hi Oceans777,
Sorry in the delay in answering your question as i`ve just returned from holiday.Yes the BS1100 is well made and sturdy,i`ve had mine up for 2 years and no sign of corrosion,still with the coax i put up there with it on day one.I use the Elad pre-amp and get very good results,i`m going to put a length of westflex up shortly as the coax i`m using is the thin stuff so again with better coax i hope for better results.The BS1100 is more expensive but as with everything you only get what you pay for.Hope this helps you.
Regards Terry.
P.S I bought the high gain whip that accompanies the antenna.have not uised the whip that comes with it.