I'm new to the Amateur Radio world and originally limped my way into the realm of HF with an ATAS-25 tunable vertical antenna. That has served me well in VHF/UHF but has been an exercise in frustration in anything below that (and particularly difficult to tune for 6m).I decided to give this Gipsy a go and I'm simply wondering why I didn't do this any sooner! With 20m - 40m having been as active as they've been in the evenings lately, this is given me the oomph I needed to continue the never-ending quest of discovery that is being a ham. I've picked up stations from Australia, Romania, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Russia, and all over the US. I'm in the Pacific Northwest and picked up a station from Ocala, FL that sounded like he was on a local 70cm repeater.The best part is how easy it is to deploy, as well as put away in its included bag...which, by the way, almost fits in the palm of your hand! Perfect to throw in your go-bag/box. But make no mistake.... despite its compact size (the 1:1 Balun is surprisingly small), it has substantial heft to it and feels quality. I believe the balun tube is made of real carbon fiber and the ends are aluminum or steel, as are the wire spoolers.