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Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 38
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2006 - 8:20 am: | 
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I just got thru putting S4 swinging 4 1/2 at 35 air miles to a station with another A99 with a 20' mast. I only had S3 on him for receive. Top Cat said "Lock it down".
My A99 is at 60' to top. SWR is about 1/2 to 3/4 of 1 between channel 1 and 40, with no gpk, a barefoot texas ranger 966 (reqular 40 ch ssb) and a d104.
The only reason I have tried the A99 is because of what I saw other operators do once they got theirs up above 1 wave length.
If I can get it to pick up 1 S unit more on receive.... Don't know if the GPK will pick it up that 1 S unit or not. Any ideas? |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 39
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 8:03 am: |
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For anyone interested. At 20 miles the receive and transmit is very good. At 35 miles the transmit is very good. The receive is down from a previous antenna used. Receive is marginal at 35 miles. (Can't hear the pin drop but it tries).
I am going to try a few things like steep sloped radials and maybe comming down the tower with wire @ 1/4 wave length using electric fence stand offs. I have been reading where the 90 degree radials on a 5/8 antenna hurts the performace over a 25 degree radial slope, same antenna. The artical didn't say what happens to a 1/2 wave antenna when radial degree is altered. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1176
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:27 pm: |
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I never noticed any difference in gain
adding a GPK to a A-99.
1 more S-unit on recieve:
Raise antenna up more or purchase a antenna
with 6db more gain is all i can think of. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 40
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 6:08 am: |
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I had about 9' extra coax so I cut it back and pick up just a tiny bit on receive. I had a distant station that I could just make out got better (but not much). Glad they was talking at 2AM. I am 1.5 inches short on the antenna. My top section was from a old antenna that had a top hat so I can put a screw in it and adjust.
I was reading where having radials is more efficent. It moves current from the mast to the radials since they are at 1/4 wave length.
Both are on my to do list. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1179
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 1:38 pm: |
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I have 2 A-99's here and have noticed
nothing to maybe a hair of gain using GPK.
But, they have other benefits which is
good to have them on anyhow.
Some people are bending them to 30 degrees when
using them on a Imax 2000. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 41
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 7:20 pm: |
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Well good news. After cutting 9' out of the coax and getting the swr a little closer I took some scrap aluminum tubing and made 2 radials and put them up at aprox. 25 degrees droop angle.
The receive is up from 3/4 S unit to almost a full unit. My friend at exactly 35 miles said the transmit was up also. He went from were you had to listen close to hear him to easy listening.
This A99 hears the pin drop now! Mighty SWEET!
For anyone who wants to know, I took aluminum rods flattened one end of both with a vise. Drilled holes for mounting. On the top u clamp on the A99 (to the mast) I place a radial on each post. Then after getting the angle and tighten with nuts and washers, where the two crossed I placed a screw joining the two to secure.
If anyone had told me a A99 would do what this one is doing I would not have believed it.
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Unit199
Intermediate Member
Username: Unit199
Post Number: 229
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 6:28 am: |
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I do not understand how picking up almost a quarter of a S-Unit would make enough difference to even be able to notice at all. The human hearing shouldn't even be able to notice any difference. Also the needle on meter might wiggle a hair and that would be awfully hard to even see.
HARVE |
Unit199
Intermediate Member
Username: Unit199
Post Number: 230
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 6:44 am: |
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I forgot to add this. If you cut 9ft out of coax and it changed your swr, the coax has become a part of your radiating system. You should check antenna and see if it is good, because changing coax length should not change swr. A ground-plane kit is strictly for TVI and not gain.
HARVE |
Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 552
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 8:10 pm: |
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Dan, do I understand that you have a regular GPK on the A99 that attaches right below the A99, and that you have added two more radial elements up at the top of the mounting bracket as well? So you have 4 radials on the added hub and two more up at the top of the metal part of this antenna, attached to the mounting bracket? |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 42
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 2:02 am: |
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Marconi, the A99 didn't have any radials to start with. I added 2 radials @ 180 degrees at about a 25 degree droop angle. The direction they were aimed the receive picked up 3/4 to almost 1 S unit. It seemed to free up the ears.
Just for giggles I took down the radials to try something else just to see what happens. I took 2 #4 bare copper wires @ 1/4 wave length and connected one to each side of the A99's top U bolt. I curved them out and down 2 sides of the tower with electric fence stand offs (zip tied).
I got a pick up of 1/2 S unit in the receive and transmit over the A99 without any radials. I can't explain it but at 20 miles the transmit seems to like the copper wire the best and at 35 miles the sloped radial.
Any antenna should like a radial at 1/4 wave length for a better current flow rather than a untuned tower.
Take off angles, radial slopes and vertical wave lengths, for me, is best tried rather than figured.
What I do know is the A99 with a metal top and radials at a height of 60' is impressive.
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Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 43
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 9:07 am: |
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You are not going to believe this. I heard 3 cb'r talking, getting about 1 1/2 to 2 s units on them. I got a location and found it on the map. He was aprox. 63 air miles.
The comments I got was a few choice words and a " I wish that I had a A99 and a barefoot mobile radio (used as a base) that would do that".
The above was with the copper wire setup. I was going to add one more radial but the side that I just talked to was the side that didn't have one. I don't know the overall increase because I never had a plain A99 up @ 60' to the top prior to the other mods.
To sum it up.... SWEET MOMMA!
