| Author |
Message |
    
Swamper
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 9:02 pm: | 
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im going to get an i max 2000 in a few days.right now im using an antron 99. will i notice any difference?..should i get the ground plain kit?thanks. |
dale
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 1:23 pm: |
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yes i did notice a difference first most ovious is the new mounting setup alot easier not that the a99 was ever hard. second locally improvements were little i did a radio check with a local 10 miles away roughly and i gave him 2more s-units on his meter and he gave me 2 more s-units as well farther out was the most improvements noticed as far as the gpk i dont know im thinking about getting one |
Stepchild
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 1:19 am: |
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Dale,What is the gain on the I-max2000?A-99 is 9.9db. |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 4:47 am: |
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Stepchile the gain of the a-99 is 2db MABY over a isotropic. As for 2 s units over the a-99 that would be 12 db a inpossable figure. The real gain probley would be 1-2 db at best ( 1/6 to 1/3 s unit). Sounds like either he had a bad a-99 and a very good i-max or a very loose s-meter or all the above.The MAX gain for a 5/8 wave over isotropic is about 3 DB and as for the GPK i cant see how it would do anything other that decouple the coax helping some with TVI. Gain comes from compressing the antenna pateren and there is only so much you can do that with a given antenna size.
Bruce |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 8:51 am: |
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Hey Bruce,
check this out. I posted this reply elswhere on the forum. Now don't shoot me here, I only posted what I quoted from the ownwers manuals I have in my possesion. I figured you may get a kick out of it (but don't let it raise your blood pressure). Good old advertising huh?
Here is what is straight from THEIR supplied owners manual:
Solarcon IMAX 2000 - "dBI Gain - 5.1, Tested at 1 to 2 dBI higher than the best of our competitors".
Same book but Solarcon IMAX99 - "dBI gain - 8.2"
Radio Shack 10M Ham/CB Base Antenna - "Half Wave Gain - 9.9 dBI".
I'm not arguing with you about the figures, but with these printed in black and white, I can see where people can easily get confused (or is that deceived?). Maybe that's the point huh?
Alsworld |
Snapperhead
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 9:00 am: |
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Hey ther Swamper, My friend did a switch over on the air with me and a couple of other locals. He was about 5 miles away, other stations were scattered around 20 to 10 miles apart...With Antron 99 with out skip kit, he was hitting me around 9 over 7. Did the switch to the I-max 2000 with out gpk kit. and did a dramitic improvement to about 2 to 3 S units and brought modulation right up there with it.....Excellent antenna for the price...I run one myself with my RCI-2995DX. My I-max does have the GPK-skip kit and it's up about 60 feet to the tip talked all over with it...a couple of weeks ago, we had over 100mph winds here in Northern Nevada and it was still standed.....just wanted to share my comparison with you.........73's |
Tech833
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 11:56 am: |
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Bruce, you are not taking into account the takeoff angle, mounting height, location, etc. 2 S-units increase 10 miles away can certainly be credited to a lower takeoff angle or more desirable location. |
Stepchild
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 2:16 pm: |
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Thanks Bruce,The ad for the A-99 on the base antenna page at copper said "gain 9.9"so that must be something completly diffrent.What would you suggest,is the performance of the I-Max worth the extra $32.00? |
Kb5lpa
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 2:18 pm: |
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Go to Google search. Type in Imax 2000 cb antenna. There will be an article...the Imax 2000 Exposed. Read it. There will be a link to Ground Plane added. Read that too. You will get a good idea about what you are asking. These articles are very good about gain figures . A 5/8 wave will be a more effecient antenna over a 1/2 wave. However, your application will determine what antenna will do the best job for you.
73 de KB5LPA
Forum Master Note : The "Imax 2000 Exposed" and the "A99 Exposed" plus the "Imax 2000 Ground Plane Kit Reviewed" were all written by our very own Tech833. You don't have to search around the internet to read these articles you can find them right here under the Subscriber(Preview) section. |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 6:25 pm: |
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I UNDERSTAND that takeoff angle ect can efect the "GAIN" how ever if there is 12 DBD between thoes antennas that tells you something is VERY wrong. So what im saying is if the A-99 is 12 DB WORSE that the I-MAX it has to be radiating almost strate up a VERY badly designed antenna. and if so how could it have 9.9 db gain now if THAT was true then the i-max has 21 db of gain ( 6 db per s unit * 2) SO if the 2 antennas were mounted at 60 foot and you can measure 12 DB change why bother with a quad stacked 11 elm beam which also has 20 dbd gain??? Just put up a i-max and you 4 watts is now 400. I know what your saying 833 but i find it near impossable that that kind of gain can be measured i would realy like to see the 2 done on a range i have no doubt the i-max will win but not by ANY numbers even close to that.
Bruce |
Swamper
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 8:43 pm: |
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well i think all this db gain is bull.I have been searching the net and every web site i go to says different db gain except for the i max 2000, it always says its 5.1 db gain.how can the i max 99 be 9.8 db gain the i max 2000 is a better antenna.oh well im going to get the i max 2000.i guess db gain is just something used to sell an antenna and not true.oh well. |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 9:23 pm: |
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Swamper and others go look at a 1/2 and 5/8 wave sold to hams and see how many clame over 4 db????
This antenna is several 5/8 wave STACKED and it clames 7 a more reaistic figure.
http://www.cushcraft.com/amateur/details.asp?catid=76 |
