| Author |
Message |
    
Radiopat
New member
Username: Radiopat
Post Number: 9
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 5:23 am: | 
|
A friend of mine wants to put up a new antenna. However there is somewhat of a space problem. I'm wondering how much difference there would be to put up the newer version of the "Astro Plane" vs the Maco 5/8. I realize that the 5/8 is the way to go but due to space limitations will an Astro plane work almost as well as the Maco 5/8? Also, is there anyone using one with good results both local and dx. Thanks.
Patrick |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 2462
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 11:59 am: |
|
Radiopat,
Go to the Subscriber (Preview) area of the Forum here.
Then Click on: Articles,
The Click on: How to Choose a Ground Plane Antenna.
There you wiil see a GREAT Article that Tech833 wrote and also suggest's which Antenna will best suit your need's.
And should help answer your question's for you.
Hope this help's.
Lon
Tech808 |
Keithinatlanta
Intermediate Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 226
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 12:24 pm: |
|
Hey Lon, thanks for the response to him. I had forgot about that, and went there and read stuff, and just sent e mail to 833 on my super scanner. Thanks again.
Keith in Atlanta
CEF 150 |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 2463
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 12:46 pm: |
|
Glad to be of help Keith.
Lon
Tech808 |
Mikefromms
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 171
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 7:01 pm: |
|
Lack of space? Need to be low to the ground? I smell an astroplane in the mail. That antenna will smoke just 10'off the ground over open ground. If you can get high in the air, go with the Maco or Imax 2000.
mikefromms |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 708
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 3:26 pm: |
|
If you are lacking in round space, as in, you have a small footprint, but height is not a problem, then use the Imax 2000 or an Antron 99. Neither antenna requires any ground planes to work well.
If the limitation is vertical, as in, you cannot put up anything over 20', then tey the Top One (Astro plane copy). You will be impressed. |
Mikefromms
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 174
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 7:00 pm: |
|
Very impressed....
mikefromms |
Radiopat
Junior Member
Username: Radiopat
Post Number: 13
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 5:48 am: |
|
Hey gang,
Thanks for your advice. This a tough decision but we may go with the "Top One". Our problem here is with the "society police", meaning that the local neighbors hate antennas and we are looking for a low profile antenna, something that would perform close to a Maco 5/8 or Imax 2000. I don't know what the wave length of the Top One is (couldn't find it on the specs) but being that it's 11.5 feet it would seem close to a 1/4 wavelength, so I was making some comparasons. BTW, can an antenna be painted to keep the neighbors from noticing it without hurting it's performance?
Really appreciate the advice.
Patrick |
Mikefromms
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 176
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - 10:58 am: |
|
Patrick,
It's 11' tall and only 4' of that goes up above the pole. It installs easily once put together and it very wind resistant. Oh, and it is a 5/8 wave. Stick it up on a pole in the clear above bare earth. I got a wide bandwidth swr using a 50ft piece of RG-8 coax. Make sure it can radiate all around without obtacles around. Then it won't matter if the bottom ring on it is 5' off the ground. You might grow some kind of vine on it. I've even thought about getting another astroplane myself and setting it up in the yard with a vine growing on it to make it look like a vine stake. Anyway, if it's low to the ground that you must go, this antenna will perform at 5' like most others would at 30'. And I don't think I'm exaggerating at all. Oh, and it's an excellent short wave antenna.
Good luck in your decision.
mikefromms |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 712
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, May 28, 2004 - 10:00 am: |
|
When you are height limited, antenna gain means absolutely nothing anymore. The most important factor will be your takeoff angle.
If you have a high gain antenna (like the Imax 2000) and you mount it low to the ground, all that gain will be going UP instead of to the horizon where all the stations you are trying to reach are located. This will also harm your long range skywave (skip) performance. In this case, you want an antenna that will have a low takeoff angle when mounted low to the ground and also minimize ground absorption. That means you need to get the current node above the voltage node of the antenna. That is where the Top One excels.
A Top One at just 10 feet above ground will handily outperform an Imax 2000 at the same height. Anything over 10 feet off the ground will make no difference tot he Top One takeoff angle that you will notice. An Imax needs to be a minimum of 20 feet off the ground (at the base) in order to begin to work well. |
Aircop12
New member
Username: Aircop12
Post Number: 2
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 9:50 am: |
|
I purchased the Top One from Coppers and it COOKS. I installed it at a height of 15' above the roof and have talked to people as far away as New York, not to bad for a Omni. It was installed with 50' of mini 8, runs through a Dosy meter and then into the 2995DX. The SWR's are GREAT, the needle never moves more than a needles width on all channels. I would certainly give this antenna an A+++, and have already had four radio buddies to order the Top One. The best thing is that here in Florida this antenna really seems to be better than the A99 with the GP kit and the Fire-up tip that I ran before. |
