• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Ground Plane Antenna

Status
Not open for further replies.

raski

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2016
Messages
8
Doing some attic cleaning and came across my Radio Shack ground plane base antenna. I believe the box states 0.64 wave. Is there any marketable value to this antenna? It is in very good condition and wasn't outside for very long.
 

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
23,618
Location
Hiding in a coffee shop.
Probably.
It's a 5/8th's wave antenna that would work pretty well. If the price was reasonable, you might get some interest. New base CB antennas can be had for less than $100 thanks to mass produced stuff out of China.

Getting $30-$40 for a used one in good shape might be possible if you found the right buyer. I wouldn't expect more than that.
 

Retroradio

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
386
Location
Ontario
Radio Shack made a .64 wave antenna and they performed pretty well. I ran one for awhile back in the day but went back to my trusty 5/8th wave . If I could find one locally I would seriously consider picking it up as they were great antennas.
 

jonwienke

More Info Coming Soon!
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Messages
13,416
Location
VA
.64 IS a 5/8-wave...just a different label for the same thing.
 

Retroradio

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
386
Location
Ontario
My experience in running both was that were different in performance.

The 5/8 was shorter than the .64 antenna.
The 5/8 had a top hat, the .64 did not.
The 5/8 had 3 groung radials. The .64 had 4.
The 5/8 had according to the catalouge 4 db gain. The .64 had accordingnto the catalouge 4.5 db gain.

So IMHO they are 2 different antennas.
Once again this was based on my experience and I referenced the catalouge to double check my memoey on them being different.

Check out page 84
1980 Radio Shack Catalog Pages 51 to 100
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,235
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
A few years ago I bought a NIB Radio Shack 5/8 base antenna with 3 radials and a top hat off Epay in the $35 range and used it for about a year. It was an upgrade internally from the 1970s version which had a circuit board coil in the base and the one I got off Epay had a wire wound coil instead.

I recently bought a new style Hy-Gain Penetrator SPT500 to replace the Radio Shack and can tell it works better than the RS even thought they are both rated as 5/8 wave. The RS is 19ft 10" long to comply with old height rules and the Penetrator is over 22ft long. The extra height, no loading coil and the extra radial is probably responsible for the better performance.
prcguy

My experience in running both was that were different in performance.

The 5/8 was shorter than the .64 antenna.
The 5/8 had a top hat, the .64 did not.
The 5/8 had 3 groung radials. The .64 had 4.
The 5/8 had according to the catalouge 4 db gain. The .64 had accordingnto the catalouge 4.5 db gain.

So IMHO they are 2 different antennas.
Once again this was based on my experience and I referenced the catalouge to double check my memoey on them being different.

Check out page 84
1980 Radio Shack Catalog Pages 51 to 100
 

jonwienke

More Info Coming Soon!
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Messages
13,416
Location
VA
My experience in running both was that were different in performance.

The 5/8 was shorter than the .64 antenna.
The 5/8 had a top hat, the .64 did not.
The 5/8 had 3 groung radials. The .64 had 4.

Meaningless. The loading coil, matching transformer, and "top hat" will all affect the physical length of the antenna, but that doesn't change the fact that they are both examples of 5/8-wave antenna designs electrically.
 

lmrtek

Active Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
534
Since it will easily outperform a Antron 99, you should ask at least as much.
 

Retroradio

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
386
Location
Ontario
As I stated based on my experience they worked differently. I preffered the 5/8 ant.

They may both be 5/8 designs electrically however they are 2 distinctly different antennas.
 

swen_out_west

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Messages
236
Location
Upper Mojave,CA/NV
Doing some attic cleaning and came across my Radio Shack ground plane base antenna. I believe the box states 0.64 wave. Is there any marketable value to this antenna? It is in very good condition and wasn't outside for very long.

It all depends on the market. Sell it locally if there are a few cb diehards around you. The shipping cost on Ebay might be cost prohibitive for a lot of potential buyers.

The point made above regarding the 500 or Sirio 5000 is also going to be a hurdle, most diehards already have a ground plane/quad or one of the aforementioned. However, with that said, if you were local I would buy it for $50 (if you brought it to my house and helped me set it up) just to try it out and have it as a backup.
 
Last edited:

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,235
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
As I mentioned in a previous post I recently paid around $35 on Ebay for a new in box Radio Shack 5/8 base antenna. They can go for more and maybe I was luck nobody else was bidding that day.

And for swen, I would hold out until someone not only sells you the antenna and installes it, they better include a good radio for that $50.
prcguy

It all depends on the market. Sell it locally if there are a few cb diehards around you. The shipping cost on Ebay might be cost prohibitive for a lot of potential buyers.

The point made above regarding the 500 or Sirio 5000 is also going to be a hurdle, most diehards already have a ground plane/quad or one of the aforementioned. However, with that said, if you were local I would buy it for $50 (if you brought it to my house and helped me set it up) just to try it out and have it as a backup.
 

jim202

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
2,729
Location
New Orleans region
They make fine antennas for use on both 10 meter FM and 6 meter FM use. They can be cut to operate on both bands.

Problem is the shipping cost make them a poor selection if you don't live within driving distance of a few hours.
 

raski

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2016
Messages
8
Thanks for responding. I will try to sell locally at the next hamfest in the area. Atleast I now know there is "some" value to it. I wondered if it were worthless and I would be using segments as tomato stakes.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,235
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Ebay is the only place to sell something like that. Prices vary with the wind but nothing else will get the exposure like Ebay. People at hamfests don't like to spend much money. When their wallets come out you can see the dead moths falling out and that's usually all that comes out. Been there, done that.

Shipping is what it is but there might be someone across the country willing to pay more than you can imagine for your antenna. You will never know until you toss it out there.
prcguy

Thanks for responding. I will try to sell locally at the next hamfest in the area. Atleast I now know there is "some" value to it. I wondered if it were worthless and I would be using segments as tomato stakes.
 

Retroradio

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
386
Location
Ontario
Id buy. 5/8 or .64 if the price was right but the issue here is the dollar exchange rate if it comes from south of the border and the shipping costs make or break a good deal.
So local scroungeing it is.. An eaxample is have been looking for a 5/8 and a Super scanner for decades....nope. Up here Older CB antennas are hard to find.
Good luck with the antenna. Made for some interesting online dialouge anyway. :)
 

Rred

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2014
Messages
830
I'd disagree on ebay. Shipping has gone ridiculous, even on a direct UPS or other account. Cross country can easily be $10 per pound, and that's before they penalize it for being "dimensional", i.e. longer than a normal box. Craigslist, hamfest...nothing is perfect but properly boxed up and insured to post on ebay? I think that's going to hurt.

Doing the math, 5/8 is actually 0.625 around here. So it isn't a .64 wave antenna, but it is darn close, when you're using Arabic numbers for the measurement. FWIW.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top