Cushcraft MA5B
$$$$·
| Frequency | 20m: 14.0-14.35 MHz, 17m: 18.068-18.168 MHz, 15m: 21.0-21.45 MHz, 12m: 24.89-24.99 MHz, 10m: 28.0-29.7 MHz |
| Bands | 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| Modes | SSB, CW, AM, FM, digital |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 2000 |
| feedpoint | SO-239 |
A 5-band compact Yagi on a 7.3-foot boom. It gives 2-element beam performance on 20m, 15m, and 10m with front-to-back ratios up to 22 dB, plus rotatable dipole coverage on 17m and 12m, at 1200W PEP. The longest element is 17.1 ft and the turning radius only 8.8 ft, small enough for a tripod. It covers five bands with gain and directivity from a footprint smaller than most tribanders.
17m and 12m are rotatable dipoles only (no gain, no front-to-back). Gain on the beam bands is modest (3.6-5.3 dBi). At 26.5 lbs it is heavier than it looks. The 20m bandwidth is only 90 kHz at 2:1 SWR. The short boom means compromises across the board. It is not a contest antenna.
A compact 5-band HF beam. The MA5B fits where larger antennas will not and provides directivity on 20/15/10m plus dipole coverage on 17/12m. It suits restricted-space installations, rooftop tripods, and HOA-constrained setups.
The Cushcraft MA5B is a compact HF beam, a small, rotatable Yagi that delivers real directional gain on five bands without the size of a full-scale tribander. It covers 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters: it works as a two-element beam on 10, 15, and 20 meters and as a rotatable dipole on 12 and 17 meters, all from a boom of only about seven feet. Traps and capacitive end-loading are what squeeze five bands into so small a footprint.
The gain is modest by big-antenna standards (roughly 3 to 5 dBi across the bands) but the key benefit of any beam is directivity, letting you point your signal and reject noise and interference off the sides and back. At around 26 pounds with an eight-foot turning radius, it is light enough for a modest rotator and roof mount, which is exactly the niche it fills for space-limited operators. It handles up to 1,200 watts.
Its availability has been affected by brand changes, Cushcraft's parent company, MFJ Enterprises, wound down its manufacturing in 2024, and the Cushcraft brand was acquired by ITU Corporation in 2026, so availability has recently been in flux. For a larger classic tribander, the Mosley TA-33-Jr is a comparable compact beam, and the Mosley Classic 33 is a popular tribander alternative.