bigt
Mudduck
Posts: 38
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Post by bigt on Feb 13, 2015 15:21:50 GMT -5
Does anyone have or know where I can get an original Astroplane? Had one years ago and would like to get another one, they're a sweet antenna. Thanks
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Post by bill on Feb 13, 2015 18:20:44 GMT -5
Do you Shop www.ebay.com ? I set my Account there to send me Email Announcements when Particular Items I Desire are Listed... Works for Me... It seems, We ALL want something we Used to Have, once upon a Time... But... Was it really, " The Best " Performer of that Era Or the Least Expensive, affordable to the Masses, the reason EVERYONE seemed to have one Here's Astroplance Vintage Advertising www.cbtricks.com/ant_manuals/avanti/av101/ad/index.htm$29.00 ? Is it, You get what you Pay for ? I read the Specifications.... DB Gain : 4.46 db Gain, Over Isotropic Jump up to the Avanti Sigma 5/8 Wave... 5.1 db Gain over Isotropic It mentions when Comparing Different Manufacturers' Specifications, to make sure they are using the Same Reference, such as " Over Isotropic "... Return to the Avanti AstroPlane " Beam " Antenna..... DB Gain.... 11 DB Gain , Over Isotropic.... Sure, You have to Aim it, requiring an Antenna Rotator, but look HOW MUCH the GAIN Increases, just by ADDING the 2 Elements ! I am NOT an Antenna Guru, nor do I claim to be... I know enough to want My Antenna to have the Most Gain, as it Works, Both Ways, Receive and Transmit... Sorry to have Hijacked your Thread.... Just giving you something to think about... The Reason I often say, there is MORE to Radio than, let's say, an Amplifier.... Radio is a System... To Me, Number 1 is LOCATION... If you live in a Valley, Surrounded by Mountains, little will Help.... If one lives in a City, their Antenna surrounded by Buildings, little will Help... Number 2.... Antenna ... You can use a Beam Antenna with the Increased DB Gain to make Contact, as it Works, BOTH WAYS, Transmit AND Receive... Number 3, The Amplifier mainly Works, ONE WAY... Yes, some Amplifiers advertise they have a, " Pre-Amp " to Improve Receive Qualities, basically a Receive Amplifier Circuit... BUT, Nothing is More Important to Me, than the Antenna... HAM.... CB.... Doesn't Matter Which... I guess you did not like one of my other Posts, suggesting to Homebrew an AstroPlane I see " Someone " bought "Maco" Antenna... I remember they had a 5/8 Wave Omni-Directional " similar " to the Avanti Sigma 5/8... I think Maco Antenna is readily available Today... From the same Company that Owns / Manufactures ' Gizmotchy " Antenna which seemed to have also been getting Good Reviews Online...
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bigt
Mudduck
Posts: 38
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Post by bigt on Feb 13, 2015 22:26:32 GMT -5
I saw your thread and that is food for thought. I have seen a video on building one that was interesting, but the price of aluminum tubing isn't cheap. Did you use a heavy gauge wire when you built yours? I'm considering building a J pole for 11 meters, I heard they can out talk a lot of them. But then again, location. When the weather gets better I'm going to get it built and up in the air to see if it is better than my A99. Oh, would the A99 work any better if I put a ring around the bottom of the antenna as a ground plane? BigT
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Post by bill on Feb 14, 2015 9:38:54 GMT -5
Did you see the Link for Coiled Aluminum Tubing Stock ? $24.95 for 25 Feet ? How much do you expect to Pay for a Vintage Astroplane Antenna that originally cost $29.95 ? I bet any Seller would want over $100.00 today... With the A 99 Here is one Fellow's Observations cbradiomagazine.com/Feb%202007/The%20A99%20-%20a%20best%20seller.htmHere's a Fellow who Opened up an A 99 and His Opinion of the Lack of Quality www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=7582There used to be a Similar Article related to the Imax 2000, but the Imax is 24 Feet Long versus the A 99 18 1/2 Feet... The Additional Length adds to the Performance, so comparing the 2 Antennas is an Unfair Comparison, Apples to Oranges... The A 99 is what is called a " High Angle " Antenna, meaning a lot of the Signal is heading Skyward not Outward, so in Theory for Distance, it is not a Good Performer... In order to Change the " Take-Off Angle " and Lower It, people do add the Ground Plane Kit, available as an Add-On Kit... They claim it " Adds Distance "... www.truckers-store.com/store-products-gpk-1-Solarcon-Ground-Plane-Kit-for-Model-A-99-Base-Station-Antennas_41119264.htmlThe Length of the Radials is " Calculated " at 6 Feet, to make it's Radiation Pattern acceptable... Here's 1 Antenna Modeling Software, where one can " See " the Performance or Radiation Pattern of an Antenna eznec.com/Sure.... One might be able to " Add " a Ring around an Antenna, but..... One would need to Experiment Run some Antenna Modeling Software... Use an Antenna Analyzer... Like I said, I am not an Antenna Guru... I do not Design and Analyze Antenna... I COPY PROVEN DESIGNS.... I am not sure what you meant by asking if I used Heavy Gage Wire when I built Mine I only use RG-8U Coax that has an Outside Diameter of about .420 or close to 7/16 of an Inch... Thick Stuff... Low Loss and can Handle More Watts... The Heathkit SB 220 Amplifier can put close to 1,000 Watts out the Antenna on 11 Meter with about 80 Watts Drive... I doubt the A 99 could handle that for Long... They Grossly Over-Estimate it's Capabilities, in My Opinion... Having a look at the Article where the Fellow Cut one Open and showed the Inner Workings, made me Laugh... I am going to go and retrieve my Old Shakespeare Big Stick Antenna from the 1970's from behind the Garage, buried under years of Lawn Debris and Leaves I threw it back there when I grabbed onto it and got a Handful of Fiberglass Slivers stuck in my Hand while taking it down from the Loft... I am going to try to Compare it to the A 99... In my mind, I think it will perform better than the A 99... I know neither will Perform like any 5/8 Ground Plane... The 5/8 Ground Plane Antenna, the Maco V 58 Homebrew, is much better... Better still, once the 4 Element Cubical Quad Beam is Up, it will Outperform the V 58 Clone... Bigger is Better.... It's all about the DB Gain Factor.... I chose the 4 Element mainly because of it's Size and not wanting to have to Buy an expensive HAM Antenna Rotator or Rotor, for a few Hundred Dollars... I should be able to use a lesser expensive, light-duty TV Antenna Rotor... People have been mentioning that Radio Shack went Bankrupt, and some people have already mentioned Stores Closing in their Area... Perhaps I should investigate this further and see if any Stores Nearby are Selling out I might buy some Stuff... Like an Antenna Rotor... Antenna Masts... Guy Wire... Etc... IF, they are Selling out...
