Base Antenna Basics...

[prcguy]

How does the A99 or other fiberglass antennas radiate at all? Is there some sort of coating on them that carries the current?

The radiator is a copper wire flopping around inside the hollow fiberglass sections. They could have made the antenna out of aluminum for less $$.

 

[jcrmadden]

So what's the difference in just running an 18' copper wire up a fiberglass flagpole? Or conduit for that matter? Or just 18' of copper pipe?

 

[WSAC829]

So what's the difference in just running an 18' copper wire up a fiberglass flagpole? Or conduit for that matter? Or just 18' of copper pipe?

Not much really. You can make antennas out of pretty much anything. I guess "ease of setting up" is where a prefabbed antenna sells vs the "at home do it yourselfer" creations.

My old neighbor years ago used his chain link fence for 11 meter, and grounded it to a rod he buried in the river behind his house. Talked all over with that setup.

 

[Chris155]

I built an end fed 1/2wave as described by prcguy in the linked thread. It’s been up as a base for about a week. So far with this antenna I gained a couple miles range on AM to my mobile when compare to my homemade dipole hung vertical in almost the same location and height.


Home Base antenna issues/set up Suggestions

 

[prcguy]

So what's the difference in just running an 18' copper wire up a fiberglass flagpole? Or conduit for that matter? Or just 18' of copper pipe?

The A99 is a half wave end fed and the feedpoint impedance would be very high, like 2500 ohms maybe more. There is a matching transformer or other device in the base that matches the very high impedance to 50 ohms. If you just connect 18ft or a 1/2 wavelength of wire or aluminum tubing to your coax its not gonna work.

Hey, that link to the 1/2 wave end fed stuff is pretty cool, who does that?

 

[slowmover]

Radio Distance Range Comparison of Ham CB FRS MURS GMRS Radios.

Radio Distance Range Comparison of Ham CB FRS MURS GMRS Radios. Covers Ham HF, 11 meters, CB, SSB, VHF FM, 2 meters, 10 meters, UHF walkie talkies, handy talkies, HT, backpack radios, manpack radios.

hflink.com

Handy

 

[707ways2Sunday]

The A99 is a half wave end fed and the feedpoint impedance would be very high, like 2500 ohms maybe more. There is a matching transformer or other device in the base that matches the very high impedance to 50 ohms. If you just connect 18ft or a 1/2 wavelength of wire or aluminum tubing to your coax its not gonna work.

Hey, that link to the 1/2 wave end fed stuff is pretty cool, who does that?

49:1 I believe is used for that!!!

 

[Chris155]

I built an end fed 1/2wave as described by prcguy in the linked thread. It’s been up as a base for about a week. So far with this antenna I gained a couple miles range on AM to my mobile when compare to my homemade dipole hung vertical in almost the same location and height.


Home Base antenna issues/set up Suggestions

Attached a picture of the end fed 1/2 wave mentioned above. The black box in the circle houses the transformer. A smaller box could definitely be used. The height in the tree is good but the tree is in the bottom of a gully. The feed point is basically at roof level maybe a little higher.

 

[Alain]

The info on the Antron A99, the Hi-Gain Penetrator and the Sirio 2016 5/8 caught my eye.

The Antron I know works reasonably well on 10 - 20 meters, but are the other two "in the ballpark" for 10, 12, 15, 17 and 20 meters ops; i.e. equal in performance for those bands?

If not, then is/are there a vertical antenna that are? I've been off HF for over 14 years and I'd like to get back on with as little fuss as possible, [i.e. no radials] until I get my mast and dipole back on the air.

All suggestions would be most gratefully received!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and please keep our brave young men and women in our armed forces in your thoughts...

 

[prcguy]

The Penetrator and 2016 are both 5/8 wave with ground radials providing a little more performance than an A99 or dipole. There is no multiband 10, 12, 15, 17, 20m omni antenna that would come close to those as multiband antennas all have some compromises. If you consider a directional antenna then you can get some better performance on all those bands and more. My NA4RR Hexbeam covers 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20m and works great, noticeably better than my Hy-Gain Penetrator on 10m.

 

[Backwoods40]

Agreed. A multi-band antenna has its limits, and isn't going to provide the best swr across all bands.
The Tram 1498 has a bit better adjustment than the A99, and does fine on 10, 11, 12 meter, but you would probably want to take it down to tune for 15, 17, and 20.

If you're wanting something temporary, perhaps look at the HF-008 by Raddiodity?

 

[slowmover]

I own a tower!

This here feller dragged one home, as well.

Looky i hauled 3 more sections home

Soon gonna need a bunch o friends show up n get erection of tower done. Food drinks available.i got 6 sections like 2 more n be happy

www.worldwidedx.com

.

