Decent cb setup?

[milkman21218]

About how much range should I expect to get out of that radio with the A-99 if I put it on a 20' stick of pipe? that would put the top of the antenna approximately 37' high.

It work better if you can get it up higher than 20'. But if that's the best you can do. Maybe you can raise up to 30'-40' later. No one can really say how far you can get without seeing your location. But on SSB at times I can get a few hundred miles more than on AM. My antenna almost 60' to the top.

 

[PrimeNumber]

About how much range should I expect to get out of that radio with the A-99 if I put it on a 20' stick of pipe? that would put the top of the antenna approximately 37' high.

This pretty much describes my antenna. For local propagation (y'know, like all legal and stuff for CB), 25 miles on SSB, 10-plus miles on AM is what I'm getting.

Using the same antenna for 10 meter ham (it has very similar propagation characteristics as 11 meter CB) at 10 watts & SSB, it's easy to skip out 1000+ miles. Cranking up the power to 100 watts, it'll hop the Atlantic on a good day.

I'm sticking with the 21' chainlink fence top rail with guy ropes, because when you get much longer than that they get all floppy when you go to put them up or pull them down. A friend went to 30' and that turns raising/lowering into a two-man operation. 21' is about all that I can handle solo.

One other trick is to add about 4' of PVC at the top of the pipe to electrically isolate your antenna. This eliminates DC & low-frequency ground loops, and may even help a little on HF isolation. (In retrospect, it may have been easier to do this at the bottom of the antenna... I'll remember that when I revamp things this spring.)

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Galaxy DX959 Am SSB 40 CH Sidebands CB Radio 2 yr Warranty | eBay

I think I have about decided with this radio. Probably get a peaked and tuned one. With the A-99. Just need to get a power supply and what kind of coax now. Thanks for all you guys input.

 

[TheSpaceMan]

About how much range should I expect to get out of that radio with the A-99 if I put it on a 20' stick of pipe? that would put the top of the antenna approximately 37' high.

You can talk thousands of miles via skip when the conditions are right. Locally late at night on a quiet channel, you could reach stations well over 30 miles away via ground wave.

 

[Unit243]

Go with the RG-8 coax

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

Go with the RG-8 coax

Anywhere online that you know of right off hand I can order about 50' for a decent price?

 

[Unit243]

I'm in Ontario Canada but maybe check your local kijiji site

 

[cubfanbob]

Anywhere online that you know of right off hand I can order about 50' for a decent price?

monoprice.com

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

monoprice.com

Thanks for the heads up. I found some on Universal Radio and got this.
2- PL259 PL259 SILVER SILVER TEFL 2.19 each
50ft COAX RG 8UFOAM COAX RG8U FOAM BLK 50 OHM 0.79 39.50

Was $50.83 shipped. Seemed like a good deal to me hope it was.

I also got a Antron-99 on the way it was $69 shipped.

 

[Unit243]

Thanks for the heads up. I found some on Universal Radio and got this.
2- PL259 PL259 SILVER SILVER TEFL 2.19 each
50ft COAX RG 8UFOAM COAX RG8U FOAM BLK 50 OHM 0.79 39.50

Was $50.83 shipped. Seemed like a good deal to me hope it was.

I also got a Antron-99 on the way it was $69 shipped.

Awesome , sounds like your almost on the air, do yourself a favour and ditch the handheld mic and get a decent power desk mic like a Turner Super sidekick.

 

[w2rea]

A-99 isnt a "bad" antenna , I'de do some research on those things , there are some youtube videos about them and some google searches .
But if I was buying an omni I'de go with a Hygain Penetrator 500 as I know back in the day they were pretty much the best antenna going for an omni directional and they go for 149 U.S.D

As far as a radio goes I would invest in a sideband radio , and a decent power desk mic as your basically limited on what goes on around the am band , if you want some good skip shooting you will like the sideband much better than fighting all the am mumbo jumbo, as most of the guys shooting on am have big amps , I find that sideband carries further , cleaner and better.

I agree the Penetrator 500 will definitely outperform the A-99. The extra $50 would be worth it.

 

[UnidenBC92XLT]

I agree the Penetrator 500 will definitely outperform the A-99. The extra $50 would be worth it.

Hopefully one day I will be able to get something better. This being my first setup hopefully it will be fine. I still gotta come up with my radio and power supply. I should have my coax and antenna tomorrow or Tuesday. By the way nice shack photos. That is a really sweet setup.

 

[w2rea]

Hopefully one day I will be able to get something better. This being my first setup hopefully it will be fine. I still gotta come up with my radio and power supply. I should have my coax and antenna tomorrow or Tuesday. By the way nice shack photos. That is a really sweet setup.

Thanks Bud, good luck with the hobby! I started out with the penetrator when I was 13 years old in 1983 and then sold it in 1991 for beer money. Still kicking myself! If you really want to kick some butt in the future get one of these: M2

73/W2REA