Topband: V160HD Titanex

[Joe Wilkowski]

Folks, this past winter my V160S was destroyed by the winds in Colorado.  I have been trying in vain to replace this antenna with a Titanex V160HD and nothing has worked.  The manufacturer, Titanex, was extremely slow in responding to repeated requests about the availability and shipping to the US.  Finally they got back to me and said that they were having "trouble" with their export license and could not export to the US.  I then tried to go through another vendor in Europe who indicated that IF they could get the product from Titanex they could export.  Investigating further I found out that it could not be sent via a container in an Ocean going vessel without special handling.  Lastly, the cost to have it flown to the US was virtually the same or more than the cost of the antenna in the first place.  

I am now wondering how in the world all the US hams who own a Titanex V160 HD ever got the thing in the first place.

Is there anyone out there that owns a V160HD and wants to part with it ?  I really do want to put up the same antenna or even another V160S.  Or is there a special secret to getting these things over here from Europe ?

I must say this has been a frustrating experience at the very least.

Thanks,

Joe K8FC