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Post by bill on Feb 14, 2015 11:22:28 GMT -5
I read you like Videos... Here is an 11 Meter J-Pole Construction Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBsy5Vk1hZQI am sure there are MANY Videos related to Antenna AND Practically everything else , Radio... Seems like the J-Pole for 11 Meters is going to be Long... Have to be made STRONG, in my Opinion, just to " Walk it Up " to Stand Erect , so it does not " fold " in half due to it's own weight... As I mentioned... One might Consider, the " Radiation Take-Off Angle " they wish their Signal to Follow.... I am NOT trying to Rain on Your Parade... Just throwing some Ideas or Opinions out there... Again, I am no Expert, nor do I claim to be... Here is a Video related to Ground Plane Antenna... My Choice of Homebrew Antenna, the Maco V 58 Clone, for Ease of Construction... The Aluminum Rigid Tubing, given it is 6061 Alloy, is VERY Strong, resists bending along it's Length, withstands Wind Gusts... www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFrV5Y4lcCUMaybe I am just Bias... I know what Antenna works best, For Me as an Omni-Directional... Might not be the Best for Everyone... With Beam Antenna, One might like a Horizontal Beam... One might like a Vertical Beam... One might like another that can be Switched from Horizontal to Vertical...
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Post by bill on Feb 14, 2015 12:17:32 GMT -5
Read about Different Antenna, Including the A 99, with Radiation Pattern Displays generated by Antenna Modeling Software here www.w8ji.com/end-fed_vertical.htm#IMAXDo a Google Search of His Call Sign... A Technician ALL OVER the Internet with Numerous Articles and Discussions in Various Online Radio Groups... It is still my Opinion, that a 5/8 Wave Ground Plane with Radials is the way to go, if one is going to Construct an Omni-Directional Base Antenna... It would probably be best to build a FEW Different Antenna, and compare their Performance for yourself, to determine which is best for you... People still Use and Swear by, Simple Wire Antenna... Horizontal... Vertical... a "V"... an " Inverted V "...
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Post by BBB on Feb 14, 2015 19:15:44 GMT -5
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
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Post by Sandbagger on Feb 14, 2015 19:32:29 GMT -5
That differs considerably in appearance from the original Astro Plane. That does not mean that it can't work the same. But it's not even an exact copy of the original AP.
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Post by bill on Feb 15, 2015 18:08:43 GMT -5
Here's an Ad for a Vintage Ground Plane Antenna.... With " Improvements " boston.craigslist.org/gbs/ele/4892067542.htmlWhat a Bargain I am still asking Myself, WHY ? Here is a more Modern Ground Plane... www.bellscb.com/products/antennas/Maco/macov58.htmI am recollecting from the late 1970's, but it seems the Antenna has increased in Price far less than any other Piece of Equipment has, it seems... Geeeezzzz.... How much is any Vintage Antenna worth 5, 6, 7 Times the Original Price ? Aluminum Coil Stock is $24.95 for 25 Feet... There's an Astroplane... But it was said the Tubing was, Too Expensive Yeah, more Parts are needed, but Get Creative... I can GUARANTEE the Aluminum Tubing Alloy used for the Original Astroplane was NOT " Strong " , and had to have been in the 50's Series, making it " Soft " enough to Form Radius Elements... One CANNOT Bend, 60's Series Aluminum... Rigid Aluminum Tubing, normally used to Construct a 5/8 Wave Ground Plane is 6061 Alloy... It will " Snap " in 2 or Crack, before it bends... It has a " Memory " and if slightly bent, being acted upon by Heavy Winds, it will later when not acted upon by Wind, return to being Straight... Just Think... Bigger is Better... 11 Meter 1/4 Wave Astroplane ... or 9 Feet.... 5/8 Wave " Anything ".... or about 22 Feet.... As they call it, The Airwaves.... A Bigger Sail will Propel a Boat better... A Bigger Antenna Will Perform Better... There is MORE of it to Send and Receive the Signal... Don't you REMEMBER Your Parents wrapping some Aluminum Foil around the Black and White Vacuum Tube Type Television's Rabbit Ears Antenna, to Improve the Reception The one that required one to Rise from the Chair to Change the Channel Here is what I am Headed Towards in my Antenna Construction... www.bellscb.com/products/antennas/Maco/Maco_laser500.htmA 40 Foot Long Monstrosity... 11 DB Gain..... 28 Times Power Magnification.... NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
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