Cushcraft R7
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| Frequency | 7-30 MHz (40/30/20/17/15/12/10m, resonant per band) |
| Bands | 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| Type | half-wave end-fed vertical (no radials) |
| Gain | -1 dBi |
| Polarization | vertical |
| Modes | SSB, CW, AM, FM, digital |
| Length | 660 cm |
| Weight | 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Mount | ground mount or elevated, NO ground radials (has short counterpoise rods) |
| Year | 1995 |
| feedpoint | SO-239 |
A seven-band half-wave vertical covering 40m through 10m, including all WARC bands. No ground radials are required; the R7 is a half-wave design with a matching network and short counterpoise rods at the base, and Cushcraft states it should not be connected to a ground radial system. It covers more bands than the R5 (adding 40m and 30m), with stainless steel hardware.
Discontinued (used only). The 40m bandwidth is very narrow. At 22 feet it is a substantial antenna. The matching-network 'black box' at the base is the most common failure point. The trap-loaded design adds loss. Performance on 40m is marginal. Some operators report difficulty getting good SWR without careful installation.
A 7-band no-radials vertical, now discontinued. The R7 extended the R5 concept down to 40m and 30m: seven bands from a single vertical with no radial system, which appealed to restricted-space operators. It was replaced by the R7000.
The Cushcraft R7 is the bigger brother of the R5, a multi-band HF vertical that also needs no ground radials, but extends coverage down to the lower bands. It works 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters as a half-wave vertical on each, fed off-center through a matching network, so like the R5 it skips the large radial field that conventional verticals demand. The seven-band span, including 40 and 30 meters, is its main appeal.
That extra coverage comes at the price of height (it stands over 22 feet) and weight, so it needs a more substantial mount than the compact R5. As with all no-radial half-wave verticals, per-band SWR bandwidth is limited and the internal matching network is a part to keep an eye on. It remains a popular choice for operators who want multi-band HF without a tower or a radial farm.
It is discontinued, eventually succeeded by Cushcraft's nine-band R9 and caught up in wider 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. The five-band Cushcraft R5 is the shorter sibling, and the Diamond CP6AR is a trap-vertical alternative.