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Strange Ground Plane Question

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SnowWalker

SnowWalker

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I have a 22' Wilson, Ringo Style antenna on the roof of our house. The antenna is mounted inside of the metal, 2" plumbing vent pipe. The roof has asphalt-tar shingles Is this giving me any sort of ground plane? My SWR stays around 1.2 - 1.5 for the most part (except when it is raining). I seem to be getting out and receiving just fine; however, I am just puzzled about the ground plane issue. Basically, do I need ground plane with me existing setup or is everything copacetic the way it is? Now, if do need a ground plane on this verticale, single pole antenna, how does one go about building a ground plane plate and installing it?
 
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prcguy

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That antenna is probably a 5/8 wave being 22ft long. The Cushcraft Ringo series were half wave and did not require any ground plane. Its hard to say if a ground plane would improve your antenna but its worth a try. Your asphalt shingles are not a ground plane.

You could try attaching three or four wires about 9ft long each to the grounded base of the antenna below the tuning ring using a hose clamp and stretch them out in all directions. You may have to retune the antenna after adding the ground radials and it would be a good idea to get a signal level check from someone nearby before and after putting on the ground plane.
prcguy

SnowWalker said:
I have a 22' Wilson, Ringo Style antenna on the roof of our house. The antenna is mounted inside of the metal, 2" plumbing vent pipe. The roof has asphalt-tar shingles Is this giving me any sort of ground plane? My SWR stays around 1.2 - 1.5 for the most part (except when it is raining). I seem to be getting out and receiving just fine; however, I am just puzzled about the ground plane issue. Basically, do I need ground plane with me existing setup or is everything copacetic the way it is? Now, if do need a ground plane on this verticale, single pole antenna, how does one go about building a ground plane plate and installing it?
Click to expand...
 
SnowWalker

SnowWalker

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Yes, it's a 5/8 wave and I am going to try the three wire setup to see if makes any difference to the signal output.

Thank you
 
SnowWalker

SnowWalker

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FKimble said:
Antenna is inside of the metal vent pipe? I don't see how it works at all?

Frank
Click to expand...

The antenna base has a rubber bushing between the two metals. The SWR is consistently between 1.2 - 1.5,the mod is between 75% - 85% consistently so something seems to be working. The only problem I could possibly be having is the coax is taped to the clothe line guy wires.
 
mrlightfoot

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look up maco alpha 5/8 base, very similar to your antenna but with ground radials might give you some idea how to make them
 
J

JayMojave

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Hello SnowWalker: Request a few photos of the 22 Foot Ringo Antenna be posted. Especially at the matching assembly.

These Ringo Antennas are still manufactured by Cushcraft, and sold by the ham radio retailers. They are all 1/2 wavelength long for there designed frequency.

So having a 22 foot long Ringo on the CB Band probably means someone modified it from a 1/2 wave 18 feet, to a 5/8 wave being 22 feet. And with the said VSWR neat-O.

Cushcraft makes a model AR-10 that is 17.6 feet tall, possibility modified for the CB Band?

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
 
SnowWalker

SnowWalker

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JayMojave said:
Hello SnowWalker: Request a few photos of the 22 Foot Ringo Antenna be posted. Especially at the matching assembly.

These Ringo Antennas are still manufactured by Cushcraft, and sold by the ham radio retailers. They are all 1/2 wavelength long for there designed frequency.

So having a 22 foot long Ringo on the CB Band probably means someone modified it from a 1/2 wave 18 feet, to a 5/8 wave being 22 feet. And with the said VSWR neat-O.

Cushcraft makes a model AR-10 that is 17.6 feet tall, possibility modified for the CB Band?

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
Click to expand...

Posted a picture of the set up last fall. Ths antenna came out of a sealed box from Wilson in Las Vegas. The box was, is marked as a 5/8 wave. It took some effort to tune the thing properly. It has been working just fine for my radios. I will take a couple of pictures of the setup and post it. (if I remember how to post pics on this forum.
 
J

JayMojave

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SnowWalker said:
Posted a picture of the set up last fall. Ths antenna came out of a sealed box from Wilson in Las Vegas. The box was, is marked as a 5/8 wave. It took some effort to tune the thing properly. It has been working just fine for my radios. I will take a couple of pictures of the setup and post it. (if I remember how to post pics on this forum.
Click to expand...

Wow from a sealed box from Wilson, wow I learned something. Are the assembly instruction sill available?

If the incredible high impedance of a 1/2 wavelength antenna can be matched, then so can the impedance of a 5/8 wavelength antenna be matched. So how does the antenna work without the ground plane radials, uses the coax and mast?

Might need to make one for testing...

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert It takes a few days to get ready for camping, and a few weeks after, to fix all the stuff after the 4 wheel runs and such. Miss Dinah's fillin station can get all the replacement parts needed in just a few days. Gotta pay up front tho.
 
SnowWalker

SnowWalker

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Joined
Jul 12, 2016
Messages
139
Location
Rossland, BC
JayMojave said:
Wow from a sealed box from Wilson, wow I learned something. Are the assembly instruction sill available?

If the incredible high impedance of a 1/2 wavelength antenna can be matched, then so can the impedance of a 5/8 wavelength antenna be matched. So how does the antenna work without the ground plane radials, uses the coax and mast?

Might need to make one for testing...

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert It takes a few days to get ready for camping, and a few weeks after, to fix all the stuff after the 4 wheel runs and such. Miss Dinah's fillin station can get all the replacement parts needed in just a few days. Gotta pay up front tho.
Click to expand...


I will scan the instructions and get them to you some how. It's all the up and up.

Does this link still work? It's a year old. http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/lesand1/media/bWVkaWFJZDo5MjQ5NDY1/?ref=

It still works but takes some time to load.
 
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