D130 Antenna modification for CB?

[UniRec]

I have that antenna…

https://www.scannermaster.com/v/vspfiles/files/pdf/Diamond_D130J_Manual.pdf

In addition to the nut on each horizontal rod, my “design” includes a stainless steel lock washer between the base and the nut. I also put a tiny drop of red Loctite on the nut threads. Note also that these rods MUST be installed after the sloping radials are installed.

For the sloping radials, which are to be installed first, make sure that the filed end lines up with the set screw. For the set screw, which needs to be securely tightened, I also added a drop of red Loctite.

The Loctite will not hinder the rods (elements) or radials conductivity to the overall assembly. Like others have said above, using no Loctite should work just fine due to the oxidation of the metal. I used red Loctite to insure things never loosen unless a propane torch is used to heat up the item to be disassembled.

View attachment 184971

Sorry to butt in but I have a quick, hopefully easy, question about this discone antenna. I think the vertical whip antenna is tuned for 6 meters. If I replace that with a 102" whip antenna, will I be able to tx CB frequencies? Thanks for helping out a newb.

 

[K4EET]

Sorry to butt in but I have a quick, hopefully easy, question about this discone antenna. I think the vertical whip antenna is tuned for 6 meters. If I replace that with a 102" whip antenna, will I be able to tx CB frequencies? Thanks for helping out a newb.

The easy answer is that since the 102 inch CB antenna has a 3/8 inch x 24 TPI threaded base, I am almost positive it would not fit in the hole for the Diamond D130J’s stainless steel whip. Too big diameter to fit down that hole if I remember what the vertical whip mounting hole looks like. Most antenna whips are not threaded and a lot skinnier.

Even if you could fabricate a way to mount the 102 inch CB antenna, the radial lengths would have to be longer too. Then there is the question of whether or not it could be properly tuned.

Since you wouldn’t want to tie up a nice Diamond D130J antenna with just a CB radio, why not have a dedicated CB antenna for the CB radio?

<edit> Come to think of it, the vertical whip on the Diamond D130J discone antenna fits into a loading coil. Sooooooo… trying to turn this into a CB antenna is going to be more trouble than it is worth.

 

[prcguy]

If you can find a base loaded CB whip you can sort of make the Discone work on CB but at best it will work like crap. You may also degrade the VHF/UHF performance of the Discone trying to modify for CB. The 50MHz whip is base loaded and becomes somewhat of a choke at higher frequencies but it does degrade the upper bands slightly. The 50MHz whip that came with the antenna was specifically designed for a Discone and sticking some random whip or especially a 102” whip on the Discone will just make a mess out of it. Plus the skirt on the Discone is way too tiny to be an effective ground plane for a CB whip.