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Flagpole antenna

Since you are just doing the CB thing and you are not a Ham; then there is no real point in doing a real flagpole antenna that needs radials.

If you do use PVC pipe over the Imax; then just be sure that there is no metal flagpole parts on it that my de-tune the Imax. Otherwise, it should work OK.
 
Robb said:
A typical 'flagpole antenna' 43 ft vertical w/ground radials and balun is a typical multiband Hammie antenna. He doesn't need to go there as a CBer. That is the way I read it . . .
Click to expand...


Sounds like you are being specific to the 43 foot DX Engineering MBVE-1-4P HF Multi-Band Vertical Antenna. A typical flagpole antenna is any height that the operator can muster.

BTW you don't use a balun with a flagpole antenna or any other multiband vertical with radials. It is not a balanced antenna and thus the use of a balun is not required.Perhaps you meant an impedance transformer often inappropriately called an UNUN.
 
Captain Kilowatt said:
Sounds like you are being specific to the 43 foot DX Engineering MBVE-1-4P HF Multi-Band Vertical Antenna. A typical flagpole antenna is any height that the operator can muster.

BTW you don't use a balun with a flagpole antenna or any other multiband vertical with radials. It is not a balanced antenna and thus the use of a balun is not required.Perhaps you meant an impedance transformer often inappropriately called an UNUN.
Click to expand...
Yup; my bad . . .

I think that if Oldtimer uses the Imax and puts it in a PVC pipe, it may still need radials. Since it will be ground mounted and have no mast at all (no room for a mast inside a piece of PVC as the Imax mounts the mast in parallel/tandem; not to mention cutting off the aluminum mounting bracket will also be necessary too), the only return path will be through the coax shield - unless he does add some 104 inch wire radials with it.

Whadda ya think?

This whole idea is beginning to sound impractical to me - once those other factors are considered. If invisibility is the goal because of a HOA or whatever; then perhaps building/installing a vertical dipole might be a whole lot better idea since simple wire is nearly invisiable.
 
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I had an IMAX mounted about 2 feet off the ground. I had it that way for a few months. It worked well enough for my purposes. If that's all you can do, then go for it.
 
Not really any different than any other ground mounted vertical really. Any ground mounted vertical definitely should have radials to reduce ground losses which just are not present when the antenna is mounted at a reasonable height above ground or even if mounted just a couple feet above ground with 4 or 5 elevated radials. Ground mounted verticals for bands other than maybe 40m or lower would not be my first choice but if it is the only way to go then get as many radials under it as you can.
 
After all y'all suggestions I'm still don't know what to do yet !
Can I take a long wire ( the length of the mobile home ) and run it on the peak the whole length somehow?
I'm open for anything right now.
Thanks +
 
Oldtimer said:
After all y'all suggestions I'm still don't know what to do yet !
Can I take a long wire ( the length of the mobile home ) and run it on the peak the whole length somehow?
I'm open for anything right now.
Thanks +
Click to expand...

So; being stealthy is essential - eh?

A wire running along the length of a metal clad mobile home would be too close to be effective. Unless an antenna is vertical/perpendicular to that structure; it isn't a viable solution.

Do you have any trees near you? if you do; then I would recommend building a simple delta loop antenna. Xlnt receive and transmit; you will be very pleased with the results. Very broadbanded too. Made of wire which is very stealthy and almost impossible to see.

Need ~37 ft of any multi-stranded insulated wire, some fishing line to suspend it in the trees, and a 5'10" piece of RG-59 coax (used as a matching xformer).

11-meter-loop-antenna.JPG


11 Meter Loop Antenna

Just make it into an inverted triangle and feed the RG-59 coax at the bottom of the triangle. That page/link above gives you the easy math to do it right. You can make it any shape - really. Round, diamond, octagonal, triangle, trapezoidal - but either a diamond or triangle shapes are easiest to accomplish.

If you don't have a tree; then perhaps a picture of your location might help a lot more . . .
 
Which one

I have narrowed it down to
Make a flagpole 24' high out of pvc and have the Imax 2000 inside with the feed point on the ground or a 102" whip on a 4'x6' sheet of metal on top of the carport. They are the only two options I have!
Which do y'all think would be better ?
Thanks
God Bless +
 
Oldtimer said:
I have narrowed it down to
Make a flagpole 24' high out of pvc and have the Imax 2000 inside with the feed point on the ground or a 102" whip on a 4'x6' sheet of metal on top of the carport. They are the only two options I have!
Which do y'all think would be better ?
Thanks
God Bless +
Click to expand...

I will say whichever is the highest/more in the open will work the best

But just a thought.. if you think you can get away with a stainless steel 9 feet whip.. what if you put your aluminum flag pole up complete with flag and do nothing for 2 weeks....when people have got used to the flag pole. which means they wont look at when passing.. then put the 9 feet whip on top of it, the pole will be the ground plane....if you get complaint then go to plan B
 
davev8 said:
I will say whichever is the highest/more in the open will work the best

But just a thought.. if you think you can get away with a stainless steel 9 feet whip.. what if you put your aluminum flag pole up complete with flag and do nothing for 2 weeks....when people have got used to the flag pole. which means they wont look at when passing.. then put the 9 feet whip on top of it, the pole will be the ground plane....if you get complaint then go to plan B
Click to expand...
Good plan. I didn't think aluminum worked for picking up signals.
Thanks
Bless ya +
 

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