Old Shakespear Big Stick Antenna

[longnight]

I was given an old shakespear big stick cb antenna by a friend. He passed away before I was able to ask him about it. It has 4 sections and is 16 feet in length. Before I attempt to put it up I would like to know more about it. How do the bottom 2 sections go together. They have no threads like the other sections. Is there anything that should be inside the bottom 2 sections like a coax or? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Chuck Saylor

 

[MisterLongwire]

The old bigsticks had 2 lengths....how is it you have a old one with 4 lengths? Even the newer ones made recently have 3....? Anyways, they are half-wave antennas, made for both 10 and 11 meters. They are made to work with great efficiency at heights over 30 feet. That was where my antenna was and I talked to whomever I heard..

 

[spongella]

I had BigStick antenna for CB back in the 70's and MisterLogwave is correct, it was two sections, the upper screwed into the lower. A SO-239 connector was at the bottom to attach the coax. You might want to go to AmericanHistory.com and look through old CB magazines for advertisements for the BigStick, it was a popular antenna of the time.

 

[longnight]

Thank you Mister Longwire. You are correct it is only three sections. My mistake. Can you tell me me if there should be a coax inside the bottom section that attaches to the inside of the second section? How does the bottom section attach to the second saection sinse they do not screw together?
Thanks

 

[longnight]

Thank you Spongella. I will do the research!

 

[prcguy]

There are 3 section and I believe 4 section big stick antennas. I have a Shakespeare Style 376, which is the 3 section version and its an end fed half wave similar to an Antron 99 but much better quality. I believe they made the 4 section to shorten it for cheaper and easier shipping. Then there was the Shakespeare ABS-1600 "Army Big Stick" which was a 21ft long 5/8 wave that came in either green or white.

 

[longnight]

Thank you prcguy. Mine is 16 feet in length. Can you answer any of my other questions about the big stick?

 

[prcguy]

Duplicate.....

 

[prcguy]

You would have to post a picture for us to understand exactly what you have. There should also be a model number on the base of a Big Stick antenna that will identify what you have. All the sections of a Big Stick antenna simply screw together and its pretty obvious. The bottom section will have the coax connector and there are no open sections where you would see any internal coax.

QUOTE="longnight, post: 3256280, member: 1342692"]
Thank you prcguy. Mine is 16 feet in length. Can you answer any of my other questions about the big stick?
[/QUOTE]

 

[MisterLongwire]

and there was supposed to be a lock washer between the whip section and the lower "fat" unit. 2 u-bolts connected the antenna to a mast and on the bottom the the lower unit was a SO239 connector where you would hook up your coax. At the time back in the 70's I used RG8 which worked great. MY coax was not relly that long as I had a 36 foot mast and barely any slack in my coax to hook up to my meters and then the patch cord to the radio (Navajo TRC-458) At that time I had 4 radios all eating electricity since I am a amateur radio operator. @ radios hooked up to my Big Stick/PDL2 and the others on end fed coax. Oh the days!

 

[MisterLongwire]

I agree with PRCGUY about a label that was located on the lower part of the bottom antenna. It was a chrome sticker with Shakespeare logo, model number of antenna, patents, etc. That is all I remember. Oh...500 watts is all the antenna can handle.

 

[longnight]

I agree with PRCGUY about a label that was located on the lower part of the bottom antenna. It was a chrome sticker with Shakespeare logo, model number of antenna, patents, etc. That is all I remember. Oh...500 watts is all the antenna can handle.

Mister Longwire and Prcguy. At the base of my big stick it has a label that says Shakespear. If there was another that said big stick and model it is gone now. I do not have a smart phone to give you a picture and would not know how to do it anyway. Not a very technical person. Sorry. The whip
and middle section do screw together with a lock washer between as you say. The antenna base with the mast bracket and SO 239 is there, but the second section is where I am lost. It is open on the bottom end and the base section is open on the top end. These are not threaded sections, but look like they slip together. Inside the top of the base section and bottom of the second section there appears to be what looks like smaller threaded attachments that perhaps a coax cable would screw on to. When my friend had it the antenna got out very well bare foot. Hope this makes sense to you both. Question 1. Is there s coax that goes between the base and second section on the inside of the tube. Question 2. How does the base section and second section fit together since they are not threaded.
Thanks for your help.

 

[russbrill]

Thank you prcguy. Mine is 16 feet in length. Can you answer any of my other questions about the big stick?

If I remember correctly, there was two versions of the Big Stick. 1st was just the plain "Big Stick (16ft)", and the 2nd was the "Super Big Stick (18ft), A.K.A. Big Stick II"...….

 

[spongella]

My memory served me correctly, check out page 8, ad for a two piece big stick so there must have been later versions with more segments.

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Elementary-Electronics/1970/Elementary-Electronics-1978-11-12.pdf

 

[prcguy]

Sounds like the OP might have an aftermarket mast or something extra with his Big Stick. Is the extra bottom section white fiberglass or aluminum or ??? Here is a picture of someones Style 373 Big Stick III, see if that is similar.

SHAKESPEARE MARINE CB ANTENNA STYLE 376-GB BIG STICK 3 for Sale in San Bernardino, CA - OfferUp

Used (normal wear), SHAKESPEARE MARINE CB ANTENNA USED FOR BOATS OUT AT SEA IT'S MISSING A THREAD ALL TO ATTACH THE FIRST TWO PIECES TOGETHER THIS CAN BE PURCHASED AT HOME DEPOT OR ANY HARDWARE STORE. IT'S 18' TALL IN 3 PIECES. Make an offer!

offerup.com

 

[longnight]

Hi to all who are helping me out here. My big stick looks more like the marine type prcguy has sent a picture of. In spongella's picture there is a coax that runs from the inside of the SO 239 up inside of the antenna. That coax is what is missing in my big stick. Perhaps I can get that part from the shakespear factory? Do you know what it is called and what type of connectors it uses?

Thanks again to all.

 

[prcguy]

The coax inside a Big Stick is not user replaceable and doesn't come out unless you destroy the antenna. The coax is only inside the original two section Big Stick where the bottom half of the antenna is a hollow skirt 1/4 wavelength long that is grounded and the top is simply a 1/4 wave fiberglass whip making the antenna a center fed half wave. The later versions had a matching circuit in the very bottom of the antenna and the rest of the antenna was the 1/2 wave end fed radiator.

Hi to all who are helping me out here. My big stick looks more like the marine type prcguy has sent a picture of. In spongella's picture there is a coax that runs from the inside of the SO 239 up inside of the antenna. That coax is what is missing in my big stick. Perhaps I can get that part from the shakespear factory? Do you know what it is called and what type of connectors it uses?

Thanks again to all.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

Was the Big Stick a coaxial sleeve dipole?

 

[W5lz]

A 'sleeve dipole'? Well, yes-n-no .. sort of. As was said above, there were several variations in how it was made. But, those variations were mainly for economical reasons rather than electrical ones. Where you feed a 1/2 wave antenna makes little difference in it's radiation pattern. An end-fed one will behave like a center fed, or OCF 1/2 wave one. They all have the same qualifiers/limitations, such as height above ground, what's near it, etc. So, which would be the easiest for you to mount??

 

[prcguy]

The original Shakespeare Big Stick was a sleeve dipole and its model was "Style 176". Then came the marine version with 1" threaded base to mate with marine mounts, still a sleeve dipole and the model was Style 176-1. Then due to shipping costs for the two piece Style 176, they came out with a half wave end fed three piece version the Style 376 and I believe later there was a 4 piece version that was otherwise identical when it was assembled.

Was the Big Stick a coaxial sleeve dipole?