This one lives in the filming-equipment drawer, not the truck toolbox. We shoot product walkarounds, shop installs, and homestead clips on a phone gimbal more than people think. When the barn lights are ugly or the sun has already dropped behind the tree line, a phone camera falls apart fast. The DJI OM Fill Light Phone Clamp is DJI’s official magnetic clamp with two built-in LED bars — the piece that replaces the stock phone clamp on an Osmo Mobile when you need a little light on the subject instead of another cheap ring light on a stick.
Affiliate links support Backroad Reviews at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We do not sell this product.
What This Clamp Actually Is
DJI sells this as an accessory, not a standalone studio light. It is a phone clamp first. The arms spring open, grab the phone, and the back of the clamp is a magnet that snaps onto the same magnetic mount as the stock Osmo Mobile clamp.
On each side of the body is a short LED bar. Those bars are the whole point. Three brightness steps. Three color temperatures: warm 2700K, neutral 3500K, and daylight 5000K. USB-C on the edge charges the internal battery. DJI lists about 1.5 hours at full blast and about 3 hours on the lowest setting, with a 35-minute charge.
Weight is 73 grams. Folded it is roughly 74 × 53 × 27 mm. Unfolded the arms stretch to about 106 mm, which is enough for most phones we film with.
[image: dji-logo-magnetic-mount-on-om-fill-light-clamp.webp] Magnetic face with the DJI logo. Same snap-on mount as the stock Osmo clamp.
Compatibility
DJI’s current list covers Osmo Mobile 8, Osmo Mobile 7P, Osmo Mobile 7, Osmo Mobile 6, Osmo Mobile SE, and DJI OM 5. Older OM 4 / OM 4 SE units are also in the original spec sheet. If your gimbal uses DJI’s magnetic phone clamp, this one usually drops in as a swap. Confirm the listing if you are on a very new Osmo before you click buy.
Install: Snap It On and Film
There is no app pairing and no extra cable to the gimbal. Charge the clamp. Clip the phone. Magnet it to the Osmo. Hit the button on the clamp to wake the lights, then cycle brightness and color temp.
That is the whole job. We had it on the gimbal in the office in under a minute.
[image: dji-om-fill-light-clamp-usb-c-port-and-arms.webp] USB-C on the edge. Arms open wide enough for a modern phone in a thin case.
[image: dji-om-fill-light-clamp-mounted-on-osmo-mobile-gimbal.webp] On the Osmo. Same magnetic click as the stock clamp — no tools, no extra plate.
The Light in Real Use
This is a fill light, not a barn flood. DJI rates it at 20–40 lux at 0.6 meters. In the office that reads as “takes the death shadows off a face” rather than “lights the whole shop.” For talking-head reviews, unboxings, and close product shots after sunset, that is exactly what we needed.
Warm 2700K is the setting we reach for indoors when the overheads are yellow. 5000K matches window light better. Neutral sits in the middle when you do not want the footage to look like a camping lantern or a hospital hallway.
The two side bars wrap the phone instead of sitting as a single blob above the lens. That helps a little with even fill on a face. It will not replace a real key light and a softbox if you are lighting a shop install. It will save a take when you are already holding the gimbal and the room went dark.
[image: dji-om-fill-light-clamp-led-bars-turned-on.webp] Both bars on. Small, but they punch more than the size suggests in a dim room.
[image: dji-om-fill-light-clamp-high-brightness-led-bars.webp] Highest brightness in the office. Green status LED on top of the body.
What Amazon Reviewers Are Saying
The pattern is pretty consistent across the official DJI listings.
What people like
Build quality that feels like the rest of the Osmo kit, not a no-name clip.
Magnetic swap is fast. Several owners say they leave this clamp on and park the stock one.
Three temps and three brightness steps cover most indoor talking-head work.
Battery lasts a session at mid power. USB-C recharge is short.
Brighter than the size suggests for faces and product close-ups.
What people complain about
Price. It is a small accessory and it is not cheap next to generic phone lights.
Output is fill, not a scene light. A few buyers expected a mini Aputure and were disappointed.
Magnets. Keep it off credit cards, hard drives, and pacemakers. Some phones ask for a compass calibration after you mount it.
It does not ship with a USB-C cable in the box. Plan on using one you already own.
Our take after lining those threads up with the desk test: if you already own an Osmo Mobile and film people or products in mixed indoor light, this clamp earns the magnet. If you need to light a whole shop bay, buy a real panel.
