Base Antenna Recommedations

[Dawn]

I need a recommendation. I'm looking at the 1/4 over half wave type antennas. So far the Opek, both of Workman's bandits, and the Solorcon/Antron designs look almost identical. I'm sure there's other similar ones out there. Is any of them built better then the others or have some feature that would be worth the extra bucks. There's a significant difference in price range between them all, so I would assume it translates into construction differences.

I have no problems stepping down to a half wave design that should be raidial less and less conspicuous, I imagine the companies that make these add the radials more for line decoupling then for a counterpoise. One of those that uses a Gamma match for lightening protection that doesn't have the radials would probably be better. I've seen the Maco with the radials. I don't know what happened to Maxrad's square matched unit, I haven't seen them in any catalogs of recent. All I see so far is the MFJ/Cushcrap that from what I hear has turned into a nightmare since they took it over and nothing fits right anymore.

 

[milkman21218]

The I-Max has more gain than a A-99. The Maco's are also known to be top notch.

 

[prcguy]

Having started with CB in the late 1960's and worked for the largest CB mfr in the 1970's and ending up managing a CB shop in early 1980 and owing just about every antenna ever made, if I had to do it all over again I would just get the current Hy-Gain SPT-500 Super Penetrator and be done.

I've had several over the years and recently retired one (for 10m) that I had purchased used in the early 70's. I think its probably the best commercial mass produced omni CB antenna made today and one of the best ever made. Until Hy-Gain reintroduced the Penetrator in the last few years, people were rebuilding them and getting many hundreds of $$ and prices around $450 were not uncommon.
prcguy

 

[JayMojave]

YEAH! what PRCGUY said.

When Hy-Gain came out with the Penetrator 500, they advertised it as being able to handle 1500 watts which is what most ham amplifiers were rated for input power. So Hy-Gain was getting some sort of feedback from the CB Crowd that they wanted more power handling capability. As the CLR-II Antennas were burning up the small circuit board coil in the bottom insulator.

Suggest you use a Antenna Analyzer to measure the SWR after assembly as this antenna is advertised to also work on 10 meters. This will allow the vertical element to be lengthen or shorten to adjust for your desired frequency.

Jay in the Mojave

 

[LtDoc]

Oh mercy! Talk about 'fruit salad' (apples/oranges).
The 'A99' and Imaxx antennas are not directly comparable. One's an end fed 1/2 wave, the other an end fed 5/8 wave. 1/4 wave antennas have a negative gain, 1/2 waves have no gain since they are the 'standard' everything is compared to, and 5/8 wave antennas have a little gain. After that you get into typical 'gain' advertising which is a huge can of worms, you know?
All antennas have 'two halves', or a (+) and (-) pole. The difference is in what that 'other half' of the antenna consists of. With the 'A99' type antennas that 'other half' is the feed line (same for the Imaxx). It works, but there are some factors that can change with how that feed line is configured/run. A typical 'groundplane' antenna has radials that are the 'other half' instead of the feed line.
So which would be better for you? Beats me, you have to decide that after mixing in the $$$ parts of it.
Have fun!
- 'Doc

 

[prcguy]

I don't think comparing an A99 or Imax to a Penetrator is apples to oranges, its more like apples to filet mignon.
prcguy

Oh mercy! Talk about 'fruit salad' (apples/oranges).
The 'A99' and Imaxx antennas are not directly comparable. One's an end fed 1/2 wave, the other an end fed 5/8 wave. 1/4 wave antennas have a negative gain, 1/2 waves have no gain since they are the 'standard' everything is compared to, and 5/8 wave antennas have a little gain. After that you get into typical 'gain' advertising which is a huge can of worms, you know?
All antennas have 'two halves', or a (+) and (-) pole. The difference is in what that 'other half' of the antenna consists of. With the 'A99' type antennas that 'other half' is the feed line (same for the Imaxx). It works, but there are some factors that can change with how that feed line is configured/run. A typical 'groundplane' antenna has radials that are the 'other half' instead of the feed line.
So which would be better for you? Beats me, you have to decide that after mixing in the $$$ parts of it.
Have fun!
- 'Doc

 

[Dawn]

I appreciate the input guys. I remember the super penetrator, but in a sea of me-too 1/2 and 5/8..even for a while some weird .64 designs with full radials, I don't think that antenna made the same impact during the early to mid 70's down here. Pretty much the average standard antenna was the half wave or 5/8 colinear over a full length set of radials and probably Radio Shack's as the most dominant. I did have their 5/8" on a push up pole after the FCC rules went from 20' to 60' for a short while, but had to take it down with the approaching Hurricane David. It never went back up and by that time CB was insane. The big leage vertical antenna down here I believe was called the Astroplane followed by the Starduster.

