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Thread: High-Gain CLR2

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    Smile High-Gain CLR2

    The coil in my Clr2 is bad. Does anyone know where I could get a new one or even possibly build one.
    I have had excellent results with this antenna and I hate to give up on it.
    Apparently the coils on these antennas were their weak points as they were not rated for much power.
    Any info would be greatly appreciated 73's

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    Hello S+13: Yes that CLRII can be repaired and upgraded to handle more power.

    The matching coil in the bottom insulator possibility can be repaired by soldering say 18 gauge wire just over the existing traces on the circuit board. Or a new Coil can be made from 12 or 14 gauge wire installed inside the bottom insulator or even outside the bottom insulator. Using a SWR Bridge or antenna analyzer the antenna matching coil can be tuned to a low SWR, and handle way more power.


    Also the Matching circuit can be replaced with 12 gauge wires as is done on the Hy-Gain Penetrator 500 5/8 wavelength antenna, or even Aluminum Tubing. Let me see if I can find the CLRII photos of the CLRII I modified to upgrade a CLRII for a friend. He had a lot of steam he shot at the antenna and never had a problem after the upgrade.


    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

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    Modified CLRII Matching Upgread

    Name:  CLR II Update 2.JPG
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    Ok here is the modified CLRII Antenna using tubing to allow tuning adjustment to low SWR. The bottom matching circuit board coil has been removed, and the tubing 1/2 and 3/8 inch tubing installed for the tuning function.

    The SO239 connector center is connected to the bottom insulator output screw, which is connected to the two tuning tubing pieces as shown, the one tubing on the left top photo goes the ground plane mounting bracket, yes ground. And the other tubing goes the vertical loop up then down, and connects to the bottom of the vertical radiator/element. Again 12 or 14 gauge wire can be used instead of the tubing.

    A SWR or Antenna Analyzer should be used to tune in the lengths, (the photos will get you close) while the antenna is mounted on a mast of at least 9 to 10 feet. This modified CLRII will now take all the steam you can throw at it.

    Hope this helps.

    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

    Name:  CLR II Update 3.JPG
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Size:  1.96 MBName:  CLR II Update 4.JPG
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    Last edited by Jay Mojave; 11-17-2016 at 07:27 AM.

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Jay Mojave For This Useful Post:

    222DBFL (11-26-2016)

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    Hello S+13 and all: I couldn't fine the original photos of the modified CLRII, so I took a few photos of one I modified many years ago and has been in the back yard in the dirt. The 3/8 inch Aluminum is not tubing but solid Aluminum Rod, it can be heated with a small torch and easily bent for what ever bends or shapes you want. I am sure you could do the same with tubing.

    The matching coil inside the lower insulator was removed, and a newer heavier gauge wire 14 gauge was soldered to the SO-239 center and connected to a new stainless steel 10/24 pan head Philips screw, 2 inches long to allow the tubing to fit over it, as shown. The SO-239 should be replace with a new one, meaning the older rusted steel rivets must be drilled out. Which is a good call, as they may not make a good ground connection.

    The tubing tube lengths can be adjusted for dead nutz flat SWR which is what one would want for high power use. New upper and lower insulators are available from Hy-Gain you download the new SPT Penetrator 500 assembly instructions and get the part numbers. The insulator that holds the adjustable tuning loop is chipped, and Teflon or Dilron or even fiberglass can be used. In a pinch I have even taken the ol ladies heavy plastic cutting board and used that as a mounting type bracket, only a few bucks. This modification upgrade isn't all that hard to make, I've seen Aluminum Tubing at Home Depot that would work. Good luck.

    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

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    222DBFL (11-26-2016)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Mojave View Post
    Hello S+13 and all: I couldn't fine the original photos of the modified CLRII, so I took a few photos of one I modified many years ago and has been in the back yard in the dirt. The 3/8 inch Aluminum is not tubing but solid Aluminum Rod, it can be heated with a small torch and easily bent for what ever bends or shapes you want. I am sure you could do the same with tubing.

    The matching coil inside the lower insulator was removed, and a newer heavier gauge wire 14 gauge was soldered to the SO-239 center and connected to a new stainless steel 10/24 pan head Philips screw, 2 inches long to allow the tubing to fit over it, as shown. The SO-239 should be replace with a new one, meaning the older rusted steel rivets must be drilled out. Which is a good call, as they may not make a good ground connection.