 

[K6GBW]

The fiberglass antennas with a wire inside became the DeFacto standard after the CPSC required CB antennas be made safer for handling around power lines. Back in the 1960's-70's most were aluminum. In the 80's (can't remember exactly when) the CPSC standard came out and the switch to fiberglass began. They work pretty much the same, but there are a lot of people that claim the fiberglass antennas pick up more static noise. The fiberglass antennas also conceal a lot of shoddy workmanship. Give a choice, I'd prefer a good strong, old fashioned aluminum ground plane.

 

[jcrmadden]

I still don't have my tower up. I think I'll end up putting it up at our farm (18 miles away).

Just too many projects and not enough time or $$$ to keep all the plates spinning.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a patio.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a shed.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a deck.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a concrete driveway.

The wife wants gas, and groceries, and clothes, and insurance, and water, and internet, and want want want want want!!!

What about my radio gear lady!?!

Don't even get me started on the kids...

Perfectly egregious doth this "responsibility" seem.

Probably for the best though.

The delay has given me time to rethink both the final product and the approach.

She wants to pretty up the place. That's fine.

I want a cupola!

A big, beautiful, well bonded steel cupola right in the center of our metal roof.

"That's no weather vane son, that's a 1/2 wave wind meter"

 

[niceguy71]

I still don't have my tower up. I think I'll end up putting it up at our farm (18 miles away).

Just too many projects and not enough time or $$$ to keep all the plates spinning.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a patio.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a shed.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a deck.

I want radio gear. The wife wants a concrete driveway.

The wife wants gas, and groceries, and clothes, and insurance, and water, and internet, and want want want want want!!!

What about my radio gear lady!?!

Don't even get me started on the kids...

Perfectly egregious doth this "responsibility" seem.

Probably for the best though.

The delay has given me time to rethink both the final product and the approach.

She wants to pretty up the place. That's fine.

I want a cupola!

A big, beautiful, well bonded steel cupola right in the center of our metal roof.

"That's no weather vane son, that's a 1/2 wave wind meter"

you have a metal roof?????


I know it sounds terrible and half ass and what kind of person would do such a thing????
but I keep hearing guys putting a magnetic antenna on their metal roof as a base station antenna and it they keep telling me it does fantastic????? I guess because of the huge ground plane

so do an experiment for me and put that .... ( "you know what" ) on your metal roof and buy a 50 foot run of RG58X and hook it up to a SSB radio and see how it works? I bet it will work good enough to have a LOT of fun, and maybe the wife will even be able to hear you on SSB when your deep in the woods...

seriously... I'd love to know how it works.... going to be a royal pain in the neck to get on and off the roof 20 times to adjust the SWR...

is the metal roof grounded for lightning? ground rods???... if so wow how easy would that be????
if it got you 20 miles on AM I'd be done!.... well I could imagine 20 miles if you have a 2 story house... meaning the roof would be 30 feet in the air.... but even if it's only up 15 feet I bet it will work fantastic.

 

[Chris155]

This is our shop roof, 102 with spring on a stud right there in the middle. Works ok but it’s only 12’ at the roof. The roof is roughly 27x50, steel frame underneath.

The vertical dipole I had in the trees out back was much quieter. Walking around with a handheld there’s a big noise floor difference from the front of the property to the rear. Out front there’s a lot of static either from power lines or neighboring businesses.

I’ll probably put an efhw in the trees once I get one built. I’ll be able to go much higher now, got one of those Jameson tree sling shots.

 

[WSAC829]

you have a metal roof?????

I know it sounds terrible and half ass and what kind of person would do such a thing????

Works extremely well. Not many people have giant ground planes at their disposal, or make use of them if they have them. As a matter of fact i wound up on a YT live videogate on saturday afternoon with UDX-483 out of S.Carolina. We held a conversation for a good 20 minutes. We were on 27.360 in between channels, so there is some splatter and interference at times from ch35 and ch36, but all in all, not often you can hold a long DX conversation. Not too shabby for a 4.5’ Tram 717 attached to a 5” mag mount slapped on a metal roof.

I linked to the time stamp where i jump in, so it’ll start from there.

 

[radionx]

If your antenna is located on salty or wet grounds it might "forgive" construction / design errors.
The soil is part of an antenna system, too. A GP tries to mitigate the soil component.
I mostly use T2LT antennas because I can only install antennas in portable mode.

 

[slowmover]

The rest of the world may bury ground radials, but in Old Kaintuck they use hound radials.

 

[radionx]

Dog pee as the magical ingredient of antenna alchemy!

Conduct THIS, big boy!