55's merlin hands down
55's merlin hands down
by BOOTYMONSTER » Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:07 pm
how about an option to delete a thread we make ?
ill admit im at least a part time idiot . sometimes i do double post when editing a post .
some may find this hard to believe , but ....... sometimes i even get pissed and make a post i regret later . hard to believe huh?? lol
I dont disagree. I have heard nuthing but good things about the merlin.
noizybuilt.com
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 "
Mistah Gravy (04-04-2012), whiteastro (03-29-2020)
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.
noizybuilt.com
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 .
certainly not pretty enough to sell , but it was %100 functional and electrically fine .
i currently use a home-brewed .875wl base antenna .
Last edited by BOOTY MONSTER; 12-09-2011 at 10:47 AM.
how does the tuning ring tune do you slide that wire around it?
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 R...nna 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://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1005081.aspx
Last edited by BOOTY MONSTER; 03-13-2012 at 11:08 AM.
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
if mounting it in/on a tree id say no gpk. save your money
BOOTY MONSTER (08-12-2012)
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)
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