    The tubing tube lengths can be adjusted for dead nutz flat SWR which is what one would want for high power use. New upper and lower insulators are available from Hy-Gain you download the new SPT Penetrator 500 assembly instructions and get the part numbers. The insulator that holds the adjustable tuning loop is chipped, and Teflon or Dilron or even fiberglass can be used. In a pinch I have even taken the ol ladies heavy plastic cutting board and used that as a mounting type bracket, only a few bucks. This modification upgrade isn't all that hard to make, I've seen Aluminum Tubing at Home Depot that would work. Good luck.

    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
    ...and you can lengthen the CLR-II out to about what a Penetrator is above the radials, right about 270" minus the length of the top hat rods.
    - then you won't need as long a match as Jay's, which I'll wager is to match the shorter 19' 6" CLR-II.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Mojave View Post
    Hello S+13 and all: I couldn't fine the original photos of the modified CLRII, so I took a few photos of one I modified many years ago and has been in the back yard in the dirt. The 3/8 inch Aluminum is not tubing but solid Aluminum Rod, it can be heated with a small torch and easily bent for what ever bends or shapes you want. I am sure you could do the same with tubing.

    The matching coil inside the lower insulator was removed, and a newer heavier gauge wire 14 gauge was soldered to the SO-239 center and connected to a new stainless steel 10/24 pan head Philips screw, 2 inches long to allow the tubing to fit over it, as shown. The SO-239 should be replace with a new one, meaning the older rusted steel rivets must be drilled out. Which is a good call, as they may not make a good ground connection.

    The tubing tube lengths can be adjusted for dead nutz flat SWR which is what one would want for high power use. New upper and lower insulators are available from Hy-Gain you download the new SPT Penetrator 500 assembly instructions and get the part numbers. The insulator that holds the adjustable tuning loop is chipped, and Teflon or Dilron or even fiberglass can be used. In a pinch I have even taken the ol ladies heavy plastic cutting board and used that as a mounting type bracket, only a few bucks. This modification upgrade isn't all that hard to make, I've seen Aluminum Tubing at Home Depot that would work. Good luck.

    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
    Do you have the lenghts of the tubing?

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    Over all lengths of each one and the lengths to the bends of each tube? I know this is a old thread I just found it when looking to fix my clr2 I already bought the 3/8 inch solid aluminum tubing and the 1/2 inch aluminum tubing. So I didn't want to guess at the lengths and lengths after the bends. Any help would be appreciated.

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    Hello Smiley: The lengths as you can see are all adjustable, and can be figured pretty close as looking at the antenna and photos. One very important thing I didn't say was this antenna modification I used a antenna analyzer to tell me were the antenna was working or lower SWR frequency. This allowed easy adjustment to get on CH 20 for the guy.

    JAFO thats right, good call.

    I don't remember adding extra length to the antennas vertical element. But looking at the photos I do NOT believe I lengthened the vertical element to be close to the Penetrator 500 length. The Hairpin matching lengths can be first made with 12 gauge house wire to get a feel for what is needed in lengths for the tubing. The solid Aluminum rod is not needed, its just what ever I had on hand in the scrap pile.

    Even old 1/4 inch copper tubing I took of my swap cooler will work and cut it to allow the lengths to be adjusted using hose claps to hold it together. Sometimes I flatned the copper tubing in a vice to make easier to use. Not critical.

    One other thing that antenna testing needs, is document all the element lengths, and record the VSWR. And with every change record the length changes and resulting VSWR. Many a antenna tester dude has walked away thinking all this antenna tuning is hopeless needing a drink or two. When he is going in circulies testing the same thing twice and going no were, because we didn't document or track past configurations. I know.

    I have a 10 foot mast that I can raise and lower antennas on to test. While standing on a ladder and looking at the antenna analyzer I can adjust the tuning elements easily. Once you start tuning you will get a understanding and feel for it.

    So give it a try give me a blast if you want. Good luck.

    Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

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    Thanks Jay Mojave. I measured to the what I believe is a drain hole on my bottom element. The one just above the screw going to the center conductor in the insulator which was one inch to the top of the hole. I zoomed in on the picture and took a piece of paper and put it up to the screen made a mark on it to make a 1 inch scale for the picture. I went over the tubing at the same zoom on the picture to get the measurements. Hopefully it'll be close enough. Going to do get it all together today and up in the air. I only have a VSWR meter no antenna analyzer. May take a few trips up and down to get it adjusted right but will be worth getting it back in service. I'll also use some house wire to make me a pattern to go by to bend the tubing.
    Thanks for the help and suggesting using the house wire that hadn't crossed my mind.

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    Jay Mojave when adjusting VSWR. do you just adjust the trombone part or do you also have to adjust the tubing going from ground radial to shield side of SO-239 connector?

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