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Thread: GainMaster

  1. #1
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    GainMaster

    I bit the bullet and ordered the Gainmaster tonight should be here by next friday. Is the LMR-400 coax worth the extra cost? Only want to be buying once. It's about twice the price and I wont be running a lot of power as the gainmaster has a 500w limit. Someday down the road after I can build a tower I might be able to run more power through a different antenna. (beams) Although I will probably leave this antenna up and have them switchable.

    Had to order the gainmaster through amazon H&Y is out of stock and DNJ radio's site didn't want to accept my card or paypal.

    How high up should I go with this antenna. We are down in a bottom our TV and cell antennas are both roughly 40 ft off the ground. When I do this I would like to put the cell antenna on the same mast 10-20 ft below the cb antenna. Will this cause any problems? It's a small directional antenna less than a foot triangle. The mast will of course have guy wires. And yes I am planning to use top rail for mast I am to old and weak to be using iron pipe anymore. Ideally I am thinking a 60 ft mast with the cell ant. at 50 ft.. Luck me I don't have any neighbors to cause problems.

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    STANG
    .............​ 406
    ........................OUT

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    As high as possible with antenna, and don't push 450-500 thru that antenna it won't handle it, friend of mine ran 500 watts and burnt out antenna in less than one week. Good for 300-400 watts. Definitely the LMR-400 will be the Best but don't get all the knock-off's, get the Times Microwave only LMR-400. The knock-off not nearly as good. MPD Digital is a company on web and Ebay that strickly sells only "Times Microwave" brand and it will work great.
    RCI-2950DX, 1978 Cobra 148 GTL Taiwan, SHURE526T MIC, Tug-8 With Astatic 10 DA Head, Astatic 575M6, ASTRON 70/20 AMP POWER SUPPLIES, IMAX 2000 W GROUND PLANE KIT. TIMES MICROWAVE LMR-400 COAX, RF CHOKES. DIAMOND SWR/POWER INLINE METER. 250 of Sea Level Under Me. Recent World Radio Member.

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    How long can coax be before you start having big loss issues?

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    STANG
    .............​ 406
    ........................OUT

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    google wire gainmaster,, you can make one that will handle more power and be more efficient,, it uses rg-213 for the capacitor and rg-213 for the matching stub and a coax choke at the base just like the gainmaster. I made a few of them forless than $20 each and side by side with the original gainmaster work great could not tell the diff when on a coax switch,,, hang them in a tree or attach them to a fiberglass pole and mount like any antenna.
    Last edited by wi544; 04-05-2014 at 08:29 AM.

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    If you are going to use times microwave lmr400uf, the loss is very minimal to 100ft. Here are some specs from times microwave:
    TIMES MICROWAVE SYSTEMS
    Electrical Specifications
    Performance Property Units US (metric)
    Velocity of Propagation % 85
    Dielectric Constant NA 1.38
    Time Delay nS/ft (nS/m) 1.20 (3.92)
    Impedance ohms 50
    Mechanical Specifications
    Performance Property Units US (metric)
    Bend Radius: installation in. (mm) 1.00 (25.4)
    Bend Radius: repeated in. (mm) 4.0 (101.6)
    Bending Moment ft-lb (N-m) 0.5 (0.68)
    Weight lb/ft (kg/m) 0.068 (0.10)
    Flexible Low Loss Communications Coax

    • Drop-in replacement for RG-8/9913 Air-Dielectric type Cable
    • Jumper Assemblies in Wireless Communications Systems
    • Short Antenna Feeder runs
    • Any application (e.g. WLL, GPS, LMR, WLAN, WISP, WiMax,

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    Quote Originally Posted by wi544 View Post
    google wire gainmaster,, you can make one that will handle more power and be more efficient,, it uses rg-213 for the capacitor and rg-213 for the matching stub and a coax choke at the base just like the gainmaster. I made a few of them forless than $20 each and side by side with the original gainmaster work great could not tell the diff when on a coax switch,,, hang them in a tree or attach them to a fiberglass pole and mount like any antenna.
    Wish you had told me that before I ordered the gainmaster. Thanks though. I will look it up and check it out.

    Thanks
    STANG
    .............​ 406
    ........................OUT

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    Quote Originally Posted by 222DBFL View Post
    If you are going to use times microwave lmr400uf, the loss is very minimal to 100ft. Here are some specs from times microwave:
    TIMES MICROWAVE SYSTEMS
    Electrical Specifications
    Performance Property Units US (metric)
    Velocity of Propagation % 85
    Dielectric Constant NA 1.38
    Time Delay nS/ft (nS/m) 1.20 (3.92)
    Impedance ohms 50
    Mechanical Specifications
    Performance Property Units US (metric)
    Bend Radius: installation in. (mm) 1.00 (25.4)
    Bend Radius: repeated in. (mm) 4.0 (101.6)
    Bending Moment ft-lb (N-m) 0.5 (0.68)
    Weight lb/ft (kg/m) 0.068 (0.10)
    Flexible Low Loss Communications Coax

    • Drop-in replacement for RG-8/9913 Air-Dielectric type Cable
    • Jumper Assemblies in Wireless Communications Systems
    • Short Antenna Feeder runs
    • Any application (e.g. WLL, GPS, LMR, WLAN, WISP, WiMax,

    Any others I should look at or is this about the best? Right now it seems to be a toss up between RG213 and LMR 400.

    If I am reading you correctly I need to stay to 100 ft or less?

    Thanks
    STANG
    .............​ 406
    ........................OUT

  11. #8
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    No you don't have to stay 100ft or less. The loss on lmr400 is like 1db over 100ft I want to say, not enough that anyone including you will ever notice. And yes get the times microwave lmr400. Get the UF make (UF=ultra flex) as it is easier to work with. Run it once and be done. This same coax is still in use on most E911 systems in almost every cell site around. It is top notch quality coax and will last a very long time. It is made to handle the elements and weather alike. All of this is JMO, but if you want do some research and I promise you will find that this coax pops to the top of the list for any install. Mobile or base. Like I said, I use the lmr240 that's made by them for my mobile coax and the lmr400 for my jumpers. Overkill, maybe, but I have been told too many times that my mobile sounds like a rolling base station. Like I said before, don't skimp out on anything antenna system related, that goes for connectors, coax, and antenna. Amphenol makes good pl259 connectors that will go onto the lmr 400 nicely. If you want to step it up google Andrew and have a look at their connectors. But for the power you are running, pl259's should work fine. Like I said, get good ones, not the truck stop brand. Take your time making all connections and you will be a happy camper.

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  13. #9
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    Thank you so much this is about what I had concluded. I just want to be sure money is hard earned and spends fast. lol A big part of the reason I am setting this up now is am somewhat of a prepper and IMO things are headed down hill ever faster. Want to be sure we can communicate with others if it gets bad. Not to mention I have been having a lot of fun playing around with this stuff lately.

    The reason I had asked about length is I have two options for putting this up if I could put the antenna 700 ft away it would be about 50 ft higher and in a much more cleared area. As it is cost wise I think I will have to mount it here at the house.

    Thanks again for taking the time and helping out a fellow.
    STANG
    .............​ 406
    ........................OUT

  14. #10
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    Not worth the effort for 50ft of height, JMO if the run were to be that long I would use nothing less than ldf4-50a. That is a larger coax with a much larger center conductor. It is more for long runs like what you're speaking of. It's not cheap though. Mount a good antenna at the house is high as possible and you will be good. 30-40ft will work fine IMO. My mobile is only 14ft3in to the tip of my antenna and I can talk around the world. It's all about setting your system up right, spend a little extra time, do it right the first time and you will be happy.

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