|
|
Post by mark4 on Jul 8, 2008 20:34:55 GMT -5
Just found a brand new Radio Shack CrossBow .64 wave ground plane. Over 22ft long with 4-9ft radials. Best antenna I owned back in the day. Was looking for quite some time. And one turned up. ;D  |
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss 
Posts: 6,250 
|
Post by Sandbagger on Jul 8, 2008 21:05:03 GMT -5
Just found a brand new Radio Shack CrossBow .64 wave ground plane. Over 22ft long with 4-9ft radials. Best antenna I owned back in the day. Was looking for quite some time. And one turned up. ;D That antenna looked very much like a Hy-Gain Penetrator, same basic dimensions. The big difference was that the Penetrator used a Gamma match while the RS used a coil in the base. That coil will probably limit your maximum power to 400 watts or less. Still it was a decent performer. |
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Jul 26, 2008 22:26:26 GMT -5
We had the antenna party today!
Great weather here.
Put up the NOS 28 year old Radio Shack-Crossbow .64 wave.
And I have to say it out performs the Mayco 5/8. Broader banded also. As for the antennas made today. The Maco 5/8 is still a top performer. And very light weight!
As for only taking 400 watts. Thats more than enough for me!
I thought this was a Super Penetrator type clone myself. But the label says
Custom manufactured by Radio Shack. Not Custom manufactured for Radio Shack. So who knows for sure?
|
|
|
|
Post by mrgumby OT21 on Jul 27, 2008 9:29:13 GMT -5
I had one of those antennas back in the 80s I really liked that antenna ..theres one sitting on house down the street down me and it still looks as straight as an arrow..I should see if they want me to take it down for them and dispose of it properly..I used to run a polomar 300a through it with no problem..ran that set up for 5 or 6 years till I put up the beam..good find you got there..73s
|
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Jul 27, 2008 9:53:00 GMT -5
Grab it.
I also know of a Super Penetrator not far from home. Still perfectly straight. I stopped and talked with the owners brother. Just need to follow up to get it. I forgot how much bigger the diameter of the radiator and ground plane radials are on this .64 wave compared to anything made today. Unless custom made.
|
|
|
|
Post by Night Ranger on Jul 27, 2008 15:31:27 GMT -5
I had one of those antennas back in the 80s I really liked that antenna ..theres one sitting on house down the street down me and it still looks as straight as an arrow..I should see if they want me to take it down for them and dispose of it properly..I used to run a polomar 300a through it with no problem..ran that set up for 5 or 6 years till I put up the beam..good find you got there..73s I ran a Palomar 300a in to my .64 wave Radio Shack ground plane as well with no problems. It is the best omni antenna I have ever owned, but when I tried to tune up a Drake L-4B with two Eimac 3-500z tubes it went poof. : ( |
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
|
Post by Sandbagger on Jul 27, 2008 15:50:50 GMT -5
We had the antenna party today! Great weather here. Put up the NOS 28 year old Radio Shack-Crossbow .64 wave. And I have to say it out performs the Mayco 5/8. Broader banded also. As for the antennas made today. The Maco 5/8 is still a top performer. And very light weight! As for only taking 400 watts. Thats more than enough for me! I thought this was a Super Penetrator type clone myself. But the label says Custom manufactured by Radio Shack. Not Custom manufactured for Radio Shack. So who knows for sure? Well, being that the Rat Shack 5/8th wave (Known as the "Colinear") was identical to the Hy-Gain CLR-2, and the .64 wave bears a striking resemblance to the Hy-Gain Penetrator, and knowing that Radio Shack really doesn't make anything of their own, it wouldn't be a far fetched assumption that Hy-Gain had a hand in those antennas. And I agree that they performed well. It was a good design. But for the power hungry jockeys of today, that coil would be a limitation on total power handling. I know a buddy of mine smoked the Rat Shack 5/8th wave with a warmed over Palomar Skipper 300 in 1974. So they didn't take gobs of power. Another friend smoked the Radio Shack blue "crossbow" stick with only 75 watts! |
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Jul 27, 2008 16:27:57 GMT -5
I bet it was made by Hy-gain. For Rat Shack. Night Ranger To bad on smoking the antenna!  Best I have ever owned also. And very well constructed. Clamped and bolted ground plane radials that won't fly off like a porcupine shedding needles.  |
|
|
|
Post by BladeRunner now OLD FLASH!!!!! on Jul 28, 2008 22:18:22 GMT -5
are those antenns still available?