[image: ryan-testing-dji-om-fill-light-clamp-on-gimbal.webp] Mounted and ready. This is how it rides for a talking-head or product walkaround.
What We Like
Snaps onto the same magnetic mount as the stock Osmo clamp.
Two side LED bars, three brightness steps, three color temps.
USB-C charge. No proprietary puck.
Light enough that the gimbal does not feel drunk after the swap.
Small enough to live in the camera bag instead of a light case.
What to Know Before You Buy
This replaces the stock magnetic phone clamp. You are not stacking two clamps.
Output is 20–40 lux at about two feet. Treat it as fill on a face or a product, not a room light.
Some phones will nag you to calibrate the compass after you mount it. That is the magnet, not a defect.
Keep it away from cards, mechanical watches, and anything else magnets ruin.
Check your Osmo generation against the listing. Newer Osmo Mobile 7/8 bodies are on the current compatibility list; confirm before you order.
Who This Is For
Anyone already shooting reviews or vlogs on an Osmo Mobile who keeps losing the last hour of daylight.
Homestead and shop creators who film talking-head clips in barns, kitchens, and offices with mixed bulbs.
People who want one less stand to drag outside.
Not for full interview kits or product tables that need a key and a rim.
Backroad Verdict
We clipped it on, turned the bars up, and filmed. For a 73-gram magnet that lives on the gimbal, it does the job we bought it for: take the cave look off a face when the shop lights are wrong and you are already rolling.
It will not light a Predator generator in the driveway at dusk. It will keep a phone review from looking like a hostage tape. That is the honest split.
If you already run an Osmo Mobile and you film after the sun drops or under ugly indoor bulbs, this is an easy yes. Swap the stock clamp, charge it once, and leave it on the gimbal.
We put this Garvee home gym together a few weeks ago and have been using it in the mornings. Not a showpiece in a finished basement. A station that lives where we actually start the day. I wanted to walk around the kit after it had some use — welds, pads, pulleys, the little things the listing photos skip and tell you what showed up in the boxes.
This is a walkaround plus what we learned putting it together. We also shot an install as we built it. That longer how-to is coming on Backroad Reviews and bits of it will land on the Amazon listing.
We review products available on Amazon and use affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We do not sell this product.
This is an all-in-one station, not a power cage. Black frame, red accents on the pads, a selectorized stack, preacher curl, chest press / fly arms, lat pulldown, low row, leg developer, and a handful of straps. The stack is 150 pounds in a 9+1 plate setup. Frame steel is Q235, about 2 by 2.75 inches with a 1.5 mm wall and a chrome look on the guide rods.
Assembled footprint is roughly 77 inches deep, 41 inches wide, and 84 inches tall. Plan a wall and a little elbow room for the press arms.
Quick Specs
Brand
Garvee / GarveeLife (same family of kits)
Product
All-in-one home gym with 150 lb weight stack
Stack
150 lbs (9+1 plates)
Frame
Q235 steel, ~2″ × 2.75″, 1.5 mm wall
Color
Black and red
Size (assembled)
About 76.96″ D × 40.94″ W × 84.25″ H
Stations
Chest press, butterfly, lat pulldown, low row, preacher curl, leg extension / curl, back extension, abs strap, ankle strap
If this is a gift, budget four boxes to wrap. The weights travel separate from the frame. That is a pain on the porch and a blessing when you are sliding parts across a shop floor. We scuffed a little paint moving shipping boxes. Nothing missing. Nothing that looked like it skipped the paint booth.
Online reviews of these Garvee / GarveeLife stations keep saying the same thing we saw: the kit is a lot of machine for the money, assembly is a day if you are not rushing, and the English manual is better than a lot of imported gym paperwork.
Build quality after a few weeks of morning use
The welds are clean. Not jewelry-grade, just honest beads where the tubes meet. The pulleys and spools look like they belong on a gym, not a toy. Seat foam and the faux leather have real stitching. There is a little arch in the back pad that you notice once you sit down instead of staring at a listing photo. Red banding on the arm pads is a small thing and it keeps the station from looking like a black blob in the corner.
Adjustability is the reason this kit works as a household gym. Seat, arm pad, leg station, and back pad all move. Chains on the cable side let you change tension for the movement you are doing. Unused attachments park on the feet so they are not under a workbench three weeks later.
