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Crispy Critter
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 2:31 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Could you replace the top element of the A-99 with a 102" whip and get the preformance 0f a 5/8 antenna?
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715
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 4:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

not really........
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Crispy Critter
Posted on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 11:31 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why?
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715
Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 4:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

because the a-99 line of antenna`s wher enot made for a metal whip
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Taz
Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 9:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

it wasnt made "for" it but who said it cant work "with" it!????????


Taz
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Harpoonman
Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 12:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Actually, I think there is a line of "stingers" being made out there for the A-99 that is supposed to improve its performance. In fact, I think Firestick makes them!

Harpoonman
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Crispy Critter
Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 12:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

what about a fiberglass 102" whip?
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Marconi
Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 11:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If the top stinger is the same length and diameter and made of all metal, then there should be no difference in response between either top section being used.

If this top section is made longer using the same diameter, among other things, you will not improve performance you will only go down in resonance.

Inside of the fiberglass A99 is a wire and that is what radiates. If it were without FG, made of all SS, and the same diameter as the factory wire part of the top element, then it would have to be the same length in order to resonate on the exact same frequency. If it wasn't then it wouldn't.

The coils in the base also have a limiting effect on the lenght you can make this antenna. You just cannot make this end fed 1/2 wave into a 5/8 by simply making the top section longer. I guess it may work somewhat, but it likely would not be very effective.

Marconi
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 8:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yes it does work with the 102 inch whip but you end up cutting like 1 foot or more off to get it to work. mine is done this way mainly because last time i took the old antron down it fell most of the way and broke the original top off. it works fine and a cheap replacement verses the new firestick upgrade!!! hey good luck.
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Bullshipper537
Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 12:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

He..y,Guys! The radials in the ground plane kit for the a-99 are the same as the top radial of the a-99. It's alot cheaper on me to order the gp kit, and sell to my customers,one at a time,than to order the top section each time. F.Y.I... bullshipper537
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Doug
Posted on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 12:45 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I cut too much off of my imax. So I put on a 102 steel whip and it works great , 1.2 swr on ch1 and a 1.1 on ch40. Better match than before
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Taz
Posted on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 2:11 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

you arent supposed to cut the imax,
it has tuning rings
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Marconi
Posted on Thursday, December 27, 2001 - 12:18 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

HONKYTONKMAN593, the answer is not yes, it is no. The right answer is that the SS steel whip will work IF you cut off the amount necessary to make the antenna resonant as it did with the original piece in place.

Doug tells us that he replaced his top piece with a 102 inch SS whip and he says it worked great. He did not say, so I assume he did not have to cut anything off of his whip. If the original top portion is 102" then the SS replacement probably will not make a lot of difference. However, the SS whip is probably larger in diameter and it probably needs to be somewhat shorter than the original FG whip in order to truely resonant at the same frequency. This is what I said in my original post on the subject.

In these examples what makes sense to you? Is it 102" or 90" that will make it work. Either way this antenna may well work, but I will bet you, at the very minimum, they will do it at different frequencies.

Marconi
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Marconi
Posted on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 11:58 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Doug, why did you cut your Imax in the first place? I don't have a problem with it but I am curious.

Marconi
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Jyd
Posted on Thursday, December 27, 2001 - 7:35 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

you do cut the i-max if you want to talk on other ham frequencys
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Doug
Posted on Sunday, December 30, 2001 - 2:25 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was in search of the bottomless swr and before I knew I had gone to far. But when I put on the ss102 whip , The swr was outstanding. No cutting.
Before I starting cutting on it the swr was 1.3 to 1.5 on the cb band.

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