|
|
|
|
Post by BladeRunner now OLD FLASH!!!!! on Jul 28, 2008 22:22:42 GMT -5
Ignore that last stupid question. I didn't see the previous posts. Those were very good antennas and it would be nice to find something similar . I'm in the market for an antenna and what I'm finding is a lot of antennas with outrageous claims . I'm beginning to lean toward a 3 or 4 element beam.
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
|
Post by Sandbagger on Jul 29, 2008 7:02:16 GMT -5
I'm beginning to lean toward a 3 or 4 element beam. It's ok if you lean toward your beam. But it's not ok if your beam leans toward you.... ;D  |
|
|
|
Post by BladeRunner now OLD FLASH!!!!! on Jul 30, 2008 10:28:36 GMT -5
When I was a kid I had a 4 element Cush Craft in the top of a tree, without a rotor, 60 ft. Thee guys I use to talk to made fun of me because i had to go downstairs, outside and up the tree to turn the beam. I could do it in lesss than 5 minutes. Some nights I'd go up the tree 6 or 7 times. It took me a few months but I got my rotor. Wish I still had tthat ols cush craft.It was a great antenna.
|
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Jul 30, 2008 20:00:22 GMT -5
Maco 5/8-V5000
Jo Gun Ground Plane
Imax 2000
Mr Coily .64 Wave
Just some ideas for you.
As for crazy claims... that's been the case from the beginning.
|
|
|
|
Post by ic751a on Dec 28, 2008 2:46:27 GMT -5
I had one of those antennas back in the 80s I really liked that antenna ..theres one sitting on house down the street down me and it still looks as straight as an arrow..I should see if they want me to take it down for them and dispose of it properly..I used to run a polomar 300a through it with no problem..ran that set up for 5 or 6 years till I put up the beam..good find you got there..73s I ran a Palomar 300a in to my .64 wave Radio Shack ground plane as well with no problems. It is the best omni antenna I have ever owned, but when I tried to tune up a Drake L-4B with two Eimac 3-500z tubes it went poof. : ( Ah yes, the L4B, I know it well, had one, along with it's younger brother the L7. Drake made very nice equipment. On that .64 that you killed, did you keep it? If so I can help you turn it into a Penetrator 500. I've rebuilt a bunch of those and they work just like a Penetrator. I know because I currently have 4 Penetrators... I grab 'em whenever I see 'em. Nice forum, I'll enjoy spending time here. 73, Double Oh Seven clear. |
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Dec 28, 2008 9:42:20 GMT -5
I have a scrap penetrator. I picked up end of summer.
That would be nice. What are you doing re-building them?
|
|
|
|
Post by ic751a on Dec 28, 2008 16:31:06 GMT -5
Well, Yes - actually.
The Penetrator P500 Super CLR has been out of production since around 1976 and usually a used Penetrator has been moved and bumped around so much it has lost all or part of it's Beta match so when I get one it usually needs rebuilding.
I got one which had all sorts and types of different tubing pieces and was basically a basket case so I used it for parts and the hub is now back in the sky with new tubing, talking all over 10m.
I also like the fact that one can spend about 1/3 the cost of an A99 for the kit and bring his .64 back to life as a superior antenna to what it was, and all that is needed is a few hand tools, a bit of patience and voilla` you have a Penetrator!
One thing I've noticed, I have a neighbor with a new I-10K (the closest thing to the beloved old Sigma5/8 & Penetrator made today) who uses ~75' of LMR-400 coax to feed it and has it at ~36' above ground.
