Tuning my Predator 10k

**Fogdog** · 06-05-2013, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Silverado 996

No $hit!! Well I'm glad it worked out for you bro. That antenna had your number. Can you tell a difference between the FireStik and 10k? I'll turn the radio down when the air on my hairs start arcing.

lol!!

My ear will listening for ya, Breaka! Breaka!

Yeah I can Bro. One way I test the receive is to try and pick up the NOAA WX Station. There is actually three of them around here . One is about 8 miles away, one is 20 miles out, and theres one way out there. Anyway the stick can only pick up the closet one and it's kinda scratchy. It's the only station the stick can pick up. The ten k makes the close one come in almost perfect, and you can here the second one ok, and the one way out there is hard to hear ,but you can make some of it out. So it does pull in signals better IMHO.

I sure the main purpose of the 10k is so you can run big power. I don't plan running much more than I have unless a killer amp falls in my lap. I will say the thing looks like it should be able to give you serious RF burns if I transmit next to your rig. Ha Ha. People around these parts probably haven't seen to many of them. I see em all the time checking that thing out. Some will come up and say WOW I never saw anything like that. What is it?

I think it will also work with a 10 meter radio. Maybe some day I will get one of those. That would be cool. I'm not sure how many radio's I can fit in the cab. Jeez. Maybe piggy back it on my 29. It's a sickness Bro. You know how it is :-)>

73 Bro

**JesseJamesDallas** · 06-05-2013, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Fogdog

Man, there is no way in hell I'm changing anything on that dual 10k. Ha Ha. It's truly the situation. if it ain't broke don't try to fix it. Damm that was a serious drill trying to tune that thing. I don't know why, but it damm sure was.

Awwwwwwwwwww come on....Can't leave it like that...If you quit now and leave it like it is..."What will you have to tinker with next week?"

**Fogdog** · 06-05-2013, 11:37 PM

Yeah U right. Wait a minute. No friggin way Dude.

**Silverado 996** · 06-09-2013, 07:35 AM

Since I've only run FireStiks and your a former user of them, can you tell me and differences that you have noticed? I need to build a headache rack so I can run a 10k. Since I'm a welder / fabricator that's not a problem. To me if it isn't broke, I'm not going to fix it. I've never received a bad report local or skip that my rig sounded bad. I have receive plenty of complements. Here is a half rack I buildt last week out of 1.50" .125 wall 6063 aluminum tube. Sorry if the pictures rotate iPhone has a mind of its own.
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**619 NJ** · 06-09-2013, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Silverado 996

Since I've only run FireStiks and your a former user of them, can you tell me and differences that you have noticed? I need to build a headache rack so I can run a 10k. Since I'm a welder / fabricator that's not a problem. To me if it isn't broke, I'm not going to fix it. I've never received a bad report local or skip that my rig sounded bad. I have receive plenty of complements. Here is a half rack I buildt last week out of 1.50" .125 wall 6063 aluminum tube. Sorry if the pictures rotate iPhone has a mind of its own.
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Nice looking welding, Silverado!

**Silverado 996** · 06-09-2013, 09:39 PM

Lol! Thanks bro. I love custom fab work.

**Fogdog** · 06-12-2013, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Silverado 996

Since I've only run FireStiks and your a former user of them, can you tell me and differences that you have noticed? I need to build a headache rack so I can run a 10k. Since I'm a welder / fabricator that's not a problem. To me if it isn't broke, I'm not going to fix it. I've never received a bad report local or skip that my rig sounded bad. I have receive plenty of complements. Here is a half rack I buildt last week out of 1.50" .125 wall 6063 aluminum tube. Sorry if the pictures rotate iPhone has a mind of its own.
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First off let me say Nice Friggin Rack. San you say a roll of nickels. That aluminum stuff ain't easy to weld.
I tell ya Bro, if what you got works that good I would not mess up a good thing. My stick worked, and still does work real nice. I thought I'd get all fancy and what not with the 10k. So far I have had no DX'ing yet with it. None! I get out local but that it so far. I talked to a guy today who was about 2 miles away and I could barely make him out. I might have a radio problem. I don't know. Lately , actually ever since I put the 10 k and the amp on my radio has a whole lot of white noise, and not a whole lot of receive. I got the SWR down to 1.3.1 on ch1, and 1.4.1 on 40, so thats working. I don't know if the conditions are $hitty or what. Have you had good skip in the last two weeks?

Lots of people run these things, but Iam probably going to go back to the stick soon. I keep hitting branches, and that ain't good on the 10k. The Firestick with a spring can take the abuse I sometimes give an antenna.

Keep the stick, as long as it can handle the watts your running.

**Silverado 996** · 06-12-2013, 09:34 PM

Thanks for the complements. Been a certified welder going 16 years now. Aluminum is my favorite alloy to weld, then stainless.

Yeah the skip has been rolling good this week so far. I'm not able to get to your neck of the woods, but everything North East to do East of Texas.

I've never had any other antenna than a FireStik, I was just wondering if theres a big difference that you've noticed. I'll keep screaming your DX in the mic, maybe we will connect.

**Fogdog** · 09-15-2013, 02:25 PM

I finally figured out how to tune my Predator 10k Dual coil SW.

1. Drive your rather large Pickup with a mild lift,and a 10K antenna mounted up high on the corner of you headache rack into an unfamiliar neighborhood.

2. Pull in to park in front of a house you've never been to, and attempt to park next to the curb.

3. While trying to park said beast, you don't observe the portable basketball hoop set up next to the curb.

4. Smash the basketball hoop with your $100.00 10K antenna, and insure you smash the exposed coils to the antenna, and to make sure you did it right hit it hard enough that it bends the marine grade aluminum headache rack that the antenna is attached to.

5. Get out of your pickup and survey the damage without anybody observing you. Trying not to barf in your mouth.

6. Conduct your business and leave . Hopefully knowing that nobody seen the big geek dork perform this act and quietly drive off.

7. Get home and re-shaped the bent coils, and bend the rack back into place.

8. Hook up your SWR meter and set the swr.

9. Notice how your SWR readings are much better now, since you smashed your antenna.

10. Sit back and enjoy a cool adult beverage reeling in the fact, that you are a true master at antenna tuning.

11. Lastly, never go back into said neighborhood, in case someone seen you perform such a heinous display of vehicle operation.

73

**JesseJamesDallas** · 09-15-2013, 04:59 PM

HAHAHAHA! Believe it or not, I know a couple guys that swear their 10K's work better all beat up. I've even been over at Kales when someone brought in a 10K that they broke the shaft on, and just brought it in for Kale to fix, and other than having a broken shaft, the antenna's coil would look mangled, but they didn't want a new coil, they said the antenna worked "Better" mangled!

go figure...Maybe someday Kale will come out with the "Mangler"...