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Post by Rumrunner on Jun 7, 2009 2:10:39 GMT -5
ANYBODY !?? have any experience with a Penetrator 1-10K antenna? Kinda pricey BUT - maybe tits as far as a ground plane antenna (if their claims are the truth)??!!. I need a G/P for local and want the best I can afford. I don't want to change antennas 3 months down the road because I made a mistake..,($$$). Antenna must be a good performer and not a $300.00-$400.00 buck screw-up. Please tell me what you real radio ops think? What do you consider the best ground plane antenna? (that is available today, new). I await your reply's with the navy grog at the ready. 73 - "Rumrunner" / 341 South Carolina. <<Listen for me on 38 lsb. The Thunderbolt is warmin' up.......>>
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**GRUMPY**
Administrator/The Boss 
Classic Radio Operator Olde Timer 8220 [/color][/center]
"The King of Ping"
Posts: 4,342
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Post by **GRUMPY** on Jun 7, 2009 7:54:56 GMT -5
I take it you mean the Interceptor 10K Antenna?
I have no first hand experience with it, but I do have a friend who has one and loves it. He didn't see much difference on the transmit side compared to the I-Max 2000 or the MaCo V5/8 in which he owned and operated both. But he did see a big difference on the receive side. Signals seemed to be stronger and lot less noise than the others. The antenna is built like a tank. You will need a heavy mast and a good support system because the antenna is heavy. He lives in the countryside and is out in the open and gets plenty of wind, he has had no problems with any antenna damage from the winds as he did with the MaCo V5/8 and the I-Max 2000.
For the money I think it is a very good choice for an antenna. I have really been thinking of trying one myself. My only problem is having someone put it up for me as I am no longer able to do such work. From what he tells me it will most likely be the last antenna he ever puts up. But if I know him he will more than likely try something else (lol)
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Post by Bus Driver on Jun 7, 2009 9:05:00 GMT -5
Im not saying its the best but I LOVE my I-10K,I have no RFI, The only other antenna as far as a ground plane is a big stick that I have run.  |
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Post by zman on Jun 8, 2009 21:36:59 GMT -5
Good antenna but i will keep my old Avanti Sigma 5/8 wave. I have put up other antennas but for some reason I always go back to the sigma. It is that good!!!
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Post by Tombstone (R.I.P.) on Jun 8, 2009 23:14:41 GMT -5
I don't know anyone who uses the I-10K so I can't comment on that. As far as the Sigma I've not used one but I know of several that were in use. They allways put out a good signal at my receive end even at a distance and I've never heard of one breaking up or anything during windy conditions. I would use one if I had something other than a chimney to mount it on. That's why I'm using an A-99 against my better judgement because I just don't trust a heavier antenna on a chimney. Even when I find a better location where I can expand. I can identify with Grumpy, my legs are bad to the point where I can't climb a ladder or tower anymore. I would go up with a bucket truck though. I think that the hardest talking ground plane antenna that I've used was a CLR2 back in the day but those antennas had a circuit board that alledgedly would go bad eventually. I ran five to six hundred watts into mine with no problem but I'm not sure how much power they actually would take but I'm rambling on about something that I doubt that any are around anymore. There were other fine ground planes too but I think that we're talking currently manufactured stuff here. I'm impressed that the 10K will hold up in wind better that a Maco type. I guess I should try to find out about actual performance of them. Surely someone here locally is using one.
Tombstone
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250 
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 9, 2009 6:49:41 GMT -5
I don't know anyone who uses the I-10K so I can't comment on that. As far as the Sigma I've not used one but I know of several that were in use. They allways put out a good signal at my receive end even at a distance and I've never heard of one breaking up or anything during windy conditions. I would use one if I had something other than a chimney to mount it on. That's why I'm using an A-99 against my better judgement because I just don't trust a heavier antenna on a chimney. Even when I find a better location where I can expand. I can identify with Grumpy, my legs are bad to the point where I can't climb a ladder or tower anymore. I would go up with a bucket truck though. I think that the hardest talking ground plane antenna that I've used was a CLR2 back in the day but those antennas had a circuit board that alledgedly would go bad eventually. I ran five to six hundred watts into mine with no problem but I'm not sure how much power they actually would take but I'm rambling on about something that I doubt that any are around anymore. There were other fine ground planes too but I think that we're talking currently manufactured stuff here. I'm impressed that the 10K will hold up in wind better that a Maco type. I guess I should try to find out about actual performance of them. Surely someone here locally is using one. Tombstone Running an A-99 is probably a good part of the reason why you have so many problems with RFI. Those antennas decouple poorly and the coax radiates which puts near field RF into all sorts of places it shouldn't go. If changing to an antenna with radials is not practical, you can always try running a balun on the antenna end to prevent the coax from radiating. Yea the CLR2 (and it's identical twin the Radio Shack "colinear") were very popular back in the day. Becasue of the circuit board impedence matching transformer, SWR would usually rise when it rained, and I wouldn't trust it with more than 500 watts of power. One of my locals smoked the RS version of that antenna back in 1974 running a Palomar Skipper 300. He gave me the antenna, and I drilled out the rivets in the base and took out the circuit board. It was charred almost beyond recognition. I ended up making the antenna into a 1/4 wave and a couple of dipoles. |
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Post by 238 on Jun 9, 2009 7:18:00 GMT -5
The Maco V5000 is the best for the $. I have run one for years an no complain. 238
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Post by Tombstone (R.I.P.) on Jun 9, 2009 7:27:37 GMT -5
Yeah, Sandbagger. I've heard stories of the charred circuit boards in the CLR2 type antennas so I guess I was lucky. As far as my A-99 splatter stick I could probably cure or reduce the RFI by installing the ground plane kit as well as a balun but it's three stories up and I need a bucket truck. At this point I'm so fed up that I'm planning on finding a better location away from people as soon as I can swing it anyway. Just yesterday a woman rented a store front in the building next door and she's whining already. I really feel like giving everyone a dose of The Beatles with about 500 watts so they can experience real interference but I don't want to intentionally intimidate the neighbors, then I'll have worse problems.