I use about 90' of older 8214 to my Penetrator, also at ~36'.
His radio is much bigger, newer and some would say, "Better", yet we hear and talk so close to identically at 3m - 100+ miles that I honestly can't see any difference nor reason to change to the newer antenna, though it certainly has garnered my respect with regard to performance and build quality.
There are several others on the market, some which are rated for excessively high power and cost like it, as well as others which are obviously designed more for the lower priced market (but are built like one would expect in that lower price range) which I'm sure will function fairly well, but for instance I've run the V58 against my Penetrator and saw more than an 'S' unit in loss of Tx & Rx performance.
Anyway, call it part antenna-love, part nostalgia, I just love it when someone brings back to life an oldie but goodie, or makes one from a decent other donor antenna, such as the old wimpy-coil R/S .64.
We've even rebuilt CLR-2s and upgraded them to Penetrator status.
One distinguishing difference between the Penetrator and the .64 which has me wondering if Hy-gain actually did build it for R/S is the Penetrator uses 2 bolts per radial at the hub, the .64 uses only one. - No biggie, and certainly no difference in performance, just another cost-cutting step we have come to expect from our beloved R/S... Use Nylocks!
Also, the Penetrator used aircraft clamps to squeeze each section around the next for a 360* contact area where the R/S .64 (and so many others) simply use screws at each section, which I don't care for as that makes a very small contact area, pulling the inner next tube to one side and allowing aluminum oxide to form around the other 300 degrees or so of the tubing.
I always recommend to those with a metal antenna which uses screws at each junction, to remove them, hone the inside and steel wool the outside free of all aluminum oxide build up, then carefully cut a 2" slit on one side of the top of each tube and tighten around the next section up with a quality automotive clamp - not a cheap hose clamp![/i]
Email me for more Penetrator / .64 repair info - ic751a(a)gmail.com
73zzzzzzzzzz
|
|
|
|
Post by zman on Mar 30, 2009 11:49:21 GMT -5
Right now, i am running an Avanti sigma 5/8 and love the thing!
My Avanti sigma 4 is residing in the garage awaiting a nice day to be put back up.
|
|
|
|
Post by ic751a on Nov 29, 2010 17:24:24 GMT -5
Right now, i am running an Avanti sigma 5/8 and love the thing! My Avanti sigma 4 is residing in the garage awaiting a nice day to be put back up. Hey, did you ever get the Sigma4 up, and if so, how does it perform by comparison to the old Sigma5/8? |
|
|
|
Post by homerbb on Nov 29, 2010 21:52:42 GMT -5
this antenna I built from scratch operates/tunes with a coil. What might make it more comparable to the Penetrator 500?   This is the coil I used, although in the photo it is mounted on a different antenna. |
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
|
Post by Sandbagger on Nov 30, 2010 7:33:08 GMT -5
this antenna I built from scratch operates/tunes with a coil. What might make it more comparable to the Penetrator 500? The Penetrator was matched with a gamma wire system. Supposedly, there is less loss in this system over a coil. This is the coil I used, although in the photo it is mounted on a different antenna. |
|
|
|
Post by homerbb on Nov 30, 2010 8:58:10 GMT -5
I've built gamma matches, but you mention a gamma wire. Would the gamma wire be the same? I will put a gamma match in line and see what happens, unless the wire is better . . .
This antenna performs admirably as it is, yet, the Penetrator is legendary and I've no means of comparison except I try to take this one to as near the penetrator as possible.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Nov 30, 2010 10:58:42 GMT -5
There are various ways to match a driven element to the feed-line successfully. The Gamma, T-Match, and the Hairpin (aka Beta Match) are the most common.
The Gamma match is an unbalanced system that typically distorts the antenna pattern.
The T-match is basically 2 Gamma match systems on either side of the boom, which corrects the imbalance but is a mechanical nightmare and is difficult to tune correctly.
