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Old big stick dissection and study

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darticus

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Trying to see what makes an antenna work.
I was given this antenna but it had a high SWR. I replaced the screw on section on the bottom where the coax connector goes on as it was bad but still has a bad SWR.
Cutting windows into the sides until I found the workings that was causing a short from the ground to the top where the whip screwed in. Here is some pics of the mess. The resistor, I can't see
colors too good, and not sure of the cap size.
Can you tell what the size of the cap is? It reads .38n on the 200n selector on the multi meter. Is it electrolytic or mylar? Can I replace with any cap? This resistor read .8 ohms with my meter. Don't think this is right. Maybe you can see better than me. Colors look like gray gray blue gray wide silver or gray. I know if I replace the cap and resistor it will work! This is an old BIG STICK. I do have another big stick that works. Ron
 

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gewecke

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A simpler way might be to contact shakespear direct, which is the company that made the "big stick".

73,
n9zas
 

sloop

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old big stick

1. you can't measure capacitor value with a multimeter unless it has cap. function
2. the capacitor is a 18 pF mylar capacitor
3. .8 for the resistor value is close...which scale do you have the meter turned too?
3. the resistor is a 886 ohm resistor 10% tolerance based on the grey-grey-blue-grey..silver bands

Hope that this helps.
 

darticus

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Fantastic info!
The resistor was measured on ohms so maybe its good?
The cap measured .38 on the 200n scale on the multi meter cap setting.
Do you think something is shorted?

1. you can't measure capacitor value with a multimeter unless it has cap. function
2. the capacitor is a 18 pF mylar capacitor
3. .8 for the resistor value is close...which scale do you have the meter turned too?
3. the resistor is a 886 ohm resistor 10% tolerance based on the grey-grey-blue-grey..silver bands

Hope that this helps.
 

zz0468

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I have two questions:

1. Is that corrosion I see on the components and coaxial cable?

2. What good is an antenna going to be if it's been sliced open to see what's inside?

I can quite understand the curiosity that would cause someone to slice it open. But it seems like an exercise in foolishness to try to get it working. Am I missing something?
 

ipfd320

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for a resistor that has been encapsulated in a heavy fiberglass wrap it looks like crap to figure out the colors on this antenna

i would go the route of calling or writing the company if they still exist???...on what you have or if they still have that item in stock in the warehouse somewhere
 

gewecke

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for a resistor that has been encapsulated in a heavy fiberglass wrap it looks like crap to figure out the colors on this antenna

i would go the route of calling or writing the company if they still exist???...on what you have or if they still have that item in stock in the warehouse somewhere

That's what I suggested above. Here's the company that made the big stick,

Shakespeare Electronic Products Group

73,
n9zas
 

darticus

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Just think I can fix it and learn something. Maybe I can get it working. The resistor is a coil of some type . How can I find out? calling the company today. Bet they don't know!
Maybe I can explain it better. When I put a wire on the coax 239 screw on at the bottom and connect it to the metal where the whip screws in there is a short causing the top whip to be grounded and a very high SWR. The short seems to be accross the coil as it reads short. I have another big stick and there isn't any short from base ground to whip connector. Is there a way to tell the size of the coil from measuring the good antenna? Is a coil the same as a choke? Thanks Ron
 

prcguy

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It looks like the pictures show the coax to the SO-239 on the right and the wire to the whip connection to the left, is that correct? If so the wire to the whip is cap coupled with 180pf and there is a choke to DC ground the whip for static and that would show a short across the SO-239.

The original Shakespeare Big Stick was a coaxial sleeve antenna and you can look up the basic construction with a Google search.

A coaxial sleeve dipole is around 75 ohms and there are several ways Shakespeare could have used to match the antenna including components at the whip connection or a critical length of some odd impedance coax between the SO-239 and whip, etc.

With all the corrosion shown in the pictures there could be all sorts of hidden problems.
prcguy
 

darticus

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You are correct left whip right 239. Can you help me find what I can replace that coil or choke with. Coil seems shorted. Is there another way to say
180 pF for the cap? Like in Kilo or M? Can any cap be used or must it be a Mica cap?
THE COIL seems to be a gray gray blue gray or gray gray blue gray gray. DOES this help to identify it?