Tombstone
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Post by dgtr43 on Jun 9, 2009 12:32:50 GMT -5
So, what is good ground plane for the money? I still didnt see much of an answer to the question. 238 said the Maco V5000, I guess the Maco 5/8 is one also. So are there other gp economically available? What about a Mr. Coily gp?
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Post by zman on Jun 9, 2009 21:48:08 GMT -5
Go with the tried and true the Maco V 5/8 wave. It is very sturdy and fairly easy to tune. The bottom coil reminds me of the old 5/8 wave ringo Cushcraft used to make for 11 meters.
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Post by long ranger on Jun 12, 2009 2:52:36 GMT -5
#votefor# #cbop#
Good Morning:
Got back into CB'ing after 30 years with a Solarcon Ground Plane with the Radials. Perfect SWR's and little or no trouble. Also, Good wind Resistance for those Storms, we have down here in South Georgia.
Would like to upgrade to the Maco Ground Plane that the other fellow CB'er mentioned, before my two cents. I really think it is the best one all around, looking at the Spec's. Good Luck.
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Post by lamplighter on Jun 12, 2009 8:32:57 GMT -5
I can not really help with your question. The only store bought antenna I've ever run was an A99. Had a lot of fun on it for a long time.
I could not afford the price of an upgrade antenna, so I built mine. (about $65)
My best results were from my homemade 5/8 wave vertical. I have been led to believe by my experience with a 5/8 and what others have said the place to start is with a 5/8 wave. Now a lot of reading will be the only way to figure out which one.
I currently run my 2 element Quad, but loved the 5/8 vertical.
BTW, as you likely know, knowing whether it is a 5/8 requires reading the specs on an antenna. Names usually reveal very little about antennas. Also, manufacturer claims are often a reflection of their need to sell their product. Get user feedback from many sources.
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Post by narvous on Jun 15, 2009 8:39:52 GMT -5
The I-max is a 6.4 wave.
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Post by mark4 on Jun 17, 2009 18:02:38 GMT -5
I ran a A99. That antenna is one of the worst for TVI.
Tried a Astro plane. Also was very bad for TVI.
Switched to a Maco 5/8 and NO TVI.
For the money I would go with a Maco 5/8.
I would think if you can put up a A99 you should be able to get by with a Maco 5/8. It is very light weight. And no brass fittings. Has a low center of gravity. The radiator tends to bend a little near the base. When the wind pounds for a few months in the same direction. The Maco is a Little narrow banded. I found a NOS Radio Shack .64 wave for $69.
Best antenna I ever owned. Had one back when I was a kid.
Broad banded and beat out the Maco. I don't run that kind of power so it's fine for me. The Maco could really help your TVI problem. A friend of mine told me the A99 use to have a not in the instruction sheet to tell you to wrap the coax several times around the mast to prevent the coax from radiating. Worth a try.
If I were looking to spend $350 I would go with the Mr. Coily. Heard he is not making them anymore.
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Post by wd8nia on Jun 18, 2009 14:05:43 GMT -5
I find negative comments about the A99 to be curious. I've run up to 1.5 KW into my A99 for the last 10 years with absolutely no RFI/TVI issues but getting into my computer speakers at max output. That's my fault and not the antenna's (they're ungrounded), which I resolve by turning the crappy speakers off. Note that my shack computer/speakers are within inches of my equipment and the other computers/equipment in the house are unaffected.
Tune the A99 properly, stick it 60' or higher up in the air, and execute sound grounding practices....you'll find any interference issues to be operator and/or equipment related.
There well may be better ground planes available, but I consider the A99 to be the best buy where performance per dollar spent is concerned.
73.