The Hairpin is balanced and easy to tune. It has the correct electrical and mechanical design to allow it to be easily installed and tuned.
Out of all of them, I'd go with the hairpin. It works wonders on the I-10K. I can tune and match that antenna in no time at all.
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
|
Post by Sandbagger on Nov 30, 2010 12:30:27 GMT -5
I've built gamma matches, but you mention a gamma wire. Would the gamma wire be the same? I will put a gamma match in line and see what happens, unless the wire is better . . . This antenna performs admirably as it is, yet, the Penetrator is legendary and I've no means of comparison except I try to take this one to as near the penetrator as possible. Thanks. A "Gamma" match might be a misnomer. It was more of a beta or hairpin wire that extended from the base hub, up and over the radials and back down. |
|
|
|
Post by homerbb on Nov 30, 2010 20:13:03 GMT -5
I think I'll google the penetrator match system and see if i can find a photo of it.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotrod on Dec 2, 2010 19:42:12 GMT -5
I bet it was made by Hy-gain. For Rat Shack. Night Ranger To bad on smoking the antenna! Best I have ever owned also. And very well constructed. Clamped and bolted ground plane radials that won't fly off like a porcupine shedding needles. seen a antenna that looks similar too this but appears to have top hat radials on top. cant give more in cause i was driving down the highway. thought bout stopping and asking about but im not sure exactly what it is.if its a ham band antenna wont do me any good |
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
|
Post by Sandbagger on Dec 2, 2010 20:53:08 GMT -5
I bet it was made by Hy-gain. For Rat Shack. Night Ranger To bad on smoking the antenna! Best I have ever owned also. And very well constructed. Clamped and bolted ground plane radials that won't fly off like a porcupine shedding needles. seen a antenna that looks similar too this but appears to have top hat radials on top. cant give more in cause i was driving down the highway. thought bout stopping and asking about but im not sure exactly what it is.if its a ham band antenna wont do me any good The original Hy-Gain Penetrator had short static dissipating "radials" at the very top. There were no more than 6 or 7 inches long. |
|
|
|
Post by mark4 on Dec 2, 2010 22:37:02 GMT -5
Well, that is my picture from page 1 of this subject matter.
Sandbagger is right there were others that had this same basic design. Not sure what manf. that made them were.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotrod on Dec 4, 2010 21:23:16 GMT -5
seen a antenna that looks similar too this but appears to have top hat radials on top. cant give more in cause i was driving down the highway. thought bout stopping and asking about but im not sure exactly what it is.if its a ham band antenna wont do me any good The original Hy-Gain Penetrator had short static dissipating "radials" at the very top. There were no more than 6 or 7 inches long. thanks i think this one has 4 of them about that lenth.like i said its in the air and was driving by it. been there as long as i can remember.not much cb activity close to me anymore. maybe i might have to check into this more. if he wants money for it what would be a fair price? |
|
|
|
Post by 550ozarks on Jan 30, 2022 0:21:04 GMT -5
Just found a brand new Radio Shack CrossBow .64 wave ground plane. Over 22ft long with 4-9ft radials. Best antenna I owned back in the day. Was looking for quite some time. And one turned up. ;D That antenna looked very much like a Hy-Gain Penetrator, same basic dimensions. The big difference was that the Penetrator used a Gamma match while the RS used a coil in the base. That coil will probably limit your maximum power to 400 watts or less. Still it was a decent performer. |
|
|
|
Post by 550ozarks on Jan 30, 2022 0:23:29 GMT -5
I just came Across this very same antenna. I cannot get the SWR lined out and I’m thinking the coil is bad at the bottom. I cannot find a manual for this but I’ve been told that the radiator length is 22.6 inches like the penetrator 500. It has been hanging since the 80s when I found it so I had to do a lot of scrubbing to get the oxidation off. Do you happen to have a manual for this antenna? If not, have you ever had experience replacing or rebuilding the coil? Thank you
|
|
