Texas, so tests will be delayed.
Just found your channel, great video thanks! Great content too!!!
I'm glad you found me. Thank you so much.
LOVE the Stormy Kromer!
Good review! It's pricey, but I pulled the trigger on this, as I prefer to operate portable. Will write in a month or two or three with my impressions.
73
KI5KET
Bastrop, TX
Pretty much amazing!
You can also use a wire instead of the whip. I have done that and it works.
There are multiple comments here about the price. Yes, the price is very high. But it appears that this is an excellent design. Delrin is an excellent choice because of its physical and dielectric properties. Silver plated wire is excellent for RF compared to stainless steel like other manufacturers use. The RF loss of this device should be less compared to other options for resonant vertical antennas currently available. For contrast, the MPAS line is a relatively high loss design. This design is an excellent example of quality vs value. Is this a very high quality and well-designed device? It appears that it is. Is it a good value for over $500? That is up to the individual.
100% agree! This is how we design all our products. Depending of the antenna type and style, different materials and design choices have to be made according to how the antenna will be used. The CHA MPAS 2.0 can be installed in front or your yard on a post and will resist all weather and situations but it has more losses than the PRV by design! Our CHA SS58 whip is literally build to handle a HUGE beating but it will NEVER fail because it is made to be beefy and very sturdy! You can drop the whole PRV hundreds of times on its side and nothing will fail because the whip has been designed according to the needs of POTA and SOTA where antenna installations is always less than satisfactory!
@@Chameleon_Antenna would you care to elaborate why the PRV has less losses than the CHA MPAS 2.0 "by design"? It does not immediately appear obvious why that would be the case.
That price is crazy.....
Well that’s the difference between having product manufactured in China vs manufactured in the USA. The difference is that each and every single parts of the unit are made with TOP quality materials and craftsmanship. We also have a 12 months warranty which just about nobody offers either!
But when you take the time to actually look at each components and compare with similar made products, which 99% of them are made in China, our product is very competitive! We are n't selling loading coil made from SCHEDULE 40 PVC pipe from your local hardware store that are going to melt or deform after a session of FT8 or JS8Call at 100W! Those PVC pipe melt at 140° Fahrenheit while the Delrin melt at 347°F!
@@Chameleon_Antenna I believe you intended to say: We are NOT selling loading coil made from SCHEDULE 40 PVC... Also, the sliver-plated wire should reduce power loss (i.e., heat) in the coil compared to coils made of stainless steel wire.
@@DaDitDa yes indeed! Sorry for the typo - I’ll be updating/fixing the above post the moment I reach my QTH later tonight!
Not really since you have an American made product with excellent customer support. That is really hard to find today.
Even knowing that there are cheaper and better coils I went to check it because of the bypass mechanism this one has, but almost 5 times more expensive than the coil I currently use (which always give me flat swr and has lived through heavy winds and -35c temps). Looks like a nice coil, but too expensive 😢
Looks like an iFootage tripod. Carl has outdone himself with this antenna package. And no, it is not a knock-off of any other antenna!
Would be very interesting how it performs in a 1 by 1 comparison with the superantenna MP1
Michael, another great video. And another great product from Chameleon Antenna to add to my wish list. I just wish they would send me free stuff. 😅
Getting free stuff can be nice, but conversely I also put in the time cost-equivalent of purchasing this antenna in order to produce the video.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Sorry Michael, I did not mean to offend.
No need to apologize, no offense was taken.
I love your content Michael. The commercials seem to be increasing in frequency and duration or is that my imagination?
Thanks for bringing this up because feedback like this is important to me. There are three commercial breaks inside the video. My general policy is to have one break for an 8 minute video, 2 breaks for a 10-12 minute video and 3 breaks for a 15 minute or longer video. This video was 15 1/2 minutes so the third break may have felt like a bit much. I carefully place the breaks myself. If I let UA-cam do it automatically, there would have been four or more breaks.
The problem is, and I think you’re feeling it, is that except for the spots inside the video, UA-cam gives less control of how commercials are delivered. They changed their policy last fall and you are now seeing longer breaks and more unskippable commercials. I’d love to be as free, but the small amount of revenue I receive helps in producing videos at a very high quality level.
@@KB9VBRAntennas thank you for the insight into the UA-cam underground ;)
I’ll tolerate the commercials in support of your channel and I would certainly consider contributing in other ways if it would reduce the commercials time.
I do post my videos a day early to my Patreon page where members can watch ad free for 24 hours before it launches.
@KB9VBR
Do you think it would work for mobile deployment clamped to the front or rear of a Jeep while parked? Think camping/off-road in an area with limited space.
Newbie here...I am looking for a POTA setup that will use a minimum amount of real estate. It appears to me that this antenna with a magic carpet would work for that....am I correct? Perhaps there is a better way to reduce my footprint? Thanks for your videos...they are educational for newbies.
