I noticed on the fire stick website it shows the 7 foot fire stick as a 5/8 wave. Is this true?
Is there enough wire to be a 5/8 wave ?
Is there enough wire to be a 5/8 wave ?
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7 ft firestick 5/8 wave?
- Thread starter Global Mobile 357
- Start date
Thank you very much sir we are using it right now since the DX door is open . looks kind of funny on top of the SUV but it's working
Yes, it uses a wire inside that is 5/8 physical wavelengths long. No, that does not make it a 5/8 wavelength antenna. It isn't the length of wire used that determines how an antenna works, its the electrical characteristics. Because the wire is coiled up, it acts like (and in fact is) an inductor, not a wire, so using its physical length to determine its electrical length is bs. Electrically this antenna is a 1/4 wavelength antenna, nothing more, in spite of the marketing bs that this and other antennas get.
The DB
The DB
Thanks DB
thanks DB antenna seems to work very well and DBeven better than my Wilson baseload antenna. Next time I will try it again see 102 inch whip
You might also try the Sirio trucker 5000. With an 8" shaft it lifts the base coil up. And the antenna is 7ft plus. So it will be as tall as the antenna you have currently but weigh a lot less and olace much less stress on the roof of the vehicle. Just some food for thought. Have fun DX'ing.
If you wrap enough wire around a fiberglass rod...you could call it a "Full wave length" antenna...don't mean it's going to work like one tho.
Thanks 22 I had a great time DXing today good South Pacific action late this afternoon.
Also a contact from South America
I've heard good things about Sirio antennas. I may try it when my Wilson fails.
Today was the second day out for the fire stick and it seems to work well. I was able to make more QRP 3 watt contacts than with the Wilson base load.
With some amplification the firestick was more efficient than the Wilson. 100w output on the firestick and 75 watts on the Wilson.
I haven't really tried the 102 inch yet. Swr is 1.8 which isn't bad for QRP work.
I used a 102" RS whip on the rear bumper of a 1986 Toyota 4Runner and 18 feet of coax and a 6-8 inch aluminum spacer to get the antenna away from the body and add the extra length. Flatest swr I have ever-had and worked better than any other mobile antenna I ever had. I tried the 7 foot Firestick before I tried the 102 inch whip and it could not compare. I had better swr and better receive and transmit number's on the 102 inch. In fact even the k40 truck lip mount outperformed the 7 foot Firestick in every way except band width band width both antenna's are narrow with the classic K40 being insanely narrow.
I hate the thought of a 102 inch whip or some ugly external air wound coil antenna on my car but they do offer broad bandwidth, excellent durability and great transmit and receive.
Could be worse could be a screw driver antenna. Would be nice to have an automotive styling and design guy make over some CB antenna so they look nice while also being functional! Currently we have the Coyote and the Road Runner Acme antenna designers working hard to produce the ugliest antenna's that money can by that scream " I am a redneck" if you want more bandwidth than standard 40 channels.
I hate the thought of a 102 inch whip or some ugly external air wound coil antenna on my car but they do offer broad bandwidth, excellent durability and great transmit and receive.
Could be worse could be a screw driver antenna. Would be nice to have an automotive styling and design guy make over some CB antenna so they look nice while also being functional! Currently we have the Coyote and the Road Runner Acme antenna designers working hard to produce the ugliest antenna's that money can by that scream " I am a redneck" if you want more bandwidth than standard 40 channels.
Nothing wrong with that antenna. And you can use it if you get in a fight. 
They make a great whompin' stick. If you do go with a 102", I'd recommend looking at the ones DX Engineering has. I bought one from Radio Shack, and one from DX Engineering for about the same price, and the DX one is waaay better. Much thicker, and doesn't bend and get out of shape like the RS one does. I'm still tempted to try the Sirio, because I have yet to hear anything bad about them... but the old 102" whip is just about impossible to beat for overall performance. I get what Onelasttime is saying, and most people don't like the aesthetics, or they are simply too big for their vehicle and they whack too many low flying birds, trees, drive through's, etc. I like your 4x4, and the color is very cool!
