Halfpint
Member
Whilst out `cruising' around a few suplus sites I happened upon this antenna;
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=170520
I thought that they had all disappeared some time ago and I've been kind keeping the one I picked up many years ago off to the side in storage as a `just in case' antenna. By the proper assembly of the disc and cone elements you can have an antenna that is good for freqs below or above 38MHz, according to the paperwork that usually comes with them, that you can set up fairly quickly as a `temp' antenna. (Now that I've found these I've got a couple more on the way and intend to actually set up one a bit more permanent as I found that they are actually pretty good `omni ' antennas! [If my original antenna was any example you might have to do a bit of `repair' work to the very top piece where the disc and cone elements mount as that seems to sometimes get a bit `dinged' in shipping. Fortunately it can be disassembled and fairly easily straightened up if you don't rush into the job.]) I did use my original one this last summer when I took a trip up to Wyoming to do a bit of `signal surveying' and between myself, SWMBO, and the two, ages 8 and 12, children it went up and down quite easily at each site we set up at. (The looks we got at one `campsite' we set up at were priceless! {VB GRIN!} However... Once the people who actually bothered to actually ask what it was heard the reception I was getting they all wanted to know where they could get one. It kinda `broke my heart' at the time to tell them that I hadn't seen anymore around and didn't know if there were any left.) A full antenna assembly comes with all the necessary mast, the disc and cone elements, guy `materials', and some fairly decent co-ax with BNC connectors on both ends and a `captive' BNC to PL259 adapter at one end. (I'd recommend that you replace the `guy wire/string' with something a bit heftier if you might think that you'll have any decent winds to deal with though I dealt with some gusts of around 35MPH with the ones my original one came with. If I put one up on a more `permanent' basis I'm going to actually probably use either wire or `parachute cord' and maybe also tie it into the side of the house with some brackets.)
One of the reason I'm bringing this up here is because the way the `disc & cone' elements are mounted. This mount appears such that it just might be the `antenna plumber's dream', and I don't mean `nightmare', for building and testing differently tuned discones. (If anyone expresses an interest in some pics of the `hub' I can see about taking some pictures and e-mailing them off to you.) The supplied elements are rather interesting in that they can be screwed together to increase their length and the antenna, at least my old `original' one came with a very basic `manual' giving the setup for an antenna for below 38 MHz and another for above 38MHz using different combinations of elements. (Since I've finally gotten myself a small lathe that is bigger than my old Unimat, nice *little* lathe for *small* projects, yet smaller than the one I use for rebarreling rifles, a fairly decent `production' lathe I picked up when a local machine shop went out of business, I'm seriously considering making some of my own `custom' `one piece' elements. [Actually they will be 2 piece in that I'll turn the end that fits the `hub' and then press and stake it into some tubing cut to the length I need. I don't know if I'll be able to `duplicate?' the way they made the other end of each element to enable screwing another element in like with the originals. {WAN GRIN!} The originals are typical Swedish engineering and are actually pretty `trick' and `cute'. {GRIN!} Actually so is the whole setup!])
Lessee... What else? Oh, yeah... The whole setup as it comes weighs in at around 32# and only costs US$ 59.97 (US$ 53.97 if you happen to either be, or become, a `Buyer's Club' member. [Actually not a bad deal in that you really don't have to buy all that much during a year to have the savings you can realize pretty much pay off the membership cost!]) plus S&H. (Yeah, I *do* like buying from them! I've been able to find some pretty good deals on quite a few things over the years. And... To keep `this' `on topic' quite a few have been radio related amazingly enough! [You *do* have to keep you eyes open to find some of them. {GRIN!}])
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=170520
I thought that they had all disappeared some time ago and I've been kind keeping the one I picked up many years ago off to the side in storage as a `just in case' antenna. By the proper assembly of the disc and cone elements you can have an antenna that is good for freqs below or above 38MHz, according to the paperwork that usually comes with them, that you can set up fairly quickly as a `temp' antenna. (Now that I've found these I've got a couple more on the way and intend to actually set up one a bit more permanent as I found that they are actually pretty good `omni ' antennas! [If my original antenna was any example you might have to do a bit of `repair' work to the very top piece where the disc and cone elements mount as that seems to sometimes get a bit `dinged' in shipping. Fortunately it can be disassembled and fairly easily straightened up if you don't rush into the job.]) I did use my original one this last summer when I took a trip up to Wyoming to do a bit of `signal surveying' and between myself, SWMBO, and the two, ages 8 and 12, children it went up and down quite easily at each site we set up at. (The looks we got at one `campsite' we set up at were priceless! {VB GRIN!} However... Once the people who actually bothered to actually ask what it was heard the reception I was getting they all wanted to know where they could get one. It kinda `broke my heart' at the time to tell them that I hadn't seen anymore around and didn't know if there were any left.) A full antenna assembly comes with all the necessary mast, the disc and cone elements, guy `materials', and some fairly decent co-ax with BNC connectors on both ends and a `captive' BNC to PL259 adapter at one end. (I'd recommend that you replace the `guy wire/string' with something a bit heftier if you might think that you'll have any decent winds to deal with though I dealt with some gusts of around 35MPH with the ones my original one came with. If I put one up on a more `permanent' basis I'm going to actually probably use either wire or `parachute cord' and maybe also tie it into the side of the house with some brackets.)
One of the reason I'm bringing this up here is because the way the `disc & cone' elements are mounted. This mount appears such that it just might be the `antenna plumber's dream', and I don't mean `nightmare', for building and testing differently tuned discones. (If anyone expresses an interest in some pics of the `hub' I can see about taking some pictures and e-mailing them off to you.) The supplied elements are rather interesting in that they can be screwed together to increase their length and the antenna, at least my old `original' one came with a very basic `manual' giving the setup for an antenna for below 38 MHz and another for above 38MHz using different combinations of elements. (Since I've finally gotten myself a small lathe that is bigger than my old Unimat, nice *little* lathe for *small* projects, yet smaller than the one I use for rebarreling rifles, a fairly decent `production' lathe I picked up when a local machine shop went out of business, I'm seriously considering making some of my own `custom' `one piece' elements. [Actually they will be 2 piece in that I'll turn the end that fits the `hub' and then press and stake it into some tubing cut to the length I need. I don't know if I'll be able to `duplicate?' the way they made the other end of each element to enable screwing another element in like with the originals. {WAN GRIN!} The originals are typical Swedish engineering and are actually pretty `trick' and `cute'. {GRIN!} Actually so is the whole setup!])
Lessee... What else? Oh, yeah... The whole setup as it comes weighs in at around 32# and only costs US$ 59.97 (US$ 53.97 if you happen to either be, or become, a `Buyer's Club' member. [Actually not a bad deal in that you really don't have to buy all that much during a year to have the savings you can realize pretty much pay off the membership cost!]) plus S&H. (Yeah, I *do* like buying from them! I've been able to find some pretty good deals on quite a few things over the years. And... To keep `this' `on topic' quite a few have been radio related amazingly enough! [You *do* have to keep you eyes open to find some of them. {GRIN!}])