Maybe I can explain it better. When I put a wire on the coax 239 screw on at
the bottom and connect it to the metal where the whip screws in there is a
short causing the top whip to be grounded and a very high SWR. The short
seems to be across the coil as it reads short. I have another big stick and
there isn't any short from base ground to whip connector. Is there a way to
tell the size of the coil from measuring the good antenna? Is a coil the
same as a choke? Thanks Ron
Thanks Ron

It looks like the pictures show the coax to the SO-239 on the right and the wire to the whip connection to the left, is that correct? If so the wire to the whip is cap coupled with 180pf and there is a choke to DC ground the whip for static and that would show a short across the SO-239.

The original Shakespeare Big Stick was a coaxial sleeve antenna and you can look up the basic construction with a Google search.

A coaxial sleeve dipole is around 75 ohms and there are several ways Shakespeare could have used to match the antenna including components at the whip connection or a critical length of some odd impedance coax between the SO-239 and whip, etc.

With all the corrosion shown in the pictures there could be all sorts of hidden problems.
prcguy
 

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Rt169Radio

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Does Shakespeare make a Big Stick type antenna anymore?
 

prcguy

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The choke or coil,will show a short with an ohmmeter but it's some value chosen to not be a short at 27MHz. Unless the antenna was hit by lightning and the choke looks burned its probably ok.

Going by your diagram you should show a short from the threaded part of the SO-239 to the whip but no short from the SO-239 threads to the SO-239 center pin.

You should also show a short from the SO-239 center pin to the coax center conductor where the capacitor is connected.
prcguy
 

darticus

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I want to get this working with a low SWR as it was back than. Than fix the cutouts and display it. I can't beleive the Shakesphere co. got back to me with this great info. I must have found a worker that knows about this stuff.
This antenna was discontinued back in 1981, but the capacitor is 180 pf (picofarad) and the Inductor is a .68 uH (micro-Henry). Now how to measure whats in there and how it would compare to new parts. The cap measures .38n on the 200n scale. How do I test the inductor? NOW how to get these parts. We may get this working. Ron

The choke or coil,will show a short with an ohmmeter but it's some value chosen to not be a short at 27MHz. Unless the antenna was hit by lightning and the choke looks burned its probably ok.

Going by your diagram you should show a short from the threaded part of the SO-239 to the whip but no short from the SO-239 threads to the SO-239 center pin.

You should also show a short from the SO-239 center pin to the coax center conductor where the capacitor is connected.
prcguy
 

prcguy

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I would be very surprised if the cap and inductor were bad and the cap must be tested out of circuit since the surrounding wire and components will add a lot of capacitance to the measurement.
prcguy




I want to get this working with a low SWR as it was back than. Than fix the cutouts and display it. I can't beleive the Shakesphere co. got back to me with this great info. I must have found a worker that knows about this stuff.
This antenna was discontinued back in 1981, but the capacitor is 180 pf (picofarad) and the Inductor is a .68 uH (micro-Henry). Now how to measure whats in there and how it would compare to new parts. The cap measures .38n on the 200n scale. How do I test the inductor? NOW how to get these parts. We may get this working. Ron
 

MeddleMan

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Considering...

...that there IS corrosion inside a sealed, or better, formerly sealed fiber-glass antenna, it may have been either struck by lightning or broken in the wind. Moisture has gotten inside. Anything look remotely melted? I hope you wore protection! If the coil is damaged , it my be fried anyway.
 

grogan

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Big Stick was nicknamed The Blead Stick I had better reception from a A-99 or antron 99. I switched to an I-Max2000 and the 2000 has worked great so far. The match is almost 1 to 1 on 10 and 11 meters and I have talked arount the world with 100 watts. Some people don't like them because the flex alot in the wind.If you like some of the great antennas of the past a company from Europe is makeing them again with improvements.
NEW LW-150 FROM SIRIO-H&Y Electronics
 
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