| Author |
Message |
    
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 10
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 04, 2005 - 7:30 pm: | 
|
Well I decided to make the best out of it. The antenna that is. So I took the second tapered section from an old archer 5/8, just larger than the 1st section of the Maco V5/8 but with a tapered end, and used it for my 1st section on the Maco following with the Maco's 1st section and Maco's rest to the top. A stainess clamp was place around the base to help with the stress.
Then I made a rain guard from a Moutian Dew bottle to cover the joint between the the base and 1st radiant section. Also I used the Moutian Dew cap as a rain quard over the exposed top part of the coax connector.
I replaced the joint hose clamps with stainless screws.
Then I retuned the antenna. I don't know why but it tuned 1 foot longer than previously. It now has a overall length of 252" from the previously 240" as recommended by the manual for 27 mhz.
The swr is perfect on channel 20. It goes to 1/2 of .1 on channel 40 and 3/4 of .1 on channel 1. I haven't talked to my regulars yet but jumping down on channel 19 I got quickly good reports from several truckers. It seems to be tuned correcty. I even adjusted it short then longer as required to make sure it was correct.
It blows less in the wind now. Cut the movement in half it seems. Can't wait till the pm to see if there is any gain recognized from the local cb'ers. Wouldn't be suprised.
Dan |
Road_warrior
Intermediate Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 448
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 9:40 am: |
|
COOL DEAL... Good luck with the changes
you made./ Doesn't matter what you do
as long as it works.
JIM/ PA/ CEF 375 |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 11
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 10:05 am: |
|
FYI,
Well the receive is up 1 1/2 S units. I couldn't hardly believe it. I am still checking on the transmit. But I have no doubt that it is up as well. This is the first tuning ring that I have worked with. Don't have a clue on why it did what it did but now it is impressive!
Dan |
Marconi
Intermediate Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 419
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 10:48 am: |
|
Strange, I always thought that if you increased the diameter of the element it would likely reduce the length at the same frequency. How did you get the larger tube to fit into the base of the V5/8? Or did I figure wrong and the new Archer piece went over the Maco's base? If that is so, what happened with the capacitor in the base of the Maco?
I like that Mountain Dew business also. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 12
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2005 - 4:06 pm: |
|
Marconi,
The Archer tube was tapered and fit almost perfect into the base. I had to ream the plastic just a tiny bit so the two joined nicely. I think the plastic sleave inside the base is used as a capacitor. The Archer tube was aprox. 1/2" to 3/4" shorter inside the base.
Yes, the Moutain Dew looks cool from the road. It is aprox. 2 3/4" long with a hole that snuggly fits over the 1st section at the bottom joint with a little silicon for a seal. Right below this rain guard is where I put the outside clamp. Would hate for the base to split out. This antenna moves very little with the wind. Seems to have a lot of stress at the base.
By the way, this morning I talked to a mobile 4 1/2 miles futher (going away) than normal and could still hear them when they signed off. I think that I got lucky with this one!
By the way I started 4' longer than where I wound up just to see if the antenna would tune out longer. It didn't like that at all.
Dan |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 06, 2005 - 10:47 pm: |
|
FYI, Just a update. This antenna now has a receive that is almost unbelievable. It can hear my barefoot mobile 24 air miles away with a little to spare. On the transmit side my base with this antenna, 4 watts input, can talk to my barefoot mobile 24 air miles away with a little to spare. Didn't know that was a posibility. This changes my entire thinking about good ears.
It rained for several hours today and the swr didn't change any that I could tell. During heavy rain I had what I would call slight rain noise. It was about 1/2 what it was before I put the Moutian Dew bottle on it. It amounted to about 2S units of static poping noise.
All I can say about it is much better!
Dan |
Road_warrior
Intermediate Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 457
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 07, 2005 - 10:31 am: |
|
Just like Hulk Hogan after trashing
his opponent (cupping hand around his
ear) let me hear ya.
Glad you got things worked out!
JIM/ PA/ CEF 375 |
Marconi
Intermediate Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 421
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, April 07, 2005 - 12:58 pm: |
|
Hey Danusee, what may be remarkable here is the fact that your barefoot mobile can hear and get back to your base. Now if you look at it that way, what does it say about your little old mobile antenna at ground level, your base antenna, and your expectations?
Now maybe that doesn't mean that your base is at its range limit like your mobile may be, but it does tell me that your expectations were low. Maybe that says something about the real limitations you had with your old antenna that was attached to the side of your tower. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 16
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 07, 2005 - 2:10 pm: |
|
Marconi, Just thought that I would add that my mobile is a Cobra 25 and the antenna is a Wilson 1000 magnetic mounted on the car roof. A old cb'er down the road gave up his steal whip and now has a Wilson 1000 centered his Toyota pickup after seeing what it did.
I am putting a Wilson 2000 Trucker antenna on my son's pickup this evening. Can't get enough. Strange obsession.
Dan |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 17
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 10:56 pm: |
|
Well after a couple weeks just thought I would let you know how its doing. I can't get over the receive this antenna has. After the mod. it went up! It is hard to imagine a Maco V58 with a receive increase of at least 1 S unit over stock but it is doing it! A cb'er down the road came over to see and said that it is mighty close to the receive of his Moonraker 4 but costs a whole lot less.
The transmit is good. It seemed not so good before the mod. Almost like it wanted to do everything but transmit over the horizon. Now it does it with ease.
The Wilson 2000 I was to put on my son's pickup decided to be a swr pain. So I went with a Wilson 1000 and the little GPK for it. The SWR went to almost nothing right away. I talked to him 22 air miles while he was in the Wal-mart parking lot. Not bad.
Last weekend I helped put up a tower. The feedpoint was just a little over 40' and the antenna was a Antron 99 with GPK. On the way home I noticed it held at least a 9 S unit a very long way from their house. All I can say is that the Antron was very impressive. That makes two in the area now with the GPK. I have seen enough to know what works very well vrs. what people says should work well and / or better.
Dan
|