Have you ever had the opportunity to review the JPC-7 vertical kit?
I have the Chameleon MPAS, normally as a vertical, as my go-to antenna normally mointed to a Buddipole tripod mast and an IC 7300 with LDG tuner. How will this PTV be beyyer than what Im already using? Perhaps more efficient? Or is this really suited for an Icom 705 QRP rig with no tuner? Maybe I should wait till I get a 705. Your advice is welcome and thanks for all of your detailed research. Rob/WA9RAD
This antenna will be more efficient than the MPAS. Between 1-2 S Units better, depending on band and conditions. There is a certain level of efficiency that you trade for the ability to easily jump from band to band with the MPAS system. I did a video a few years ago comparing the MPAS 2 to the Wolf River Coil. You will receive similar results with the MCC setup: ua-cam.com/video/f4B9I9jqLSI/v-deo.html
I wonder what would happen if you put that coil on top of the extension that comes with the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 instead of that 24" extension to raise it up even higher? Looks like Im going to have to add that one to my MPAS bag and do some Frankenstein experimentation.
That's a good question. The cool thing about adjustable coils is that there isn't a 'magic' whip length, so they leave a lot of room for experimentation.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I also have the 17 foot steel whip, so I will be trying this antenna out in multiple configurations as soon as I can get my hands on one.
Another great video Michael.. I just recently purchased the PRV. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet with my 705. I like the idea of the elevated counterpoise as it resembles the Buddy Stick Pro. All Chameleon needs to do is use a lighter wire winder. Will you have any QRP POTA videos with this antenna in use?
We’re already on it! We’re experimenting with lighter reel and/or 26 gauge PTFE wire!
@@Chameleon_Antenna COOL!! I’ll be looking forward to getting the revised winder for my MCC when it becomes available. Hats off to you guys and the folks at Rolltech for producing some great antenna products. 👍
A good and safe way to use the current elevated counterpoint reel is by supporting and securing the paracord on the other side of the tripod with a provided steel stake or by attaching the paracord to support behind the tripod to prevent the system to tip over.
Thanks. I agree. Putting the wire on a winder instead of the reel would help with the weight. I will be posting one of my QRP activations with this antenna to my Patreon feed. But I am planning a future video QRP with the MCC.
Still having issues getting it to have an acceptable SWR on 10 meters -- both with and without a counterpoise.
I would like to see a comparison to the G-Gabil, which I'd been starting to look at as a possible portable operating antenna when I'm finally ready for one...
No comparison! I have both. Fabio can’t compare imho. Let’s see what Michael says.
I haven't put the PRV system and the Gabil head to head. But anecdotally I can say the Chameleon is the better antenna. I struggle getting a good match on 20 meters with my Gabil, but the other bands seem to be fine. There's just something about that coil, it can be so touchy. When spring rolls around, I'll take the two out and see if I can make a more substantive comparison.
Interesting. Have the Superantenna, teplaced stock counterpoise with 4 x 5 meters - and have always been able to tune SWR to around 1:1. This was eith good ground, often close to salt water. Expect the Chameleon to perform the same with the same confitions. And the Chameleon counterpoise attachment is way more robust
I think you answered your own question. With longer radials and highly conductive ground, you are going to get a better match. The stock Chameleon radials are 12'6" versus 16' which may also make a difference. Living in Wisconsin, we have some of the worst ground conductivity in the nation. That's due to the high amounts of granite bedrocks in the central and northern part of the state. That's why I say to not sweat the SWR.
Nice vid Mike. 73 I think you sold me.
Suggestion: For stabilizing a large Tripod, try placing a milk crate under the center of the tripod, pitching rocks or what ever you find handy at your deployment site and then tying the guy lines to the crate.
Can the PRV be used with the CHA MIL 2.0 and/or the CHA MIL EXT 2.0?
Yes it can. I addition with the standard 58 inch whip, I used the coil with the 9 foot Mil-Whip and 17 foot stainless whip. Performance increased with the longer whips. I have a blog post detailing an activation with the 17 foot whip: www.jpole-antenna.com/2024/01/10/activation-log-christmas-eve-with-the-chameleon-prv/
On a side note, if you combine the Mil-Whip and the Mil-Ext, you will be almost 19 feet long which is longer than necessary for a 20 meter 1/4 wave radiator. But that combination will blow it out of the water on 40 meters.
Nice product, but the Wolf River Coil, will be much less expensive. But Chameleons' products are well built. When you mentioned adjusting the radial, it's certainly accurate that you need to adjust it for an optimal SWR match. Without proper adjustment, the SWR match won't be satisfactory.
Hi Michael - Solid video as always!
Can you clarify between the following:
1:12 "between 6 and 80 meters"
vs.