It also ships with those weight-stack protector shields and a starter workout sheet. Not a training program. Just enough to get moving the first week.
The install — what the manual got right
Instructions are better than I expected. Diagrams are clear. The English is actually English. A couple of steps were still a little confusing — that is why we filmed the build. If you have built a desk from a box, you can build this. Give yourself a day, a socket set of your own (the included tools work, yours are faster), and a second set of hands when the uprights go vertical.
We are not calling this a 20-minute assembly. It is a home gym. Bolts, pulleys, cables, pads. Do not start at 8 p.m. on a Sunday and get mad at the kit.
Who this Garvee home gym is for
Buy it if you want one station that covers press, pull, curl, and legs without filling a two-car bay. If you would rather do morning work at home than drive to a membership. If 150 pounds on a stack is enough for the household, or you are fine adding bands later.
Skip it if you already own a cage and a barbell and you only wanted a cable column. Skip it if you need a 300-pound stack. Skip it if you wanted something you unbox and ride like a bike. This one asks for a Saturday.
What we are still watching
Paint scuffs from the move are cosmetic. Long-term we will see how the faux leather holds up to summer shop heat and how the cables look after a few more months. That is the follow-up video. For now the station is doing what we bought it to do: it is there in the morning, and we use it.
Grab the kit
If an affordable all-in-one with a 150 lb stack, preacher pad, and a manual you can actually read sounds like the right shop gym, here it is:
The dryer was already in the bed of the truck. The stainless table in the shop had that dull film you get after a week of tools, coffee cups, and whatever leaked out of a parts bin. I grabbed a pouch of ACTIVE appliance surface cleaner wipes, pulled on gloves, and used the same pack on both.
This is a short overview, same as the video. We keep it simple around here: open the pack, wipe the thing in front of us, and tell you if it earns a drawer in the shop.
We review products available on Amazon and use affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We do not sell this product.
What ACTIVE appliance surface cleaner wipes actually are
ACTIVE ships a 24-count pouch of pre-moistened, fragrance-free wipes built for washers, dryers, refrigerators, glass cooktops, microwaves, dishwashers, counters, and tile. Each sheet is about 10 by 8 inches and woven thick enough that it does not ball up the first time you catch a sharp table edge.
The pouch reseals. That is the line from the video, and it is the line that matters in a shop. Leave a cheap flap open next to a compressor on a warm afternoon and you own a brick by wipe number eight. This pack stayed wet while I worked the table top, the lower shelf, and the truck bed around that dryer.
Formulated in the USA. Unscented. Do not flush. Trash can, not the toilet.
Quick Specs
Brand
ACTIVE
Product
Home Appliance Surface Cleaner Wipes (Heavy Duty / Seal & Surface)
Count
24 large wipes
Wipe size
About 10 x 8 inches
Scent
Fragrance free / unscented
Pouch
Resealable
Formula
USA formulated — cleaner, mild degreaser, light descaler
Good on
Stainless, metal, plastic, glass cooktops, tile, appliance seals and gaskets
How we used ACTIVE appliance surface cleaner wipes in the shop
I started on the stainless work table because that is the honest test. Shop steel picks up fingerprints, oil haze, and those little rust kisses from a wet wrench. One wipe covered a surprising stretch of metal. The sheet has a bit of tooth — not sandpaper, more like a kitchen scrubber that remembered its manners.
Top of the table first. Then I dropped down and hit the lower shelf, which collects the dust nobody wants to admit exists. Same wipe still had life in it. After that I walked to the pickup and cleaned the bed around the dryer. These are sold as laundry-room wipes. Fine. Out here they also earn their keep on the metal you set the appliance on while you move it.
Online reviews line up with what we saw on the steel. Folks talk about grease and water spots coming off, no loud perfume in the room, and a sheet big enough that you are not burning three wipes on one fridge door. A few people use them on glass cooktops after a short soak on burnt sugar. We did not cook on this table, but the wipe did not smear a milky film across the stainless the way cheap shine sprays sometimes do.
Why the resealable pouch matters more than the marketing
Twenty-four wipes sounds small until you remember each sheet is the size of a small hand towel. I cleaned the table top, the shelf, and a chunk of truck bed on a short filming pass and still had a wet wipe in my hand. For a house, that is a month of fridge-and-microwave touch-ups. For a shop, that is several “company’s coming, hide the grime” sessions.