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 18, 2009 21:28:22 GMT -5
I find negative comments about the A99 to be curious. I've run up to 1.5 KW into my A99 for the last 10 years with absolutely no RFI/TVI issues but getting into my computer speakers at max output. That's my fault and not the antenna's (they're ungrounded), which I resolve by turning the crappy speakers off. Note that my shack computer/speakers are within inches of my equipment and the other computers/equipment in the house are unaffected. Tune the A99 properly, stick it 60' or higher up in the air, and execute sound grounding practices....you'll find any interference issues to be operator and/or equipment related. There well may be better ground planes available, but I consider the A99 to be the best buy where performance per dollar spent is concerned. 73. I'm pretty sure that you're the exception rather than the rule WRT the A99's RFI issues. I suspect that your mounting height is probably helping you, as the higher up you go the less the near field energy can radiate into nearby houses. Guys who mount them just above roof, don't seem to fair as well. The other big problem with the A99 is that the design of the antenna (no radials) lends itself to poor decoupling which allows RF to ride on the shield of the coax and secondarily radiate. Some guys have had decent success in taming that beast by making a balun out of about 10 or so turns of coax around a 6" diameter piece of PVC pipe, and placing that at the base of the antenna. But usually it's easier to just put up a ground plane that has radials. The A99 is a good value for the money, and it's a lot more "stealthy" than a big Maco or other 5/8 th wave. It also lends itself well to tree mounting. Although IMHO, if I had to go the "stick" antenna route, I'd opt for the (I)Max-2000, which has a little more gain. |
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Post by Marc on Jun 18, 2009 21:37:47 GMT -5
I kind of liked the sigma 5/8 I once had. Did very well out here in this big hole in California.
Marc
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Post by radioreddz on Jun 19, 2009 23:20:55 GMT -5
you can't go wrong with either a Imax 2000 or a Maco V 5000. Imax a little cheaper can be had for $85.00 to $99.00 and a breeze to put up just screw the three sections to geather. Maco V58 or V5000 can be had for $100.00 to $130.00. little more in assembly and bulky to put up. but both are great talkers giving the edge to maybe the Maco but so little not worth mentioning. local and DX perfomance are great with the both.
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Post by zman on Jun 29, 2009 12:26:00 GMT -5
I love my old Avanti Sigma 5/8.
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Post by ak3383 on Sept 12, 2009 22:56:02 GMT -5
I really liked the Ster Duster I used to have, it was great for DX and simple to put up, nothing to adjust.
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Post by kingfish66 on Sept 26, 2009 0:17:28 GMT -5
I really liked the Ster Duster I used to have, it was great for DX and simple to put up, nothing to adjust. I noticed you said "used to have" my close friend was given starduster by a man and it was 30-40 years old. It out talks about every other antenna in town and seems to be solid core aluminum. I bought one of the new Workman M-400 stardusters made from hollow alum. tubing and it doesn't seem to come anywhere near the quality of the old one. My old buddy also acquired an old 1/4 wave (droopy drawers) ground plane that Lafeyette sold for a whopping $7.95 in 1971 and I have it up at my work-20 in the backwoods at a strip mine and it seems to work as well as the older starduster. |
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Post by troublemaker714 on Nov 6, 2009 0:08:11 GMT -5
The 1 10K is an awesome antenna. It's exremely well built and very much worth the money. You're only as good as your weakest link right. It'll be the last ground plane you'll ever need. I got mine used for a buck and a quarter.....73's
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Post by cbrown on Nov 6, 2009 10:10:56 GMT -5
I'll throw my vote in for the Interceptor 10K. Very strong, and it'll last a long time. Plus very tunable too.
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Post by ic751a on Nov 8, 2009 22:25:00 GMT -5
The best omnis made today are the I-10K, Mr.Coily, & several of Big Hair's omnis. Cost-wise the I-10K is the most affordable at ~$400 to your door, +/- $20
Of all the old-skool omnis which were made in the '60s-'80s the Penetrator was the best. Best construction, equal in performance to the Wilson Alpha V-5/8, Avanti Sigma5/8, Taylor Grandslammer, and probably the Wolf .64 (good luck finding one).
The construction and materials of the Hy-gain Penetrator were the best and still can be seen on many roof tops near the California coast where low take-off angle was very important in communicating with ships at, or over, the horizon.
Also, good luck finding one. I had 5 and have sold 3 in the past year for $200 each.
The .625 I-10K is much better built than the Maco and is about 22 1/2 feet tall compared to the Maco at 19' 8". Which do you think will outperform the other?
Just the radials of the Penetrator or I-10K weigh about what the entire Maco Alpha V-5/8 weighs.
You'll see at least an S-unit better performance on the I-10K over the Maco, and the Imax is in the middle but noisy in the wind due to the fiberglass corona effect.
I'd take the Maco in high noise areas, the Imax when I wanted better performance and little noise or wind exists, or the I-10K if I wanted it all.
The Antron99 is the worst of the worst. It works, that's about all I can say. I had 7 of them. Didn't buy them, they were given to me when operators wanted to step up. I mostly traded or gave them away. Noisy, harmonically lively, and ~3 S-units down from the I-10K.
I'd refrain from considering Sirio unless I enjoyed rebuilding my antenna every seventh Tuesday...
Hope to hear you on the winds of DX
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