Copper Talk » Ask The Tech » Antennas » More power to an antenna than it's rated for « Previous Next »

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747
Intermediate Member
Username: 747

Post Number: 114
Registered: 8-2002


Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 10:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow - two new topics in a day for me - that's a record!

Anyhow, continuing the endless research to help my roommate better his system, we found that his Wilson 1000 mag-mount has a bad spot in the cable...

I SHOULD be able to replace the cable, but have never actually cracked open a Wilson 1000..

His solution was to just replace the antenna - which he's probably doing tomorrow.

He's looking at a Hustler base-loaded mag mount. I personally have owned the very same model and was impressed with it, but it's only rated for 100 watts.. He's running a 2 pill amp on his radio though... Which obviously is going to put out more than 100 watts..

What are the dangers of sending more wattage through an antenna than it's rated for?
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Slugo4449
Junior Member
Username: Slugo4449

Post Number: 33
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 11:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's called arcing, 747!
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Bc910
Advanced Member
Username: Bc910

Post Number: 544
Registered: 7-2004


Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 12:16 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Simple,
Most likely you will fry the load, SWR goes thru the roof, and if you don't notice in time, well you know the rest...
Now for my 2 cents...
STOP HIM!!!!! He's gonna throw out a great antenna and buy an OK antenna (and the only reason I even say its "OK" is from what you are telling me)
Do one of you have a soldering iron? Most radio guys do so I assume you do. take a part the base of the wilson the coax is just soldered in. De-solder it, throw it away and solder your new stuff in place! Thats it!!! Now, I am not one of thos "coax length has to be right for good SWR" kinda guys but in my experience on the Wilsons, it does make a bit of difference, so try to make it stock length of same or better quality coax.

Or even better yet, get him to buy a new antenna and you fix that one! FREE ANTENNA WOOOHOOOO!!!
:-)
BC
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Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine

Post Number: 369
Registered: 2-2003
Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 4:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Some antennas have a matching capacitor in the coil to lower swr, like the K-40 antenna, which is rated at 250 watts max before the capacitor blows and your swr goes sky high. Is the Hustler rated at 100 watts rms, or peak?. In any case, you will blow out your coil, and all that rf which is supposed to be going out your antenna, will be reflected back to your amp and radio, damaging transistors, finals, you get the picture. Personally, I would not use the "Old school" Hustler antenna for that application. You would do better getting a new wilson 1000, or replacing the coax on the existing one. Hope this helps.
Wolverine.
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Radiohead
Junior Member
Username: Radiohead

Post Number: 19
Registered: 3-2005
Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 5:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I literally smoked a K-40 antenna a few years ago running a Texas Star 500. After I hooked it up I keyed up and talked to a friend to get a radio check. When I got out of the car I smelled something burning. When I walked to the back of the trunk where it was mounted I saw smoke coming out of the melted coil! Needless to say that antenna went right in the garbage. I then picked up a Wilson 1000. I thought the K-40 was able to handle 1000 watts but I was wrong.
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Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior

Post Number: 676
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 8:05 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I once keyed more wattage into a mobile
then it could take. Burned a hole right
through the plastic by the tuning rings.
Get an antenna that will handle the
wattage getting put into it...
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Pig040
Advanced Member
Username: Pig040

Post Number: 826
Registered: 7-2003


Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2005 - 10:17 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I melted a mag mount on a hustler antenna with too much power, switched to Wilson, never a problem since.
Rich
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Sg569
Intermediate Member
Username: Sg569

Post Number: 149
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Sunday, June 26, 2005 - 11:24 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Never had that prob. Always ran 102ss w/ any power.
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Patzerozero
Advanced Member
Username: Patzerozero

Post Number: 982
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, June 27, 2005 - 12:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hmmmmm. i smoked NOT 1 BUT 2 astatic 3k linear load antennas rated at 3kw. with 250 watts carrier & 950+ pep. my wife called me on cell phone 1st time as she was behind me & saw sparks from bottom of antenna. both times swr's went to 3:1-with or without the stinger in place! pegging the reflected scale at 300 watts ain't cool! sparks make for a nice show, though.
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Yankee
Advanced Member
Username: Yankee

Post Number: 697
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Monday, June 27, 2005 - 3:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

, Ask Snowfire about the mobile antenna that's rolling around in the bed of his pickup, He'll tell you about smoking an antenna.
my personal mobile antenna is the K-40 Trucker, very good antenna.
Carl CEF-357
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Snowfire
Intermediate Member
Username: Snowfire

Post Number: 106
Registered: 2-2004
Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 8:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

YEs I have two ant. rolling around in the back of my truck, reason TOOO much FIRE IN THE WIRE!
Melted the end pretty darn good on them. K-40 super whip being hit with a texas star 500 and a galaxy 33. I didn't think it would happen but it did.


Cef 294 Snowfire
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Brewdirect
Intermediate Member
Username: Brewdirect

Post Number: 123
Registered: 7-2004


Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Don't even risk it....

I've heard people say only run 1/4-1/2 max of what an antenna is rated at for best results.

After that...high SWRs/reflect...PROBLEMS!

Especially if you are running power
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1861
Intermediate Member
Username: 1861

Post Number: 251
Registered: 2-2004


Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 - 10:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Like SG569 , get ss 102 and run whatever amp you get!

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