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Moonraker
Intermediate Member
Username: Moonraker
Post Number: 138
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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Im not knockin' your set up, but I've talked 70 - 80 air miles with a stock A99 (about 40 ft.) w/no ground planes and a bare-foot radio. Could this just be good conditions? |
Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 554
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 11:21 pm: |
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Hey moonraker does that mean that if you had an Imax that you could have talked maybe 120-150 miles or further just by switching? Aren't those Imaxes that much better with S2-S4 better signals?
Of course mother nature always rules. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1193
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 11:44 am: |
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Moonraker it all depends on your location
and how many obstructions you have in the
way compared to someone else also, besides
conditions and good old mother nature.
I would of liked to hear that Danusee tried
the original A-99 (fiberglass top) first
before his present set-up to really see if
it made a true difference.
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Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 555
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 12:41 pm: |
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He RW, I think I asked Danusee the same question, but for some reason I don't see it in this thread. Maybe it has not been posted yet. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 44
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 8:26 pm: |
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RW and Marconi,
I didn't try the fiberglass top at the 60' height. Just went straight to aluminum rods. It kicked at 20 miles.
I seen an increase with the radials as I tried them with and without at 60'.
I used a weak station at 35 miles to measure by. To start I could barely hear him. Then when I added the radials he came clear. That was just the pick up I was looking for.
From what I hear it would be a easy thing to screw on a 102" steal whip and cut it to length.
The way I see it if you have a metal top you only have 2/3 noisy fiberglass left at the bottom. Also adding 1/4 wave radials moves the current flow from the untune tower to the radials which the antenna will like a whole lot better.
If I was doing 70 or 80 miles with a plain A99 and a barefoot radio like some said they are doing I would be quite happy but wondering if I could get it to do 100. (HEE HEE) |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 45
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 4:33 pm: |
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The saga continues. I took a Maco V58 Gpk, heated and bent the radial post down to a steep slope. Attached radials with stainless hardware and put it up today on the A99 with the metal top section. It kinda looks like a long Skylab 233. Also I reset the Swr. I got the tuning ring almost center this time. Don't know what I did wrong the first time. I haven't tried it yet. Need to wait till this evening to talk to the ususal cb'rs. |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 46
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 8:29 pm: |
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Fyi,
Latest radials picked receive up the width of a needle up to 20 miles. (This over the wire type that was previously used which had already shown an improvement from no radials). Again I used a weak station and was able to determine the improvement.
I have not be able to determine a increase futher out. Need to catch a few others on the air.
Just to pick up that one station was worth the effort. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1196
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 10:07 pm: |
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Keep on experimenting there Danusee.
Let us know how you make out. Good Luck |
Kid_vicious
Senior Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 1091
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 11:09 pm: |
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where did you come by a maco groundplane kit?
im also curious how you heated the aluminum tubing?
matt |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 47
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 2:11 am: |
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Kid,
I had a Maco V58. The wire to the tuning ring broke. I decided to see what I could get out of the A99 that I had gotten the week prior. I really like the setup. It may be just me but I wouldn't swap back.
I used a propane torch to heat the post that the tubing slides over and bend them down with a hammer. Must get metal very hot. Didn't bend the tubing.
Then I put the tubing onto the post and drilled tiny holes thru and secured with stainless bolts.
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Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 48
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 4:08 am: |
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To summarize; Final product.
1. replaced the top section with aluminum tubing.
2. cut the coax to short as possible (9' less).
3. Add Maco's V58 gpk. Wound up with droop angle of 29 degrees.
4. reset swr, dips on channel 16.
Conclusion; I wanted to see what would be the most I could get my setup and the A99 to do. What a change! The best example is that it took 1 very weak station from aprox. 1 1/4 S units to about 2 3/4 S units (that from after the metal top being added till the finish). I put the A99 up to a 42' feed point with the metal top section from the start.
*note, I haven't tested and worked with TVI..yet.
Also you might get more or less by changing droop angles. This summary makes it sound like getting to this point was easy. Wrong!
I am mighty pleased but I have no intention of climbing back up that tower anytime soon. |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1201
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 8:20 am: |
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Sounds like you are getting tired out from
all that climbing..LOL
Thanks for the pic of your antenna... |
Danusee
Junior Member
Username: Danusee
Post Number: 49
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 9:55 am: |
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Fyi,
I came in on the back side of a fellows beam @ 63 miles this morning. That should erase any doubt as to what this thing is doing.
Also I noticed that birds don't land on the steep sloped radials. Unlike when I had them @ 90 degrees on another antenna and they did their business all over the house roof.
I am trying to figure what antenna to start on next. It will be mounted low on the garage tower. |
2rt1069
New member
Username: 2rt1069
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 02, 2006 - 5:24 pm: |
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I did this with mine took the collar and re- drilled and tapped it so the radials are straight out I see at least a 11/2 db gain
next up a Monkey Made or Mr Coily type top section any thoughts on that |
Road_warrior
Senior Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 1802
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 02, 2006 - 8:31 pm: |
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My thoughts are if it works don't touch
it...LOL...It needs to be a certain length
to work correctly and have good SWRS.
Whether it's a cheap 102" whip, Coily or
Monkey made, makes no difference.
I would stick with a straight out whip. |
Willeecue
New member
Username: Willeecue
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 5:24 pm: |
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I have had my iMax 2000 with the GP kit up about 35' for about two weeks now.
It is a good set up and most of the locals think I am runing power.
I doubt if ANY vertical antenna could beat the performance of this set up.
The next step up would be a three element beam. |