Chameleon listing: "Bands Coverage: 2M to 40M with the SS58"
Sounds to hit 80 we'd need a whip not included in the either package?
Stack two -- maybe three -- coils and a 17' whip for 160M... ;-) Don't forget to put a shorting plug in the SO-239 of the upper coil(s).
@@DaDitDa yes! We’re already designing and testing stackable coils that will tune the antenna on those frequencies for those who operates them!
To get to 80 meters, you will need the 17 foot stainless whip, which is an optional accessory.
Reminds me of the ATAS-25 a bit.
Great info, especially seeing it vs reading abt it! 73 de WA4ELW in TN 🇺🇸 dit dit 😃
Michael, thanks again for a good review. I am puzzled with this antenna which I own. I find it way less efficient than my buddistick. Maybe a connector at the base of the extension would help… the variable elevated counterpoise is also a good way to improve performance as you say it. The implementation with the heavy winder is flawed I agree. I had to fix my buddistick too in that regard with a monopod to allow indépendance from a pole to attach it. I am curious about your comments with the ss17. I would love to see you developing a hack review of this coil with a different whip than the ss58 and/or maybe a short on the connector to connect the antenna at the base of the extension to make this extension radiate too before the coil. The coil is amazing but I feel it could do much better than the way Chameleon deploys it. Thanks again Michael love your channel! 73 AK6AS
Not being a Buddistick owner, I find it hard to compare the two, but I can say that efficiency of a base loaded antenna lies in the length of its whip. I ran the antenna elevated with the 58 inch whip and 9 foot Mil-whip and the longer whip does make a difference. I've also got a blog post on using the MCC with the 17 foot whip and the results were outstanding. www.jpole-antenna.com/2024/01/10/activation-log-christmas-eve-with-the-chameleon-prv/
Eric, I don't have any scientific data to share. But, I have a conjecture based on field operations with a variety of antennas. Unfortunately, I have no experience with the Buddipole system.
I have and use regularly the MPAS 2.0 system. Its advantages relate to the quick deployment/recovery of the vertical configuration and the matching unit. You *might* need an ATU to get below 2:1, but I find that I don't generally need one. It is band agile, which is excellent if you are chasing/hunting POTA/SOTA activators.
But, I suspect it is not nearly as efficient as the PRV or your Buddipole because of the matching unit. There will be some loss of signal in the transformation and that will likely depend on the combination of band and SWR. It might be a little or it might be a lot more.
The question would be whether it is enough to make a loss of an S-Unit for you or the other operator.
Given that a S-Unit is nominally 6db I am not sure the difference in efficiency would be hear-able *unless* you are at the noise level. (Boundary conditions are always the devil in the works!)
My take-away is that I will continue to use the MPAS 2.0 for those cases where I want/need a fast deployment/recovery and/or want band agility. If band agility is not an issue, then an antenna like the PRV or Buddipole (or WRC, Chelegance, etc) is probably the better choice if you have a tolerance for them being fiddly to tune.
I hope this helps. 73 de AG7TX
@nvrumi I do have the MPAS lite and regular too. The difference with a resonant vertical like buddistick is substantial and very easy to ear. However MPAS is super flexible and very fast to deploy. With the current propagation MPAS is very useful. But if you want to get this tough to ear DX a resonant buddistick will help a lot!
Great review, thanks. By the way 11:46 to 11:47 two meteors crossing the sky ;-)
# is right on that is a high price.
The CHA MCC BACKORDERS are now opened!
this antenna is way too expensive. I have great success with the wolf river coil. And given all the parts I bought it's still a third the price the pota.
I don't think I'd consider the SOTA kit for SOTA. For starters, the vast majority of SOTA activators use BNC connectors so not having that as default misses the mark. There's also a lot of unnecessary mass to carry when climbing a summit. Simpler wire antenna for SOTA, without a doubt.
Price is too much for those of us living paycheck to paycheck, not happening with me !!!
Guess my posted link to Superantenna so viewers could compare was deleted. This video is a paid ad for Chameleon.
UA-cam automatically filters links, not me. I don't appreciate the accusation that I deleted something.
The jealousy, envy and the lack of understanding from the sad ham is disturbing! Hopefully all those people will unsubscribe from your channel and maybe from UA-cam because they’re just wasting oxygen!
Just too expensive for something that requires that much work to tune. Same thing with Buddipole products. The quality is there, just can't justify the cost when there are several other antenna options that can produce the same results with quicker setup times and at a fraction of the price.
If you like to manually tune the CHA MCC you can always go with the CHA MPAS Lite!
The secret to quickly tuning a base loaded vertical is that when you get down to 1.7:1 or less, you stop. Don't spend needless time chasing the mythical 1:1 match. Even at 1.7:1 you will still have more efficiency than any similar vertical that uses a transformer.
