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  1. #1
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    CB Radio Shed SWR Issues

    Just put a CB radio in my shed out back and have some SWR issues, suggestions?

    https://youtu.be/3K5tNB8m4qc

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  3. #2
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    No counterpoise. No metal under that 102" whip. You need to either add 4 102" radials and possibly lengthen the center whip to 108", but you need to at least have some ground plane under that antenna for it to work the way you have it mounted and being used. A large Metal plate and a 6" SS HD spring might help with what you have now. Get a 3' x 3' or larger metal plate under the antenna. But you really need 4 ground radials I believe. With the setup you have, you would be better off using a extendable fishing Pole or pvc and make yourself a 1/2 wave vertical dipole. You either need to change antennas or do the above mentioned. You gotta have counterpoise!! Bottom line. No metal under that antenna equals no good. JMHO.

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    Would this make a good alternative antenna? I'm not looking to shoot skip or blow people away, just talk to the locals and have something my wife can holler at me on if I'm out in the building.

    http://www.copper.com/cart/Antennas-...alcony-Antenna

    Just out of curiosity, what is different about my Solarcon A-99 that makes it flatline with SWR with no ground plane radials?

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  7. #4
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    Your A99 is a 1/2 wave vertical dipole with a matching capacitor at the base. All the A99 is some wire inside the fiberglass that goes from the tip to the base. The wire is joined by joining the sections. There is a small capacitor at the base of the antenna where the tuning rings are I believe and it basically makes the impedance 50 ohms instead of more like 70-75 ohms like a 1/2 wave dipole shows. It's a lossy antenna and isn't the best for anything really, contrary to what most think. It will work okay at best, I had one up when I first started out and it was at 18ft to the base. I couldn't talk to locals further than about 20 miles. I had to use a TNT 600hd to reach to 30-50 miles. I then changed antennas opting for the sirio tornado 5/8 wave antenna. It's long but actually lighter than an A99. They weigh about 6lbs total roughly. Antennas are built well and are made of alum. and not fiberglass. And it has ground radials as well. These antennas are on sale at DNJ Radio for 71.95 + shipping which makes it $87 to your door. Cheaper than the A99. Now since changing antennas and keeping them at the same height I was able to talk out to just about 100 miles from my QTH. Had no issues reaching all my locals even the ones at 50 miles. It was a totally different world man!! I took the A99 and Gave it Away!!! Haven't looked back since and have made a bunch of contacts from all over the world and also locally that I didn't know existed as I could hear and transmit way better. Do some reading and you'll see what the A99 truly is, just what I said, a zero gain 1/2 wave vertical end fed dipole. And oh yes it uses about 9ft of your coax as part of the antenna. Forgot to mention that. I thought I had a decent antenna when I had one, just thought it wasn't high enough. Boy was I wrong. You can add some 102" wire radials to the antenna you have now at the mount and use some very light string to hold them out with the help of the center whip. That might help as well. But for local and DX, I swear the sirio tornado blew my A99 away in all aspects, including bleeding on the neighbors computer speakers and outdoor stereo system. There are better antennas out there than the sirio tornado, this is fact, but for the money it's one of the best I've seen or used for the money!! At $87 shipped you couldn't build an aluminum antenna for the same amount I don't think. Not even a simple 1/2 wave vert. Again, for the money the sirio tornado is a better antenna than the A99 and will outperform them all day long. I've experienced it myself. Hope this helps and like I said if you have some wire laying around, try 4 102" radials and add a spring to the center whip to get it to 108". Hold the wires up with small string to the whip and see what happens. JMHO's.

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    And the one you linked isn't worth the money. Save your money. It won't talk down the road!!

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  11. #6
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    Look here.

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  13. #7
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    That DNJ is a nice antenna. Just a bit over 22 feet long. Loading coil on the bottom and tunable stubs. Not excited about the transformer feed, the high power rating would be fed to the loading coil and coupled to the vertical stick. Be sure to run a separate ground wire from the ground at the top od the mast to a good ground, don't rely on the grounding through the radio and coax.

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  15. #8
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    I do this very thing. Run solid #2awg from base of antenna mast to ground. I have several 8ft and a couple 10ft ground rods in the ground that all tie together. You can also mod the antenna to make it DC grounded. There is a thread on another forum that shows how to do it. But for the cost, this antenna is a good one. Beats the pants of the A99 I had up. There are better antennas I know, but for 86 dollars shipped to the door, the one I listed is hard to beat.

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  17. #9
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    And the antenna is a sirio tornado. H&Y electronics sells them. Also might take a look at the sirio vector 4000. Here is the specs on it.

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  19. #10
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    Gerowen, stay away from the antenna you linked. Might as well hang a clothes hanger out than to use that 3ft antenna. Get an A99 or the sirio tornado. But stay away from the balcony antennas! Pretty much like a dummy load being that short. Can't make up for length with a 3ft antenna. Or I should say, a 3ft antenna isn't going to work very well. JMHO.

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