Antron-99, good for anything besides CB?

[exeter1]

Newbie question here.... I have an old Antron-99 CB antennae up on top of my shop building. Is it useful for any/many frequencies besides CB radio? Right now my Pro-97 just has the stock rubber antennae.

I also have the ground plane kit for the Antron, which I never installed because it would involve raising my antennae mast. (Shop roof is metal and slippery, which fed my procrastination) I've never had problems receiving anyond on the CB anyway, so it just never seemed important. Do you think installing the ground plane kit would make a significant difference in the usefulness of an Antron-99 when used with a Pro-97 scanner? (Enough to make it worth it to me to get up on that slippery roof and install a bigger mast?)

 

[RevGary]

The add-on radial kit will increase the gain of the antenna by a small amount and lower the radiation angle for transmitting on 27 mhz. Unless you are interested in 10 meter Amateur operation, that is the only other frequency spectrum that the antenna was originally designed to cover. It has to be trimmed for that purpose and the matching network realigned. It MAY possibly do OK on VHF high band because the 5/8 wave resonance on 27.205 Mhz is a X6 half wave multiple in the high end of VHF High Band.

Give it a try as-is before you do anything to it... but don't expect miracles.

 

[gewecke]

The antron 99 is a great ant. to listen to skip on the vhf-lo band from 30 to 54 mhz.
See,there is life beyond "chicken band"!!!
73's!

 

[toomyg]

The antron 99 is a great ant. to listen to skip on the vhf-lo band from 30 to 54 mhz.
See,there is life beyond "chicken band"!!!
73's!

"chicken band"!!!what do you mean by that?

 

[KC8JPZ]

I do beleive the A99 has a threaded top section such as a mobile antenna thread? Maybe you could blay around with a shorter antenna or completely remove the top section. If you are just receiving, there would be no harm done. Maybe someone who knows more about the A99 could tell you more. I'm not sure how the antenna is designed for sure.

 

[CapnJon]

What I did was replaced the fiberglass end section and added a 9 foot stainless steel whip and then instead of putting on the 4 foot fiberglass radials for the ground plane kit I added 4 nine foot whips to it...Works great and adds "Metal where the fiberglass lacks. Of course I use an antenna tuner but I know I gained a few DB's doing this...

 

[KC4ZEX]

The standard Antron 99 without the ground radials is a great antenna very wide banded. It is great for ham band use. will load for transmit from 20 meters at 14 mhz, 17 meters at 18 mhz, 15 meters at 21 mhz. 12 meters at 24.9 mhz, CB at 27 mhz, and 10 meters at 28 to 29.7. Requires no triming. Also makes a great low band scanner antenna. If you add the radial kit you may improve gain on CB but then it will not load on the other 5 bands for transmit.

 

[Highlander_821]

They work pretty well as an SWL antenna, too.

 

[kb2vxa]

CB or Chicken Band is for those too chicken to study for a ham license. BA-GAWK!!!

 

[policeMonitor]

CB or Chicken Band is for those too chicken to study for a ham license. BA-GAWK!!!

cb is more fun by far

not a bunch of old hags on the cb