| Author |
Message |
    
Buck
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 8:38 am: | 
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Im just about ready to buy a new antenna. I have heard alot of good things about the I2k but I was wondering about the army big stick. Has any one ever used one of these? My last antenna was a Super big stick and it lasted over 15 yrs. I would like to stick with a fiberglass antenna but I was curious if there was anything I could do to a new antenna to prevent weather rot...clear coat, paint, ect. How will this affect performance?
Thank you |
Wm Pokora
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 9:09 am: |
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Hi I painted and clear coated mime.(Imax) It works great!! No change in performace & its hard to see!. |
Wm Pokora
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 9:23 am: |
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I had and big stick i always had alittle high SWR. @1 !.3 @40 !.4. The Imax out of the box was flat. with help the SWR. are 1.3 And it gets out better too( that what they tell me) |
Highlander
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 12:28 pm: |
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From what I have seen, the Shakespeare might be a little bit stronger construction-wise, but my Imax2000 has seen some really high winds, and bends over almost horizontal without breaking. I would think that the performance would be equal between the two. They are both good products, IMO. |
Tech833
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 12:33 pm: |
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Hello Buck.
The Shakespeare ABS is a good antenna (review coming soon). The Imax is also a good antenna, but will need some extra guying if you live in a windy area.
As far as prolonging the fiberglass lifespan, I have had good luck with using auto primer as a protective coat to keep the sun off of it.
Since the fiberglass has some residue on it, you first have to wipe the antenna down with some acetone or something similar that can cut oils. Then, spray a light coat of auto primer and let dry. I usually use about 3 coats before installation.
One fiberglass antenna I installed several years ago was just removed from service and the primer stripped off. The fiberglass still looked like new underneath!
As for performance, the velocity factor of the fiberglass shell will change very slightly. You should not notice any difference at all, and if there is, it will be easy to re-tune on the Imax. |
Taz
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 12:57 pm: |
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Sure buck, put a nice coat of spray paint on it. Clear coat would work. I feel that the Imax will outperform the big stick. |
Marconi
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 2:01 pm: |
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Buck, the Shakespere products are probably more durable than the Solarcon's line, but from the reports I hear, the A99/Imax probably are better performers.
If you can put some good clear coat or gel coat on them, it would probably help protect and should not cause any problems. Just take it down every year or two and redo the coating. They can be repaired easily and unless they break, they should last for years. I have one that is over 15 years old and still works just fine.
Some of the Solarcon's seem to act bad with TVI but that does not affect the way they work as best I can tell. If that might be a problem in your area, you might have to try a few to find one that does not act that way.
Marconi |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 3:17 pm: |
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Buy the one with uv stop blended in the jell coat,copper used to sell an ant. that looked like an a-99 without tuning rings that was uv protected.A pro-810e,50watt grey;this combo. could tx/rx day/night 100 mi.The radio and amp are gone but he has a small flag on it,it's 15yrs. and still wavin. |
Taz
| | Posted on Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 4:26 pm: |
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Ive had my imax up for 5 years. |
bullet
| | Posted on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 12:36 pm: |
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imax is what i would go with. |
Taz
| | Posted on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 10:28 pm: |
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Me too |
Magnum410
| | Posted on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 10:39 pm: |
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Imax2000 ROCKS!!! (for an omni) |
dale
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 2:27 pm: |
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imax the only way to go |
Taz
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 12:13 am: |
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No doubt |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 8:14 pm: |
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OK now it is my turn, the Big Stick by Shakespear, I purchased mine in 1975 I believe, it is a two piece each section is 9 feet, I have only had this antenna and may I say that is gives me good proformance and low SWR's, If in time I ever need another antenna, I feel it again will be the 5/8 wave Big Stick, I do realize there must be better antenna out there, but since I have had this horse all this time and it continues to sound good, I will ride with it.
TAZ IMAX HMMMMMMMMMM |
Taz
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 2:18 am: |
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good for you. You know they advertise the shakespeare to be built to military specs?
They make diapers to military specs. |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 9:23 am: |
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TAZ How do you know about diapers ????
Smart BUTT |
bruce
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 9:49 am: |
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HA HA HA he's YOUNG enouth to remember them ....Not like us old guys ....
That's ok taz one day you'll get to my point in life where Old age and trethery are used to overcome youth and skill ! |
Marconi
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 12:10 pm: |
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Hey Taz, I didn't know that Solarcon made diapers?
Shakespeare does not build the ABS-1600 or the 2010 to military specs, they only claim that these antennas meet or exceed MIL-STD-810. Go see: Military Standard 810 for details. These are environmental specs having to do with safety and durability. I believe that Shakespeare antennas are much better with regard to durability. I am not sure about the performance, but they are all probably real close.
The antennas that SP sells to the military are top secret. If Shakespeare told us anything about them, on the internet, the Government would have to do away with us all.
Karatebutcher, I believe the old Big Stick and Super BS's were simple 1/2 vertical dipoles. I recall that inside the bottom section of an old broken BS was just a piece of coax going up to an insulated hub at the top of the first section where the stinger screwed in. I asked Tech833 to confirm this in another post somewhere on this forum if he knows.
I am not real sure exactly what is inside the the 1600 or the newer 2010, but I believe it may be closer to the end fed 1/2 & 5/8 wave Solarcon antennas. Tech833 has promised us a tech report on the 2010, so I guess we will all find out then, what is inside and how they work compared to the Imax and Interceptor 10K.
Marconi |
Tech833
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 12:50 pm: |
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The old Shakespeare Big Stick was a 1/2 wave sleeve dipole.
The bottom section was two tubes inside each other. The inner tube contained the coax from the base of the antenna all the way to the joint where the two sections screwed together. A small capacitive coupling network was located at the joint which fed the upper element. The outside of the inner tube had wires wrapped around it looking similar to the coax braid pattern. This created an outer 'sleeve' to decouple the RF from the coax shield and to perform the duty of acting like the sleeve counterpoise and lower half of the dipole. Then, this shielded tube was slid inside the outer tube which formed the lower fiberglass section of the antenna.
The 'Big Stick' was made for several different frequency bands all the way up to 80 MHz. Cellwave still makes an antenna exactly like the Big Stick, but the lowest frequency you can get one on is 30 MHz.
I don't know why Shakespeare discontinued this antenna for the CB market (I have not had contact with this company since around 1992). The Big Stick was a true 1/2 wave dipole and a solid performer on any of the frequencies it was built for. |
Karatebutcher
| | Posted on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 1:42 pm: |
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Ok this is good to hear thank you for the comments on the Big Stick, I have had it a long time, and as I have reported before, I get good reports from Flordia , and New York. |
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