| Author |
Message |
    
Bluegrass
New member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 11:38 am: | 
|
i'm thinking about getting a maco y-quad and i wanted to know how well it performs and can it be mounted on a length of aluminum chain link fence post thats clamped to another chain link fence post thats part of a chain link fence.i know it sounds crazy but i can't afford a tower nor do i have the space for it so an aluminum fence post is pretty much my only option.what can i do? 73' Bluegrass KCD-40219 Louisville,KY. |
Patzerozero
Intermediate Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 246
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 5:30 pm: |
|
i was using a big stick before i got my Y-quad, performance increase was substantial. when it came down, i replaced it with a homemade 3 element quad. months later, wilson added the comet to their lineup. my Y-quad bent the rohn pushup pole just under the guy ring in a blizzard in '79, and my maco V5/8 bent chain links' top rail used as a mast numerous times. my maco is on black plumbing pipe now. compare wall thickness and OD of fence post vs 3" black plumbers pipe. i'd try whichever is thickest. get nylon guys as close to bottom of director element without touching it as you can. nothings perfect so...good luck.
and as they say, if it didn't fall down, it wasn't big enough! |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 11
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2004 - 4:26 pm: |
|
well theres a problem i don't have any room for any guy wires just a pole and antenna. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4220
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 12:50 am: |
|
Bluegrass,
Unless your Fence post is 7' high the Y-Quad Verticle Elements will be touching the Ground.
Each Verticle element is 72" / 6' long which equals 12 feet from tip to tip of the elements.
And I would hate to even thing of the RF being thrown out at Ground Level.
If you are living in a house use mast pipe to get it up in the air or a Roof Mount Tri-pod.
The Y-Quad is not a good idea if you cannot get it up to 36'.
Then you will need a Rotor and Rotor Control Box along with Rotor Cable and a Switch Box and also Double the amount of Coax as you will need TWO Lengths to run to the Horizontal and Verticle Gamma Matches.
My suggestion would be to get an IMAX and get it as high as you possible can.
Or something like the Top One Antenna below,
S80-00010 Top One Ground Plane Antenna
$ 49.99
Top One Ground Plane Antenna
Similar to the old Astro Plane antenna
10 Meter 26-30Mhz
2000 watt max power
Easy Assembly
Height : 11.5'
Top Radiation - This design results in increased range, fewer dead spots. This is especially important where installed height is limited. Radiates approximately 15' higher than most antennas which radiate at the bottom.
Lower Angle of Radiation - Your signal hugs the curvature of the earth instead of shooting your power up into the sky, which means greater distance than an ordinary omni-directional antenna.
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 10:00 am: |
|
i have an i-max99 but i want a beam for dx work.my plan is to get a 30 foot long aluminum pipe and a 4 foot long aluminum pipe slightley larger in dia. then the 30 ft pipe. the 4 ft one would be at the bottom with the 30 ft pipe inside it.i would clamp the 4 ft pipe to the post on the chin link fence and that would leave the 30 ft pipe with the antenna mounted to it free to be turned by hand witch is also a must because i can't afford a roter.the top of the 4 ft pipe would be just below the top of the fence post so i can put a clamp on to keep the mast from being turned by the wind.so would it work? |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1842
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 11:42 am: |
|
Bluegrass, I'm sending you an e-mail which might help |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 12:10 pm: |
|
thanks bruce but if i'm going to get a beam it's going to be a real beam not some makeshift thing with two ground plane antennas. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4245
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 1:31 pm: |
|
Bluegrass,
If you are going to get a Real Beam get a QUAD. 
But remember unless you can get the Beams / or Omni Up to or Above 36' you will not be getting 100% performance from the antenna.
In 40+ years of being in radio I have found that 95% or more of the people that are unhappy with any antenna is because they do not have their radios/equipment and /or their Antennas properly installed.
Then they tend to say this Antenna dosent work or it's junk.
Antennas Fault? NO
Person installing Antennas Fault? YES
Read Tech833's Reviews and Articles on Antennas her in the Forum and you will be able to install your antenna correctly.
When it comes to installing Antennas do it right the first time and you will enjoy years of good reliable performance.
Just my nickels worth,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
|
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1847
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 08, 2004 - 1:32 pm: |
|
Bluegrass
Phasing of antennas is not makeshift. Your local AM radio station most likely uses it. The most common CB use is the superscanner antenna. Now as to real beams nothing wrong with a V quad you'll get about 5 db of gain about the same as the 2 phased vertical antennas would give you. |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 29
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 09, 2004 - 3:44 pm: |
|
ok so the v-quad is a nice antenna but what about the y-quad?is it better? |
Kid_vicious
Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 68
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 09, 2004 - 11:23 pm: |
|
they are about the same, ratingwise. i think the v quad is a little more low profile.
sounds to me like you have champagne tastes and a beer budget. LOL just kidding.
now, as far as your mounting scheme goes, how well is that fence mounted to the ground? if its the typical 1 foot in diameter and 1 foot deep chunk of concrete, then your antenna will rip that fence right out of the ground. and 30 ft. of pole with no guy wires? dude, your antenna will be flopping around like a 102" whip going down the freeway. think about the ammount of leverage that is being applied to the top of that pole. i really think you will be sorry if you attempt this install. and you could hurt someone if and when it falls over. by the way, dont think that the fence is providing you with any type of ground plane. that fence is covered with a zinc oxide coating which is not very conductive at best, and the touching of the links is not a good electrical ground. sorry, but i agree with lon, get a top one antenna and mount it 10 to 15 feet above the house. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4262
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 09, 2004 - 11:40 pm: |
|
Bluegrass,
Click on the link below for MORE information on ALL of the Maco line of antennas and it will give / show you a comparison / features / specs of each.
http://www.majestic-comm.com/profile.htm
When you get to the web site CLICK on Antennas
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Gonzo
Intermediate Member
Username: Gonzo
Post Number: 135
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 7:46 am: |
|
"But remember unless you can get the Beams / or Omni Up to or Above 36' you will not be getting 100% performance from the antenna.
