High Sierra Antennas is a division of Heath Tech Inc.  High Sierra Antennas is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Nevada County, California. Production of antennas and accessories began in this historic gold mining area in 1993. This is a very beautiful part of California.  It is mountainous and heavily forested.  Temperatures range from below freezing to the mid 90's.  High Sierra Antennas is located near the gold rush towns of Nevada City and Grass Valley.     

During the last 15 years, we have sold over 20,000 antennas to a wide variety of customers.  The list of our customers is pretty amazing. We have sold antennas to governments, military, many car manufacturers (Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes & more), the CIA, FBI, Customs Service and many others.   However, most of our customers are licensed amateur radio operators around the world. 

Except for one employee, all have Extra Class Licenses.  Jim, W6LG, the President of High Sierra Antennas has been licensed the longest; about 45 years.  Jim is an avid DXer and is pretty active from his home on Wolf Mountain which is the location of many repeaters.  Jim's career in amateur radio equipment began in the 1960's when he worked for Hagerty Radio Supply and Electronic City in Burbank California.     

We have a great reputation.  We earned that reputation over these 15 years by providing excellent customer service and great products.  Our growth has been really remarkable the last few years.  Evidence of that are the full page, full color ads currently being run in QST magazine.  

You won't find us calling our antennas, screwdriver antennas.  Why?  Well that is an interesting story.  In 1993 we did use screwdriver motors inside the antennas.  High Sierra Antennas and another company, TJ Antennas, were runnning advertisements in QST and CQ.  Since we intially called them "screwdriver antennas," the name stuck.  In 1998 we stopped using screwdriver motors and started using our own motor design.  Today, we use the Black Hawk Motor which is metal and very well designed.  So, our antennas really are no longer screwdriver antennas.  There is no screwdriver motor inside.  

Actually, the motorized antenna has existed for decades.  If you look in QST magazines in the mid to late 1950's you will find ads for a screwdriver antenna.  Two guys were marketing the design.  Later, those antennas were sold by Swan under the name Swantenna in the 1960's.  While Jim, W6LG worked for Electronic City, he sold Swantennas at that store.  You will find a copy of a June 1963 QST showing two different motorized antennas.  A company did obtain a patent for the same design in the 1970's.  The company is no longer in business and that patent has long since expired.  So it is a myth that one guy invented the screwdriver antenna.  And, that myth persists.

Beginning in 1993, it was High Sierra Antennas that really popularized the motorized antenna. The company has run ads in QST since that time and the company has attended hundred of shows across the country.  Early on at shows, guys would stop just to look at the antenna go up and down.  They had never seen anything like it.  Now that High Sierra has established the motorized antenna as a great antenna for home and mobile use, attending shows around the country is just not possible.   Our volume of sales has grown to the point where there is just no time to travel.  In addition, we have a number of great dealers around the world.  

In addition, you can now order online with our secure site.  Ordering online is safe and efficient.  You will receive updates on your order and tracking information directly from UPS.