It's always a trade off, "there's no such thing as a free lunch". Is it easier to stick a transformer and vertical (MPAS) into the ground and hop on the air without manually tunning? Yes.
Is it going to be more efficient to spend an extra minute and tune a coil in place of that transformer? Absolutely.
Pick your poison.
FYI they sent you extra stuff. I just looked. The POTA kit doesnt list the clamp.
From the website:
CHA PRV POTA (HEAVY KIT)
1 X CHA MCC (Coil)
1 X CHA SS58
1 X CHA SPIKE MOUNT
1 X CHA PUCK HUB
4 X CHA B-RADIAL (12'6")
4 X CHA WINDERS
1 X WW- RADIAL (34')
1 X CHA TRIPOD ADAPTOR
1 X CHA EXTENDER12
1 X CHA UCM
1 X CHA 12' COAX w/ integrated RFI Choke
The clamp is called the CHA UCM Universal Clamp Mount.
Chameleon model names always throw me too, the clamp is called the UCM. It’s listed on the parts list and in the picture on the website. The tripod, though, is not included. I used the tripod instead of the spike because our ground is frozen.
@@Chameleon_Antenna There it is. Now I see it. My bad. I didnt notice it the first time around when I looked at the product photo without viewing it full screen. It almost disappears in profle view.
This is now on my short list of new antennas for the spring.
There must be a huge profit margin on them if Chameleon can afford to give so many away free for advertising.
Being a small business owner myself, I would say these promotional antennas are part of their marketing and advertising budget. I don't know how much they have allocated, but I'm guessing that since they are frequently sold out, that it's an effective form of advertising.
Nice video but at $350 I’ll pass.
As everything Cameleon, waaaaaay too expensive. That’s a knock off the Super Antenna which is what? Half of the price? I honestly don’t understand how Cameleon survives as a company with those prices, well I know, a bunch of retired people getting in debt or blowing up their social security check of that stuff lol. Oh and government contracts which we know how the military throw money away. 😂
If you REALLY take the time to look at the unit it's not! Take a good look at the unit before commenting. Super Antenna is manufactured in China - ours in the USA! So you decide which country you want to promote!
It’s impossible to promote US with those ridiculous prices. How that I have to sell a kidney or take a second mortgage for that tiny antenna? You want to go USA? Well, Wolf River Coils have served me VERY WELL over the years for the price of just your radials.
@@angelscomputers We aren't forcing anyone to purchase our products! Go ahead with Wolf River Coils and let me know how your PVC core stands after a 100W session on Ft8...
I'm old enough to remember when we had manufacturing in the USA. Even back then we'd pay a premium for a quality product. Now it's just a race to the bottom of who can produce the cheapest. That disparity only makes the US made product seem more expensive.
I agree with you and of course quality product made in USA can’t be compared with Chinese crap BUT every time is Cameleon the difference is waaaaay too much. For example a 20%-30% more is something I will pay without problems but for what I’ve seen Cameleon usually is 50%+ more and that’s what I find RIDICULOUS. You can’t have a Dr or engineer salary building antennas anyone can make. Is not rocket science. I own a couple of Cameleon products and in happy with them but man, can’t cover the ski with your hand, some of the products are waaaay to much and this glorified SuperAntenna is one of them. Sorry but I am honest as I have no affiliation with any manufacturer.
Looks like an advertisement to me. They gave it to you for free and even if the thoughts are yours you still got paid to do a video on it & it’s still an advertisement. So you can’t tell me there isn’t any bias. This is a knockoff of the REZ Antenna.
This is why I stopped following your channel. That and you started ruining your POTA activations with FT8 and ruined the fun of listening to your activation videos.
We’ve a sad ham! @TheNotaRubicon
I can understand your concern about bias. I’m upfront if a product has been provided to me. I only accept products that I feel have value to my viewers. That’s why you don’t see me flogging the latest Chinese HT on the channel. I give the product proper context and how it can be used in a practical matter. If product reviews aren’t your cup of tea, then feel free to skip those videos.
As for FT8. Some people like the mode some people hate it. I don’t judge. But for my activation videos I try to balance about 50% QSOs and 50% other content. FT8 probably is a 20 second sequence of shots as watching a screen makes for boring video. I get that it may not be your cup of tea.
And yet, here you are, being a troll despite "not following the channel"...😂
If you would have watched a few more of his past videos, you know this is not true. As for the Rez antenna comment, the PRV development started before the Wolf River Coil knockoff's did. 😊
@@donausmus4281 110%agreed! We started the development of the CHA MCC more than 2 years ago and REZ totally stole our feeding base idea from the CHA HYBRID SERIES!\ which is dating from 2010 - but that's ok because you always imitate the best!