You took it down for the hurricane? Been nice if you left it up to test how well they handle high winds! lol
Then you would have a good excuse to buy a tower and beem if it turned into a pretzel...
You took it down for the hurricane? Been nice if you left it up to test how well they handle high winds! lol
Then you would have a good excuse to buy a tower and beem if it turned into a pretzel...
222DBFL (10-17-2016)
I wish JJD!! Would love to have a nice beam antenna. I live in Daytona Beach and we had winds of up to 100+ mph. It took down local pals 85ft tower. So I don't think my Sirio vector would have made it!! Glad I took it down. It is a good antenna for my needs. Not to say that I wouldn't love a beam antenna setup. Just too many other obligations I have to afford one at the moment. 4 kids keep me broke LOL!!
222DBFL (10-17-2016)
great antenna ! it's only pitfall is it's physical durability . made one of my own but MUCH more durable a few years ago . hope to be moving soon and putting my stuff back up in a few months .
I did not place my antenna back up all the way. I did make sure it was still tuned after having taken it down for Hurricane Matthew, and I also replaced coax with LDF4-50a and a short run of FSJ4-50B or 1/2 “ super flex to my radio room. Used brass UHF connector at feed point and ran coax out. Prepared to place antenna back up just recently, then came Irma. Needless to say antenna came back into the garage. It’s back out again, sitting roughly 6-7ft off the ground. I can still talk with it if I want to, but I need to get it mounted on the push up pole to 30+ feet. I was very happy with the antenna when I had it up at 27ft to the feed point. It rocked!! Getting it close to 35ft will help a bit I am sure. Locally anyways. But they do need to be beefed up and some mods to be made for them to last any time in any type of environment that can be potentially harsh. Central FL, 4 miles from the beach isn’t what I would call the best location for one of these antennas. Unless you plan on modding it as was said by BOOTY MONSTER. He knows more about this antenna then I ever will!!!! They do work well for local and DX when they are setup correctly. I know what mine was capable of, but I also modded mine a bit for the wind and also rain as well. But again, if you put some time into one, you can have a darn good vertical antenna antenna for local and DX. JMHO.
I just have had too many other things going at the moment to have time for radio of any kind. Suppose to have gotten my ticket and that hasn’t happened. With a father with Alzheimer’s, and being part of the main care taking, I don’t get a lot of play time at the moment. But I could care less as I wouldn’t want my kids to abounded me when I need them the most!!! And I won’t do it to my father. He is still well enough to stay at home and we will grant that until we cannot!!!! That is what family does. Anyways. To all that know me, thanks for keeping in touch from time to time, I appreciate it. Until I get back on the radio,
73 and God Bless To All,
From 222 Daytona Beach, FL!!!
Good info, both.
I'm putting one in a 115' tree this Sunday but before I do I plan to use my friend's table saw and slit the top 3" of each section of the tubing, right through the screw holes, and use 2-3 clamps per section to hold each section of the main shaft together.
Any other mods you guys advise?
I just compared it to my interceptor10k and it is better performing, i just wish it was built as well.
Funny, I'm also using Andrews LDF4-50a a friend gave me that he got when he worked there and was given a truckload of stuff when they went OOB.
Last edited by JAF0; 10-02-2017 at 03:38 AM.
222DBFL (10-03-2017)
If you are going to place one that high up, I would make sure it’s beefed up as much as possible. Every joint needs to be beefed up as well as the basket area. If you get this antenna to hold up at that height, you’ll have one heck of a vertical antenna!!! Should talk locally a long ways!! Good luck to you and be safe!!
i wound up making my own clamps because hose rings kept stripping out long befor i felt they were tight enough . i made mine out of 1/16 x 1/2 inch wide aluminum strip from lowes with #8 nuts and bolts (SS is soft and strips too easily for my taste) . a bit of a pain in the ass because each one had to be sized for each different tubing diameter joining section but well worth the end results IMO .
222DBFL (10-07-2017)
222DBFL (10-07-2017)
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