Finally got my Hy-Gain SPT 500 penetrator set up for 11 meter

**whiteastro** · 08-24-2019, 06:42 PM

Well after months of waiting and reading up on this New SPT 500 antenna I finally finished it up today with results I can live with. I hope this helps someone else who wants to set it up for 11 meter. I first started out with setting it at 22' 6" and had acceptable SWR but wanted to get a better reading so I raised and lowered it multiple times until it was at 22' 8" with a 1-1.5 SWR on channel 1 and a 1-.5 on channel 40. Even though my raising and lowering was easy because of my custom built pivot mount I built and using a winch on my tractor I started to tire of playing around so the last time I changed it to 22' 9" and got a reading of 1-1.1 on channel 1 and a reading of 1-1.1 on channel 40, and a flat line reading on channels 17 19 and 20 the channels I use most. Good enough for me. Now I can't wait for the DX to start rolling in. Hope this helps somebody because their is too much mixed info on this antenna.

Cheers

**nosaj** · 08-25-2019, 10:52 AM

Well part of the problems lie in the installation. How high, what is near it, metal roofs can affect swr, soil conductivity. A myriad host of issues that prevent most antennas installs from being a simple put it up and talk.
So in effect each antenna installation can be as individual as each of us.

nosaj

**whiteastro** · 08-25-2019, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by nosaj

Well part of the problems lie in the installation. How high, what is near it, metal roofs can affect swr, soil conductivity. A myriad host of issues that prevent most antennas installs from being a simple put it up and talk.
So in effect each antenna installation can be as individual as each of us.

nosaj

What your saying is so true that is why I found so many differences of opinion and why I jumped a full 1" on my last adjustment because I read somewhere that 22' 9.5" was the magic number. I was at 22" 8" and I figured 22" 9" would still leave me room to play. I have to laugh because it is a tough game for a OLD FART like me to play! LOL

**nosaj** · 08-25-2019, 01:02 PM

Yea if it's on the internet it must be true! :0
I've only been in this a year but come from an audio background in tube amps and the antenna to me is like the speaker load if not right it'll burn up your amp.
It's a shame more people don't try to understand some of what they use.
nosaj

**whiteastro** · 08-25-2019, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by nosaj

Yea if it's on the internet it must be true! :0
I've only been in this a year but come from an audio background in tube amps and the antenna to me is like the speaker load if not right it'll burn up your amp.
It's a shame more people don't try to understand some of what they use.
nosaj

I've been a poor boy a long time, can't afford to burn up my radios. Too many places to spend money so I pay attention to detail. LOL

**nosaj** · 08-25-2019, 01:25 PM

Same here, got more skills than money through being poor, I've also gotten to play with whatever toys I want by buying broken. Did that the entire time kids were growing up. They wanted a game system buy a broken one cheap and fix it. They rarely ever got anything brand new but I did what I could and they now do the same.
It's amazing what people get rid of....an we just scoop up.

nosaj

**whiteastro** · 08-25-2019, 02:56 PM

That's me an old scooper. LOL I'm scooping up all the good knowledge these good people will share with me. LOL

**Danr** · 05-14-2020, 05:25 PM

Did you have to do any thing to your radials such as shorten them ?

**whiteastro** · 05-14-2020, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Danr

Did you have to do any thing to your radials such as shorten them ?

No I didn't shorten them, I set them per the instructions and things worked out fine. Setting the height for 11 meter is the important thing and every bodies install can be a little different. But for starters I believe you could start at 22' 9.5" and adjust from there. I've been playing with mine for a year and mine is set at 22' 9" and I think I could shorten it by maybe a 1/4- 1/2" but the SWR is good so it probably won't get done.

**Big Moe** · 10-02-2020, 07:23 PM

This is really interesting...I just posted a pic of my antenna looking to identify it and looking for instructions and wouldn't you know it...I have a Hy-Gain SPT 500 Penetrator lol. Well....looks like my questions were answered. Now to get it tuned when the weather cools of a bit more here in Az.