Portable use: I-Pro Traveller in the test for outdoor & balcony

Hello, my name is Marco, DD6FM, and I'm from Landau in der Pfalz, K14.

Today I'm testing an antenna that I've been interested in for some time, especially for portable use. At 7 kilos, it is not necessarily suitable for longer hikes or SOTA, but if you can get there by car or only have to walk short distances, no problem.

I-Pro Traveller

The antenna is the I-Pro Traveller, a 5 band vertical dipole for 10/12/15/17/20m.

An optional extension also enables operation at 40 m. The antenna does not require a radial and can also be operated without a tuner thanks to its resonant design.

The antenna comes with a transport bag that is about 1 m long. Setting up the antenna is very quick; once you have done it a few times, the antenna can be set up in 5 minutes.

Scope of delivery

  • 2 x vertical pieces with outriggers
  • 1 x multiband center piece
  • 1 x coax connection cable complete with fiberglass rod and grommet
  • 2 x cable bridges each 1x black, 1x red
  • 1 x Antenna base with 4 outriggers and dipstick
  • 1 set of spare parts
  • 1 x robust I-PRO transport bag, 4 foam bag inserts
  • 1 x assembly and operating instructions
  • 1 x laminated template for the adjustment values of the adjustment unit and the outriggers

The base has a small mini spirit level so that the antenna can be set up straight even on sloping ground.

The tapes are changed by plugging the cable bridges into the corresponding sockets on the reel. All this is described in detail in the enclosed instructions. In the example for the 20-meter band, the plugs are inserted into sockets A and C.

The final tuning is then done by changing the angle of the lower roof capacity. This worked wonderfully in my tests.

Bandwidths are specified by the manufacturer as follows with an SWR of 1.5:1 and could be confirmed by me.

  • 20m: 300 kHz
  • 17m: 500 kHz
  • 15m: 900 kHz
  • 12m: 1800 kHz
  • 11m: 1870 kHz
  • 10m: 2200 kHz
I-Pro Traveller I-Pro Traveller I-Pro Traveller I-Pro Traveller

The antenna is approx. 3 m high and can be loaded with up to 1200 W.

First we assemble the base, then we simply attach the small spirit level to the top of the tube.

I put the lower roof capacity on the foot, then the coil and finally the second roof capacity on top. The whole thing is done very quickly and is ready for use. In the next step, I insert the banana plugs into the feed points described in the instructions for the 20-meter band and set the lower capacitance to an angle of 45°.

The antenna immediately resonates at 14250 kHz. The SWR remains below 1.5:1 over the entire range of the 20 m band. I tried all the bands and tuning was very quick everywhere using the cable bridges. With a little experience, you quickly know the approximate angles of the lower capacitance by heart and then you are pretty much resonant in the middle of the band straight away.

I-Pro Traveller I-Pro Traveller I-Pro Traveller

As I am antenna-impaired, I also set up the antenna on my balcony to test it. The conditions are very poor, the balcony is just under 2 meters wide. The antenna is therefore quite close to the house. However, there were no problems when setting up the resonance. The SWR was less than 1.5:1 over the entire frequency range, so the antenna is also a good solution if you don't have much space at home.

I immediately did another POTA activation. Nice loud signals from all over Europe. Unfortunately, there was no DX connection. Conditions have been extremely poor on the 20-meter band on many days recently, so I checked the WebSDR from time to time to see if it was my antennas. But it wasn't actually me. It's a pity, because it's a great time to be out in the open in summer. But that's just the way it is with our hobby and that's what makes it exciting. You never know what to expect.

I-Pro Traveller

The versatile portable antenna for short distances

For me, the antenna is a good portable antenna if you don't have to walk that far due to its heavier weight of 7 kg. Ideal for outdoor activities, on the campsite, but also for the balcony at home, as it hardly takes up any space and the band change works relatively quickly and easily.

73 de DD6FM - Marco

I-Pro Traveller

I-Pro Traveller 5 Band Verticaldipol, portabel 10/12/15/17/20m

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