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View Full Version : the best performing base antenna I, and others have found.



coolbreeze
12-05-2011, 09:57 PM
55's merlin hands down

noisemaker
12-06-2011, 08:44 AM
I dont disagree. I have heard nuthing but good things about the merlin.

BOOTY MONSTER
12-09-2011, 12:45 AM
it depends on what you call best . best physical construction ? best/most power handling ability ? best price for a very limited budget ? how easy is it to put together and tune ? possible physical size limitations ?

no single omni will be the best in every location . down in a valley a 1/4 wave could be best since the higher TOA can put more signal/lobe up over the mountain/hill .. or if LOS/ground wave contacts are the priority . if you're out in a clear open area or better yet on top of a hill a .825 - .875 WL could easily be the best . whats under the antenna plays a part as well as whats around it aka trees and buildings and conductivity of the soil .

it also has to be strong enough for your weather extremes without having to be repaired or replaced every few years or less . that's the sirio 4000s issue for many users/areas .

if you're on a tight budget a $60 workman m-400/starduster or a w-58 should handle most weather extremes and of course there are much physically stronger versions for very bad weather areas for more money. if simple and easy installation is a priority a antron 99 or imax 2000 or sirio gain master will fill the bill depending on your budget . the GM is getting a lot of flowers ... but it's $180 .

and there's the option of home brewing a antenna to do what you want and have the physical strength you want .... and it comes with the bonus of bragging rights to say " i made it "

noisemaker
12-09-2011, 08:06 AM
Well, I had an iMax2000 and that lasted a year. It was "ok" but didnt really cut it for me. Then I got a Maco v5000 (which I am still running) and I have to say I love it. I designed a 1pc tuning ring/hoop for it and have been beating the crap out of it for over a year now. I cant say 1 bad thing about it. I have started making the tuning hoops and selling them. Everyone loves them (so i guess I did good). Im a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" BUT there are some antennas out there that are just flat out ridiculously expensive like the JoGunn beams- which are very good but i think they are a bit much for what they are and seriously over rated. I like Booty's last last option -braggin rights -and thats pretty much the way ill be rolling from now on with any new antennas.

BOOTY MONSTER
12-09-2011, 10:30 AM
i home-brewed a GP using a maco type tuning ring . it was a very effective antenna . my vertical was taller though . i tried 22 1/2 ft and 23 ft but i didn't see any difference between 5/8 and .64 wave lengths . i had 108 inch sloped ground elements on it . i also used a one piece tuning ring . i made mine out of 1 inch x 1/8 inch thick aluminum strip from lowes .

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/BOOTY-MONSTER/100_0687.jpg



http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/BOOTY-MONSTER/IMG_0029.jpg

certainly not pretty enough to sell , but it was %100 functional and electrically fine .
i currently use a home-brewed .875wl base antenna .

doughboy
01-09-2012, 08:54 AM
how does the tuning ring tune do you slide that wire around it?

BOOTY MONSTER
01-14-2012, 03:29 PM
yes , you use your external VSWR meter (or analyzer) and move the wire around the loop making note of your measurements . get the vswr as low as you can . IMO anything 1.5 or lower is fine . if you cant get that low or want to try to go lower but cant on the loop you can also try adjusting the length of the vertical a few inches at a time . heres a link to a nice review of the maco 5/8 ....

http://cbradiomagazine.com/Antenna Reviews/Maco V 5-8/Maco V 5-8 Antenna Review.htm

the workman 58 is electrically the same as the maco 5/8 FWIU and the folks that have the workman have said its built and finished better than the maco . they can be had for $80 shipped from palco . about the same price as a antron 99 and less than a imax or any other 5/8 that i know of.

(http://cbradiomagazine.com/Antenna Reviews/Maco V 5-8/Maco V 5-8 Antenna Review.htm)http://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1005081.aspx

Mistah Gravy
04-04-2012, 11:31 PM
i recently bought an Antron99 brand new without the groundplane kit and i plan on installing it up in a bare ass'ed tree(well,it does have one branch but not in the way of my plans).i also bought a used one for back up,couldn't beat it for 21.50 plus 20.00 for shipping.
should i have bought the groundplane kit?i am getting conflicting stories about the gain of having the groundplane kit installed and it looks like between a couple of you,there is a lot of technical background here so i figured i'd ask.thanks,Gravy626

hotrod
08-12-2012, 05:13 PM
if mounting it in/on a tree id say no gpk. save your money

BOOTY MONSTER
08-12-2012, 11:22 PM
mount it on a 10 ft piece of pipe and attach the pipe to the tree . it will use the pipe for a single ground element . put a coax choke in the coax just below the bottom of the pipe to reduce the chances of the coax radiating and bleeding into yours and neighbors electronics .

http://www.cbjunkies.com/threads/202-coax-choke-info

hotrod
08-13-2012, 11:02 AM
is the merlin 55 still being made????i didnt care for the imax mine snapped in the center section . wonder how this antenna would do against say a v5/8 or penatrator 500

BOOTY MONSTER
08-13-2012, 04:40 PM
here's a link to the latest review of the merlin done by cool breeze .

http://www.cbjunkies.com/threads/192-the-latest-merlin-commercial-.

h (http://www.cbjunkies.com/threads/192-the-latest-merlin-commercial-.)ere's a old one .

http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/28783-new-55-merlin-base-antenna.html
(http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/28783-new-55-merlin-base-antenna.html)
and here's a review from a owner .

http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/32864-merlin-base-up-close-personal.html
(http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/32864-merlin-base-up-close-personal.html)
it's basically a very short star-duster with a coil and top-hat to help it tune to the CB band .

fatboy sells them too .

http://www.chargercharger.com/Merlin-Antenna.html

459

" (http://www.chargercharger.com/Merlin-Antenna.html) "...... Total tuned length is 72 inches from the top of the insulator. The 3 ground radials drooping at around a 45 deg angle are 101 in long. ......"