ACTIVE lists these for inside-and-out appliance work — drums, dispensers, racks, filters, front-loader rubber seals, fridge gaskets, vents, stainless skins. That is a fair list. I would still treat rubber seals with a lighter hand. A wipe this textured is great for a quarterly gasket clean. If you attack the same washer boot every Saturday for three years, any solvent-plus-scrubber combo can dry a seal out. Use your head.
Who these ACTIVE appliance wipes are for
Buy the pouch if you want a dedicated appliance wipe instead of a lemon-scented bathroom pack. If you clean stainless, glass, and plastic without dragging out a spray bottle. If you move appliances, work on trucks, or keep a metal table in the shop. If you prefer unscented products around food and laundry. If you like a pack you can throw in a glove box or a kitchen drawer.
Skip them if you need a hospital-grade disinfectant claim, you only want the cheapest 75-count canister on the aisle, or you were hoping for a strong scent that “proves” it worked. These smell like almost nothing, which I count as a plus.
A few practical caveats
They are not magic. Heavy baked-on grease still wants a little dwell time. Do not flush them. Price per wipe sits higher than a giant canister of all-purpose sheets — you are paying for size, texture, and an appliance-minded formula, not a warehouse-club count.
I also would not use them as the only cleaner on a filthy front-loader boot that has been ignored for two years. Pair them with a real washer-cleaner cycle if the machine itself needs help. These wipes are the wipe-down, not the nuclear option.
Grab the pack
If a 24-count resealable pouch of thick, unscented, USA-formulated wipes sounds like the right tool for the fridge, the dryer, and the stainless table you actually live with, here it is:
We filmed a short walk-through in the shop so you can see the pack, the wipe size, and the table after a pass. No lab coats. Just gloves, a work table, and a dryer riding in the truck.
This one is a replacement antenna for the GMC Sierra 1500 from Votex — you’ll also see it spelled Vortex in a few listings and in our video title, but the company is Votex, a family-owned shop in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
That location is not a small detail for us. Manitowoc is about thirty minutes north of where we grew up around Cheboygan. We didn’t move to Arkansas until a few years ago, and we lived up near that stretch of Wisconsin pretty much our whole lives. So when a box shows up from that town, with a thank-you note written by Americans who still build this stuff in the same state, it hits different than another no-name mast out of a warehouse.
We threw this one on the Sierra, ran it against the little stubby aluminum “cool guy” antenna that was on the truck, and spent some time with what Amazon owners have been saying on the same family of Votex masts. Short version: install is a two-minute job, reception jumped, wind noise dropped, and customer service handled a wrong-order return with zero fuss.
You can also order direct from Votex at votex-us.com. Affiliate links support Backroad Reviews at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What This Antenna Is
Votex has been in the antenna business since 1999. They’re still in Manitowoc. The catalog is bigger than most people realize — short rubber car-wash-proof masts, longer spring-steel spiral masts, bullet-style pieces, and base repair kits — but the one we put on the Sierra 1500 is the longer replacement mast with the wire spiraled around the shaft.
That spiral is the whole point. Two wires wrap the shaft. Votex markets the design for wind-noise cancellation, and after living with a stubby aluminum stick, the difference at highway speed is obvious. The mast is not quite full factory length, but it comes up just about over the top of the cab, which is what you want if you still care about grabbing stations from more than one side of the truck.
The Box, the Note, and the One We Sent Back
It arrives in a decent box. Not overbuilt, not cheap. Inside ours was a thank-you note from the people who packed it. I don’t have a tidy way to explain why that still matters. It just does.
Fair warning on fitment, because we learned it the expensive way first. We ordered the 2500 version by accident. That mast is skinnier than the 1500 piece. It went back. No argument, no runaround. Easy to work with. If you own a Sierra, match the listing to 1500 vs 2500/3500 before you click buy. The threads and the mast diameter are not automatically the same across the line.
Amazon reviewers say the same thing in different words: confirm the year and the series. A few owners of late-model 1500s have used the HD-labeled short rubber version and reported it threaded on fine, but that is not a reason to guess. Order the 1500 listing unless you have already checked the stud.
Install: Screw It On and Go
This is not a project. Unscrew the old mast. Screw the Votex on. Tighten it down by hand so it does not back out on the highway. That is the whole job.
A few notes from the driveway:
I do not put anything on mine. I swap antennas often enough that I would rather keep the threads clean.
