Antenna Advice

[Bubba1661]

I need some advice from My fellow Amateurs. I recently bought a 30ft tower and I have 3 5ft sections of mast. Now I would like to get a good Discone 25 - 1300 coverage antenna for it. I leaning towards a radio that covers 2,6,10, and 70cm. I want a discone that has solid, not hollow, radials. Also not a high dollar one. Please give me some guidance to make the right decision. I want to do this right the first time.



Thanks,

Jess (KD8RQY)

 

[majoco]

I want a discone that has solid, not hollow, radials.

For the same weight, a tube is stronger than a rod. If you want to make it even stronger, fill it with a wood dowel.

Also not a high dollar one.

Good and cheap are mutually exclusive, especially of you want to put it on top of a high tower.

Getting on for thirty years old now......

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[n5ims]

For the same weight, a tube is stronger than a rod. If you want to make it even stronger, fill it with a wood dowel.

Good and cheap are mutually exclusive, especially of you want to put it on top of a high tower.

Getting on for thirty years old now......

//forums.radioreference.com/attachments/receive-antennas-below-30mhz/42341d1375058780-post-pics-videos-your-swl-antenna-dscf0441-sml.jpg

Two comments on this. First, it's not the strength of the tube that's the issue generally (especially with those RS Discones), it's the very poor way that the tubes are crimped onto the sections that screw into the base of the antenna. Generally it isn't the rod that breaks, it's the crimp that fails, causing the rod to fall off.

Second, price isn't always a good guide. My $70 RS discone fell apart in only a few years. When I replaced it with a $30 T-601 it has lasted for several years without incident and still has all parts attached.

 

[AK9R]

While the Diamond discone uses tubular cone elements (the disk elements are solid), the ends that go into the center clamp are filled with aluminum so that the set screw has something to bite into without crushing the tubing.

 

[PACNWDude]

I replaced a Radio Shack discone that I had to 3M 5200 seal together. It was falling apart after less than a year outside.

A Diamond discone has been outside for the past 5 years and barely shows any wear.

 

[rivardj]

If you want to do it right the first time you don't want a discone antenna, especially a Radio Shack discone.

Go with something link this:
Diamond® Antenna ~ V2000A Tri-band Base Antenna

and put up another antenna such as a dipole or another vertical for 10 meters, use an antenna switch to flip between them.

Discones are compromise receive antennas and even worse for transmitting. Their radiation patterns are horrible.