Reviews of Bilal Isotron HF Antenna Wanted
By: Peter Kozup, K8OUA
Six and a half years ago my wife and I moved from Ohio to Alaska to be close to new grandchildren and to give their parents a bit of help. For financial reasons we were forced into a two-story condominium with the usual rules governing antennas, ie., none except for television antennas allowed. I tried a few stealth-type antennas, but I heard no one and to my knowledge, no one heard me. Now that band conditions are changing for the better, I am anxious to get on the air and work some CW.
I have found an antenna that is very small and could probably be hidden to allow me to get around HOA rules, possibly even from inside the condo. The antenna is moderately expensive, costing today about $245 for a 20-meter and 40-meter model, plus another $42 for shipping to Alaska. This model may also work on 15 meters, giving me three bands. There are 82 reviews of the Bilal Isotron on eham.net, and the average rating is 4 out of 5, not perfect but not too bad either.
I’m looking for someone who has used this antenna in Alaska and can give me a review of its performance as well as any other significant things about it, e.g., construction, service assistance, etc. I recently turned 80 years old, and this is probably my last sunspot maximum after about 65 years of hamming, so I’m anxious to get on the air.