If yours lives on the truck for years, a thin smear of dielectric grease on the threads is reasonable. Refer to the slip in the box.
Skip heavy threadlocker. If you feel like you need something, do not reach for blue Loctite and do not bury the threads in it. You still want this thing to come back off.
Once a year we wipe the stud and look for corrosion. That habit matters more than the brand of mast you screw onto it.
Amazon owners keep repeating the same install story: no tools, under a minute, direct thread-on. A handful of listings include adapters for older GM bases. If your factory base is already cracked, that is a different job — Votex also sells a stainless base repair kit for the old GM part numbers — but a healthy stud just takes the new mast.
Build Quality
The base is the part you notice first. It sits down clean. The shaft has that wrapped-wire look instead of a bare stick or a hollow rubber stub. Up top there is a durable plastic cap. Nothing about it feels like the cheap aluminum “shorty” that was on the truck before.
Votex uses stainless threading on these masts for a reason. Weak brass threads are how people end up fishing a snapped stub out of the fender. The company also rates the rubber versions as car-wash safe and puts a car-wash replacement window on several of those listings. The spiral mast we ran is a stiffer spring-steel style, so treat a touchless bay as the safer bet if you are nervous, but they do say it is safe for car washes.
On our Sierra it sits just shy of old stock height — high enough to work over the roof line, short enough that you are not dragging a 31-inch factory whip into a low garage door. That matches what owners of the 27-inch Votex Sierra 1500 mast have been writing for years.
Reception and Wind Noise
This is why we changed it. The stubby aluminum antenna looked fine in a parking lot and gave up stations the minute we left town. After the Votex went on, reception improved in a way you do not need a meter to hear. Stations that were fuzzy filled in. We could grab signal off more than one side of the truck.
The spiral wrap is doing two jobs at once. It is antenna wire, and it breaks the wind instead of whistling like a straight rod. At higher speed that matters. Factory long masts hum. Cheap shorties go quiet because there is almost nothing up there to catch air — and almost nothing up there to catch a station either. This one sits in the middle: enough height to work, enough shape to stay quieter than a bare whip.
One honest limit: this is still an AM/FM mast. OnStar, GPS, and SiriusXM live on their own antennas. Swapping this does not fix those and should not hurt them.
What Amazon Reviewers Are Saying
We lined our driveway notes up against owner reviews on the Votex Sierra and Silverado listings — the 27-inch spiral mast, the short rubber car-wash pieces, and the universal kits. The pattern is pretty consistent.
What people like
Easy install. “Super easy to install” shows up constantly. Most people are done in a minute.
Garage clearance on the longer mast. Damion put the 27-inch Votex on a 2024 Sierra because he wanted “a factory look and performance but just short enough to clear the garage door.” Rose R. replaced a 31-inch OEM whip on a 2019 Sierra X31 and finally stopped hitting the door.
Looks like a truck antenna. Several owners prefer this over bullet-style shorties. One Vine reviewer on the 8-inch rubber piece called those “gimmicky” and said the Votex looked more like stock.
Materials. Stainless threads, rubber that does not feel brittle, and a company that still answers messages when the wrong adapter is in the bag.
Made in Wisconsin. That line is in the listings for a reason. A lot of buyers specifically wanted a U.S. shop instead of another imported stub.
What people complain about
Short rubber masts can lose AM/FM versus a full factory whip. That is physics more than a brand problem. One 2023 Sierra owner on a short Votex said more than half the stations came in with static and went back to stock. If reception is the whole reason you are shopping, do not buy the shortest mast in the catalog.
Fitment mix-ups. 1500 and 2500 pieces are not identical. Adapters help on older bases and confuse people on newer ones. Read the title, then look at the stud.
Price on the longer spring-steel mast. A few reviews call it a little spendy for “just an antenna.” Fair. You are paying for stainless threads and a U.S. shop, not a $12 stick.
Our take after reading those threads: the short rubber Votex is the right buy if you want car-wash insurance and a low profile and you already live close to towers. The longer spiral mast is the right buy if you actually listen to the radio on back roads. That is the one we put on the Sierra.
What We Like
Reception jumped the same day we installed it.
Spiral wrap cuts the wind noise that a straight whip throws at highway speed.
Two-minute install. No wiring. No drilling.
Solid base, wrapped shaft, durable cap. It looks like it belongs on a work truck.
Family company in Manitowoc, with a thank-you note in the box.
