Post by oldgeezer on May 3, 2024 11:33:51 GMT -5
The Yagi beam antenna is far superior to the $100 vertical antennas for two reasons. First your signal will be much greater on the receive side. Second many use a CB amplifier and detection by the FCC is greatly reduced using a beam antenna. It would not matter using a vertical antenna at say 150 watts peak out, but higher power CB amps may be detected by the FCC. The FCC has three main monitoring stations with one in southern FL, one in CA and other in NY used for triangulation (finding your location). The FCC may follow up on numerous complaints or interference with public service radio communications, but unlikely looking for illegal high power CB stations. However, it is better to be stealth using a beam antenna. The beam antenna does not have much signal on the sides and back thus the FCC does not get a powerful signal like when using a vertical antenna with a high power CB amplifier.
The issue is the much higher cost having a beam antenna. Beam antennas need a structure to elevate the antenna and an antenna rotor. Used antenna rotors are very expensive for unknown reasons from greedy Hams. You can buy new for price of 40 year old 10 square feet wind load rotors. The cheapest antenna rotor is the RCA VH226E at $100 to $120. But it is rated at 2 square feet wind load. It may hold up on a 3 element 10 meter beam but is on the light duty side. The best rotor is the Yaesu G-450 series. It is lowest cost for $299 at R&L Electronics. It is rated 10 square feet wind load when mounted inside a tower and 5 square feet on a pipe. It requires the optional bottom pipe mount for $40 for the pipe mount.
A tower can be a big expense and you have to climb the tower to install the antenna unless it is an even more expensive tilt base. I recommend using two ten foot sections of 1.5 inch EMT electrical conduit with a 1.25 inch hardwood dowel inside available at Home Depot for about $80. EMT can kink but the wood dowel prevents this adding up to a very strong support. 20 feet above the ground is high enough for CB use. Support the mast at the house roof area or you can guy the pipe mast.
Beam antennas can be very expensive like the Cushcraft 10 at $800. But Sirio sells same 3 element antenna for about $160 shipped to USA. Although Sirio is an Italian company, they stock antennas in CA. I would pay $187 for the Sirio four element beam as it produces twice the power out vs a three element antenna. 1000 watts in produces 6000 watts out using a four element. Even a 200 watt peak out CB amp is powerful using four elements produces 1250 watts out. It has about same signal strength vs a 1KW peak out amp using a vertical antenna. Buying a 200 watt peak out CB amp is as cheap as $150 on eBay. Re-tubing a 200 watts peak CB amp with two new 6LQ6/6ME6 is $60 at vacuumtubes.net. If you have a smaller driver tube, about $15.
The issue is the much higher cost having a beam antenna. Beam antennas need a structure to elevate the antenna and an antenna rotor. Used antenna rotors are very expensive for unknown reasons from greedy Hams. You can buy new for price of 40 year old 10 square feet wind load rotors. The cheapest antenna rotor is the RCA VH226E at $100 to $120. But it is rated at 2 square feet wind load. It may hold up on a 3 element 10 meter beam but is on the light duty side. The best rotor is the Yaesu G-450 series. It is lowest cost for $299 at R&L Electronics. It is rated 10 square feet wind load when mounted inside a tower and 5 square feet on a pipe. It requires the optional bottom pipe mount for $40 for the pipe mount.
A tower can be a big expense and you have to climb the tower to install the antenna unless it is an even more expensive tilt base. I recommend using two ten foot sections of 1.5 inch EMT electrical conduit with a 1.25 inch hardwood dowel inside available at Home Depot for about $80. EMT can kink but the wood dowel prevents this adding up to a very strong support. 20 feet above the ground is high enough for CB use. Support the mast at the house roof area or you can guy the pipe mast.
Beam antennas can be very expensive like the Cushcraft 10 at $800. But Sirio sells same 3 element antenna for about $160 shipped to USA. Although Sirio is an Italian company, they stock antennas in CA. I would pay $187 for the Sirio four element beam as it produces twice the power out vs a three element antenna. 1000 watts in produces 6000 watts out using a four element. Even a 200 watt peak out CB amp is powerful using four elements produces 1250 watts out. It has about same signal strength vs a 1KW peak out amp using a vertical antenna. Buying a 200 watt peak out CB amp is as cheap as $150 on eBay. Re-tubing a 200 watts peak CB amp with two new 6LQ6/6ME6 is $60 at vacuumtubes.net. If you have a smaller driver tube, about $15.
