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How should I refurb/save my Antron 99?

Roger Dodger

Active Member
Apr 14, 2005
128
15
28
Pennsylvania (west)
The sun has taken its toll on the fiberglass exterior and now I have to handle it wearing thick cowhide gloves due to the glass splinters. Can I apply coats of polyurethane and reinstall it or is it time for the junkyard? It's still a good working antenna and would come in handy as a secondary vertical for me.
 

Roger Dodger said:
The sun has taken its toll on the fiberglass exterior and now I have to handle it wearing thick cowhide gloves due to the glass splinters. Can I apply coats of polyurethane and reinstall it or is it time for the junkyard? It's still a good working antenna and would come in handy as a secondary vertical for me.

You could save a few bucks and just give it a good sanding and give it a good clear coating.Should be good to go ,I would suggest a mask and gloves and medium weight sand paper to get the nasty fiberglass scales to go away,get it good as you can and spray the heck out of it :twisted: I have an old antron the kind that rattles i did the same thing before i gave it to a freind in need.Anyway better than wasting your cash on a new one....73sss COILY 8)
4fdaafd0.jpg
 
That would work, but for the time it takes and the cost of the antenna, i would just get a new one. Or better yet, a different one...
 
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AMPOWER said:
heck id say junk it and get a I-MAX 2000..
:)
If the IMAX 2000 is so good, why then is it spec'd at 5.9dbi versus 9.9dbi for the Antron A99? And do the groundplane kits they offer really make a difference?

Firestik offers that tuneable FS99W tip to replace the A-99's tip which is considered as a worthy upgrade.
 
the 9.9 dbi is BS ....the I max 2000 is a far better antenna..
the antron 99 is a 1/2 wave antenna and the I-MAX is a .64 wave antenna...almost a 3/4 wave antenna....

***NO the ground plane kits are a joke,,,and a waste of money...***Do not get the ground plane kit....

THe Firestick "so called upgrade" Is more BS...its a waste of money as well....



AM POWER
 
***NO the ground plane kits are a joke,,,and a waste of money...***Do not get the ground plane kit....

Why are the Ground plane kits a joke with the A-99 & iMAX 2000. Explain???

Is it becasue the lower section of these antennas are a counterpoise.?

I had a ground plane kit on my A-99 and I did not notice any differance with or without it.

Jonbah
1st Class Mud Duck
 
ground plane.

jonbah said:
***NO the ground plane kits are a joke,,,and a waste of money...***Do not get the ground plane kit....

Why are the Ground plane kits a joke with the A-99 & iMAX 2000. Explain???

Is it becasue the lower section of these antennas are a counterpoise.?

I had a ground plane kit on my A-99 and I did not notice any differance with or without it.

Jonbah
1st Class Mud Duck

Well the ground planes do work,Not that the antenna is designed for them but adding the ground plane at the prescribed angle that antron designed them for does change the counterpoise of the antenna and drop the angle of radiation!So you will be throwing down a lower angle of radiation and hit the horizon a bit harder with the ground planes installed.They do add an above ground plane and that what they are for to create a common above ground plane and they also help with Bleed over..As we all know the antron does like to bleed :( That may be the best reason alone to get them.


Oh yeah i forgot to add this if you want to really do the trick on fixing your antron,from the fiberglass splintering ,go down and get yourself some shrink tubing and cover the entire antenna,they come in 4 foot peices and that will fix it forever!
 
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Re: ground plane.

mrcoily said:
jonbah said:
***NO the ground plane kits are a joke,,,and a waste of money...***Do not get the ground plane kit....

Why are the Ground plane kits a joke with the A-99 & iMAX 2000. Explain???

Is it becasue the lower section of these antennas are a counterpoise.?

I had a ground plane kit on my A-99 and I did not notice any differance with or without it.

Jonbah
1st Class Mud Duck

Well the ground planes do work,Not that the antenna is designed for them but adding the ground plane at the prescribed angle that antron designed them for does change the counterpoise of the antenna and drop the angle of radiation!So you will be throwing down a lower angle of radiation and hit the horizon a bit harder with the ground planes installed.They do add an above ground plane and that what they are for to create a common above ground plane and they also help with Bleed over..As we all know the antron does like to bleed :( That may be the best reason alone to get them.


Oh yeah i forgot to add this if you want to really do the trick on fixing your antron,from the fiberglass splintering ,go down and get yourself some shrink tubing and cover the entire antenna,they come in 4 foot peices and that will fix it forever!
What size would you need for the botom of the antenna. And white would be the color to use right.
 
Re: ground plane.

Well if you go down and get yourself,It comes in clear and many other colors if you want to be original,But you can get it in 2inch tubes it will shrinK about an inch depending on what shrink tube you buy so the 1.5-2 inch tubing should do you,just slide it over anD get a heat gun out and shrink it down and your antenna WILL BE BETTER THAN NEW! ;)
73sss COILY
 
If the IMAX 2000 is so good, why then is it spec'd at 5.9dbi versus 9.9dbi for the Antron A99? And do the groundplane kits they offer really make a difference?

Firestik offers that tuneable FS99W tip to replace the A-99's tip which is considered as a worthy upgrade.

Here is a perfect example of what I was saying in another topic. As long as people keep buying their crap (9.9dbi), they will keep selling it!
 
the I-MAX is a .64 wave antenna...almost a 3/4 wave antenna....

No, it's just a little longer than a .625 wave (5/8). Its no way near a .750 wave, THANK GOD!

Also, the Wilson 2000 MM uses RG-58 coax and not RG-59.
 

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