Returns were easy when we ordered the 2500 mast by mistake.
What to Know Before You Buy
Buy the listing that says Sierra 1500 unless you have confirmed the 2500/3500 stud.
This does not replace the factory height exactly. It comes close enough to clear the roof line without the old garage-door problem.
Clean the stud. A new mast on a green, crusty base is how people decide “the antenna is bad.”
If you only want a tiny rubber stub for looks, expect a reception tradeoff. That is true of every short mast we have tried, Votex included.
Who This Is For
Sierra 1500 owners who already killed a factory whip in a car wash or a garage door.
Anyone running a stubby aluminum antenna and wondering why the radio falls apart ten miles out of town.
People who still want the radio to work on farm roads, not just between cell towers.
Buyers who would rather send money to a Wisconsin shop than another imported bullet antenna.
Backroad Verdict
We put it on yesterday, tightened it down, and drove it. Reception is better. The wind noise is better. The truck looks like a truck again instead of a custom-shop shorty. And the company behind it is still packing boxes in a town we could drive to before lunch when we still lived up north.
If your Sierra 1500 is wearing a bent factory mast or one of those little aluminum sticks, this is an easy yes. Order the correct series, screw it on, and go.
Hey, it’s Ryan with another Backroad Review. We’ve got about five acres here, and after cutting down a couple of acres of field really short, we decided it was time to put in some simulated golf holes so we (and especially our son) could practice before heading out to the real range or course. Neighbor used to be a pro and instructor, so the family interest is high.
The product we used is the THIODOON 6ft Golf Flagstick with Detachable Cup and Flag (anti-rust glass fiber, 5-section design with connectors). You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DD9XK1G. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Backroad Reviews earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the channel and site!
What’s in the Box & Key Features
This set includes:
5-section lightweight fiberglass (glass fiber) poles that assemble into a full 6-foot flagstick Strong connectors designed to stay together in the wind A high-quality ABS putting cup with six drainage holes so water doesn’t pool A bright red 420D nylon flag (approx. 19″ × 13″) with an O-ring/snap system that lets the flag spin freely instead of wrapping up and binding
The poles go together in a staggered red-and-white pattern (or all one color if you prefer). There’s a loop at the top and a simple system so the flag can rotate freely. The whole thing breaks down small enough to toss in a golf bag or store easily.
Our Install Experience (Watch the Video)
In the video we show the whole process on our place.
We used an old 4-inch hole saw (don’t ruin a good one—this will dull the teeth, especially in rocky or rooty ground) to cut a hole about 4 inches deep. The ground was dry, so it was a little dusty, but it worked fine. We leveled the cup with a rubber mallet so there’s no lip for the ball to catch.
Safety first: Always call 811 before you dig or drill anywhere. We already knew where our power and sewer lines were, but you never know.
Assembly is dead simple—just stack the sections and attach the flag. The rotating O-ring design is a nice touch so the flag doesn’t get tangled in the wind. We put a couple of holes in opposite corners of the field for good practice distance without losing too many balls. Then we mowed a rough fairway between them.
It took almost no time and now we have a little short course right on the homestead. Perfect for family practice, chipping, and putting. (Watch the full install and review video that goes with this post for the complete walkthrough.)
What Amazon Customers Are Saying The product currently sits around 4.2 out of 5 stars based on well over 1,000 ratings. Here’s the honest summary of real buyer feedback: What people love:
Extremely easy and quick to put together and install Excellent value for creating backyard or driving-range style practice holes Poles and cup feel solid for the price Bright, highly visible flag Great for family fun, kids learning the game, or just practicing approach shots and short game at home Drainage holes in the cup work as advertised
Common complaints:
The strings/ties that hold the flag to the pole are the weak point. Many reviewers report them breaking, rotting, or fraying after a few weeks to a couple of months of continuous outdoor exposure Some flags start to fray or tear with prolonged wind and weather A few note that plastic connectors can become brittle over time if left out year-round
The consensus is clear: the poles and cup hold up well, but treat the flag as a consumable. Bring the flag (or the whole stick) inside when you’re not using it, or replace the string with something stronger (paracord works great). Do that and most owners are very happy with the set.
Final Thoughts For the money, this is an easy win if you want to practice at home without spending a fortune on a full artificial green. It’s not tournament-grade equipment, but it doesn’t need to be. We now have functional practice holes on the property, the family is more motivated to hit balls, and setup was straightforward.