I now live on barely a 1/4 acre city block with no covenants or restrictions, but don't want to push it, b/c building and zoning can get pretty ugly with what they deem either an eyesore or structure that brings attention to itself and neighbor's chagrin, FCC laws be damned, you can't fight city hall. A full radial design is pretty much out of the question anymore. We're probably the only ones within a mile that even have an OTA tv antenna which my dual band vertical is on top of. I've gotten away with an AVS-200 fiberglass dual band vertical with no complaints but all hell broke loose when I put up the first discone and got wrote up within two weeks. Still have one in the rear for the shop, but barely over the roof level for testing with the base loaded vertical upper part removed that can't be see from the road which suited them fine.

I'm trying to stay low profile and maybe one of these big stick antennas might be too much and too whippy. Build quality from what I've read varies quite a bit and maybe I'd do better with a lower profile humble half wave. I was looking at Maco's and Workman's m/v-58 designs with abbreviated, I assume helical radials that my best guess operate to decouple the feedline rather then provide a real counterpoise along with a DC grounded matching. MFJ's Ringo is another option but is comparitively pricey. Any input on the v-58 designs and the price difference with Workman? Is the matching any better then the stub type matching of the other ring designs off the coil support insulator?

 

[ferd1605]

I have never tried the Imax2000 , but from what I have heard & read it may suit you ..
A few years ago , I put a add on craigslist under the "wanted" area looking for old , unwanted CB/ham antennas.
What I ended up with from 5 different people was 2 Super Scanner's with control boxes , 3 Penetrator 500's ,
a Imax2000's , a Moonraker 6 & a Antenna Specilast 1/2 wave.. being a ham & antenna builder /experimenter
it was a gold mine & paid out only 20$ total .. just food for thought ..

 

[TheSpaceMan]

The Imax seems to have a stellar reputation among users. If you are looking for stealth, you can slip an A99 into a PVC pipe and make it look like a tree or a flag pole.

 

[stingray327]

Having started with CB in the late 1960's and worked for the largest CB mfr in the 1970's and ending up managing a CB shop in early 1980 and owing just about every antenna ever made, if I had to do it all over again I would just get the current Hy-Gain SPT-500 Super Penetrator and be done.

I've had several over the years and recently retired one (for 10m) that I had purchased used in the early 70's. I think its probably the best commercial mass produced omni CB antenna made today and one of the best ever made. Until Hy-Gain reintroduced the Penetrator in the last few years, people were rebuilding them and getting many hundreds of $$ and prices around $450 were not uncommon.
prcguy

I had this Penetrator antenna before and the Sigma 5/8 antenna. Any of these oldies can be had on E-bay. When those antenna disappeared I ended up with a Big Stick and this antenna was horrible.
I have heard about an antenna which looks interesting and isn't that big which is the Astro Plane which is another oldie. Starduster antenna also.

 

[TheSpaceMan]

I had this Penetrator antenna before and the Sigma 5/8 antenna. Any of these oldies can be had on E-bay. When those antenna disappeared I ended up with a Big Stick and this antenna was horrible.
I have heard about an antenna which looks interesting and isn't that big which is the Astro Plane which is another oldie. Starduster antenna also.

I remember those! The "StarDuster" is basically an 11 Meter ground plane antenna. You can build a ground plane for just a few bucks with some wire and a PVC pipe or a 2x2 wood post.

 

[PrimeNumber]

The Imax seems to have a stellar reputation among users. If you are looking for stealth, you can slip an A99 into a PVC pipe and make it look like a tree or a flag pole.

Yep, that works. Another trick, if you have a background of trees in your yard, is to spray it light gray above the treetops and OD green below the treetops. It doesn't make it invisible, but it does cut down on its noticeability.

 

[TheSpaceMan]

Yep, that works. Another trick, if you have a background of trees in your yard, is to spray it light gray above the treetops and OD green below the treetops. It doesn't make it invisible, but it does cut down on its noticeability.

Yep! I knew someone who actually hid an A99 inside of an artificial Christmas tree! It stood outside his home for 3 years, and no one ever had a clue.