In 40+ years of being in radio I have found that 95% or more of the people that are unhappy with any antenna is because they do not have their radios/equipment and /or their Antennas properly installed.Then they tend to say this Antenna dosent work or it's junk.
Antennas Fault? NO "
I agree 100% with the above.
I didn't have alot of enthusiasm for the V-quad when I tested it. Definitely not any more gain than a super scanner or a 2 element beam as Bruce said. And a general pain in the butt and flimsy to boot. |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 30
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 2:12 pm: |
|
well i have an I-MAX99 omni ant. and it's mounted on two sections of fence post about 15 or 16 feet above the ground and i am planing to get a klv-400 amp and put another 10 foot section on to the mast to bring the hight up to about 23 feet at the top of the mast and 41 feet at the top of the antenna.do you think that will give more range and i won't need a beam. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4269
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 2:26 pm: |
|
Bluegrass,
The tip of the 99 and IMAX's means Nothing.
Please read Tech833's reviews on the 99 and Imax antennas and his other articles.
You need to get the BOTTOM / LOAD of the antenna as close to 36' as possible.
With the base of your antenna only being at 23' I would not recommend using any amplifier with it unless you can get an SWR of around 1.1 to 1.2 On channles 1 - 20 and 40.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
|
Kid_vicious
Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 70
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 7:47 pm: |
|
hey bluegrass, could you give us a more detailed description of your mounting location? like, how close to a house or other structure is the fence? do you live right on top of your neighbors? i might have some ideas for you but i need to know more about the site. |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 35
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 2:15 pm: |
|
ok kid my antenna is about 4 feet from the side of our house right at the north west corner(the front of our house faces north east)paralell to the driveway and about 20 feet from the house next door.our home is a one story brick house about 20-25ft.long and about 50-60ft.wide the fence post where the mast is mounted is right next to the driveway. the area is a typical suburban nighborhood but we are in one of the the highest areas of louisville in fact the city about 6 miles north of us is a valley compaired to where we are but there is a lot of houses and trees and junk between me and the city but i can get out to fort knox ky,taylorsville ky,shepardsville ky,brandenburg ky. and new albany in. just fine but i want to talk dx.so i hope this helps.73' and happy holidays from Bluegrass KCD-40219/CEF#446 |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 1859
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 3:52 pm: |
|
Bluegrass I was stationed at Fort Knox from 68-70.
I ran CB as well as ham from the base and if your doing that well your doing fine. I can remember going up 31W from the post and there was a radio shack south of Louisville and that was as far as I could be heard from the post. Kentucky is not flat like here and hills are not good news to a cb signal. |
Kid_vicious
Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 74
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 9:53 pm: |
|
bluegrass, i just dont think you have the space or mounting options to make a beam worth your while. if it were my house, heres what i would do. go to rad shack, or home depot and get four 10ft. antenna masts. buy the ring that attatches to the mast so you can attatch guy wires. get an eve mount and affix it to the facia board of the house at the highest point possible. i would put it right at the center of that side of the house. put two of the mast sections together and mount the ring right above the joint. use guy wire clamps to attatch three lengths of guy wire to the ring in a triangle.stand the masts up straight and attach to the eve mount, but dont tighten it all the way, leave enough room to slide the masts up and down. assemble your imax99 and lean it against the house next to the mast. bring your coax up onto the roof with you, pull up the antenna and mount it to the top of the mast. if you cant reach this high, use only one section of mast and dont mount the guy ring yet. attatch your coax to the antenna and tune it. now go to the ground and push up the mast enough to get another section under it. sink the bottom of the final mast section into the ground 2 feet or 4 if possible. tighten the eve mount. now go out diagonally from the guy ring to either side of your chain link fence and mount the guy wires with turnbuckles. take the remaining guy wire and mount it straight out to the other side of the house. now you should have a 36' to 38' mast with guy wires 10 feet down from the top, attatched to the fence at two points and to the house at one point forming a triangle. i would attatch an 8' ground rod to the bottom of the mast with a 2ga. battery cable.
remember that talking dx has a lot to do with the conditions and when the sun goes down your going to be limited to line of sight communications. i dont think a beam is the answer for you; amybe you just need to be on the air a little earlier in the day.
hope this helps
matt |
Bluegrass
Junior Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 36
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 13, 2004 - 2:33 pm: |
|
thats too much for me and kid by the way night is the best time for dxing because at night the d and e layers of the ionosphere witch absorbe radio signals are not active due to low solar radation witch leaves just the f layer witch refracts radio signals.for now i think i'm just going to stick with putting another 10 foot section on the mast i'm using now.but a cb'er here in town said he would sell me two 10 foot center tower sections and a 10 foot top section all in good condition for $60.00.so if i get them i'll get a fold over bottom section so i can assemble it on the ground and just walk it up then i'll put it in about a cubic yard of concrete and use an eve bracket instead of guy wires.oh and i won't be putting a beam on it just my i-max99 and an mfj 10 band omni ham antenna. |