If you’re looking to add a couple of backyard targets or a mini short-course feel to your yard, garden, or field, this THIODOON 6ft flagstick and cup set gets the job done. Grab it here (affiliate link): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DD9XK1G
Welcome back to Backroad Reviews, where we test real-world gear for off-road adventures, overlanding, and ham radio operations in the wild. Today we’re diving into a practical field trial from Backroad Radio featuring the Yaesu FTX-1 Optima in a Jeep-based mobile/portable setup. This isn’t a full-blown review but a hands-on test of a quick-deploy HF station using a fence post mast, grounding mats, and supporting accessories.
The core of this trial is a temporary stationary antenna configuration perfect for parking lot activations, trail stops, or POTA (Parks on the Air) sessions:
Antenna: Yaesu ATAS-120A screwdrive mobile antenna mounted on a 10-ft fence post section
Grounding: GRA MAT50 HF Ground Enhancement Mat (magnetic, held by the zinc-coated steel post)
Mounting: Topsy Products brackets (fender/NMO style for Jeep JL/JLU/JT) and Hard Top Buddy for secure mounting
Accessories:
Comet CF-706 Duplexer
AR-300 HF RF Noise Suppression Choke
Topsy Products Communication Combo Mic Bracket
Small 6Ah lithium battery (re-purposed from a boat)
Camera bag for organization
The antenna is bolted to a fence post using a modified Hard Top Buddy mount (same one used for removing the Jeep hard top). Grounding mats attach magnetically to the post, providing an enhanced counterpoise for better HF performance.
Performance Impressions
According to the on-air test:
Reception: Excellent – hearing stations across the United States clearly.
Portability: The fence post + mats combo creates a surprisingly effective quick-deploy station without needing a full mast or extensive radial field.
Power: Running efficiently on a compact 6Ah lithium battery, making it very trail-friendly.
Noise Management: The AR-300 choke and Comet duplexer help keep things clean.
Vehicle Integration: Topsy Products mounts shine here – heavy-duty stainless steel construction that handles weight well. The mic bracket installs in minutes (15-30 min total) behind existing bolts for a clean, no-drill look.
Limitations noted: Not suitable for use while driving (obviously), but the setup pairs well with a more permanent mobile antenna like the Comet for on-the-move ops. Future plans include switching to a collapsible mast for POTA and optimizing wiring.
Pros
Quick Deploy: Fence post + magnetic mats = fast setup/teardown.
Effective Grounding: GRA MAT50 noticeably improves performance for a screwdriver antenna.
Jeep-Specific Mounts: Topsy Products gear is rugged, USA-made, and tailored for JL/JT models.
Compact Power: FTX-1 Optima + small battery keeps the whole rig lightweight.
Clean Install: Thoughtful routing through window seals avoids under-vehicle runs.
Cons / Areas for Improvement
Stationary-only for the tall mast setup.
Requires some custom bolt swapping and wiring tweaks for full integration.
Head unit mount still needed for optimal dashboard/roll cage placement.
Who Is This For?
Overlanders, Jeep enthusiasts, and ham operators who want reliable HF capability without a massive permanent install. Perfect for POTA, SOTA, or emergency comms on the trail. If you’re running a Yaesu FTX-1 or similar mobile rig, this grounding/mounting approach is worth testing.
Final Verdict
This trial shows that with smart accessories and a bit of creativity, you can achieve solid HF performance in a minimal, backroads-friendly package. The combination of the FTX-1 Optima, ATAS-120A, GRA mats, and Topsy mounts delivers impressive results for a quick fence-post station. Highly recommended for anyone building a versatile Jeep ham setup.
GRA MAT50 HF Ground Enhancement Mat for Mobile Screwdriver Antennas https://amzn.to/44ujIuv
Topsy Products Fender Mount Antenna Bracket for Bullbar & UHF Style Antenna Systems https://amzn.to/4pgIhod
Topsy Products NMO Style Fender Mount Antenna Bracket fits Jeep JL/JLU/JT, Heavy Duty 12ga Stainless Steel, Made in USA https://amzn.to/4pjJWJF
Topsy Products Communication Combo Mic Bracket – https://topsyproducts.com/collections/radio-communications-accessories/products/communication-combo-bracket
Hard Top Buddy – https://www.hardtopbuddy.com/shop/p/hardtopbuddy
