Hi Dan,
Differences in price are a result of quality of materials, quality of parts
and machining (forget Cushcraft!), design specs, profit margin, profit
gouging, R & D costs, documentation costs, costs of product and technical
support and many other things.
Having said that, ability to get reasonably priced replacement parts in a
short time frame is also very important as is the ability to troubleshoot
with a knowledgeable person. This is always worth paying more for.
I opted for Hygain 10 & 15 yagi's (that was when it was really Hygain in
Nebraska not the MFJ disaster!) and Cushcraft 20's.
The Hygain's were worth the extra money because of the excellent design and
availability of technical help and reasonably priced parts and quality
service (pre-MFJ). The Cuschcraft's were just cheap and the frustration of
dealing with Cuschcraft and their rudeness and disinterest made the
aggravation that I endured NOT WORTH the money that I saved. Fortunately, I
was able to "jury-rig" and redesign what was necessary. Personally, I would
not make the same choice again. However, since I was able to buy the
Cushcraft-4's used and model them to my design specs with modeling software,
I made them into a much better antenna than their original design.
Like all things, if money is no object, then go for the best product with
the best reputation and support. Personally, though, I don't think you need
to spend $1,000 per 4L 20 to get great performance. If you want the best
value, buy a used antenna and spend a few hours refurbishing it - you will
also develop a better understanding of how to fix it.
GL!
Bob KQ2M
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