73,
Brett
They make a great whompin' stick. If you do go with a 102", I'd recommend looking at the ones DX Engineering has. I bought one from Radio Shack, and one from DX Engineering for about the same price, and the DX one is waaay better. Much thicker, and doesn't bend and get out of shape like the RS one does. I'm still tempted to try the Sirio, because I have yet to hear anything bad about them... but the old 102" whip is just about impossible to beat for overall performance. I get what Onelasttime is saying, and most people don't like the aesthetics, or they are simply too big for their vehicle and they whack too many low flying birds, trees, drive through's, etc. I like your 4x4, and the color is very cool!73,
Brett
You know I am a bit biased against Firestick because they hype their product so much or used too. They have not done anything to advance their product design since I first owned a FireStick in 1991.
I will give them this the make a product that looks nice. They have used quality materials as far as I am aware for ever.
I would like a 7 foot antenna with a tunable tip been asking for one of those since 1991 at least once a year since 1991.No one wants to dig out wire adn trim that is just stupid in 2016 to have to dig out wire and cut it!
Bandwidth has always been rather narrow and power rating have always been a bit small.
In 22 years you would think they would have developed something to compete with air wound external coil antenna's!!!
I will give them this the make a product that looks nice. They have used quality materials as far as I am aware for ever.
I would like a 7 foot antenna with a tunable tip been asking for one of those since 1991 at least once a year since 1991.No one wants to dig out wire adn trim that is just stupid in 2016 to have to dig out wire and cut it!
Bandwidth has always been rather narrow and power rating have always been a bit small.
In 22 years you would think they would have developed something to compete with air wound external coil antenna's!!!
The K40 Helical coil mobile antenna. Not sure of the total length. But from looking at them in the stores they appear to be built rather well. I have never owned one. Can't remember how heavy they are. Look like a monkey made antenna. But they are supposedly light from the ad. Take that with a grain of salt LOL! Anyhow just showing they do make one and I have seen them in just about every truck stop from FL to Michigan on I-75. So I know they are being sold and pretty sure still are. Anyhow how. Hope this helps at least clear the air a bit. Like I like said. Have never owned one and don't plan on it. Have too many mobile antennas as is. From old single coil Monkey Made antennas to k40's Wilson 5000's and Sirio 4K, 5K performer and turbos. Even have an old 5ft top loaded fire stick. Actually not a bad antenna. But not like the others I have. Anyhow. Just trying to help. Have a good one. Check your nearest TA, Flying J, or Pilot and I am sure you'll see one!! Be safe and again, good day.
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They are however one of the few big player from the CB craze days to survive.
Onelasttime, I don't know much about the Firestik as a practical matter, but I have never been persuaded of anything by most promotional presentations either. FS mostly glombed onto many CB BS ideas that guys can't wait to hear. So, it could be said, "...that FireStik tells us just what we want to hear, and what you want to believe is up to you."
That said however, I know from practical experience by others using the 7' FS and reading some, more or less, reliable sources that compared numerous CB mobile type antennas...that this antenna works just about as good as a full length 102" ss whip correctly installed and better than most tested at the time.
Lets put it another way simply...in the operation of this antenna vs. 102" whip...you will be hard pressed to tell the difference...and in particular with all the pitfalls in mobile work.
I would like to model this design, but I don't own a 7' foot FS or any other brand with a loaded coil design instead of your typical full length 1/4 wave radiator.
If you own one of these antenna, could you give me all of the dimensions you can conveniently measure.
I need the overall length from the bottom of mounting ferrell to the tip, not including the threaded area,
the wire diameter across the entire length...if you think it is all the same,
the spacing between each coils for each section where there is a difference inj spacing,
the length of any straight wire sections noted over the entire length where there is a transition from one coil spacing section to another,
the length of any straight wire noted from the feed point ferrell to the start of the first coil.
Note: I see from picture that the FS 7' footer looks to have at least two sections of coils with different spacing, separated by possibly a small straight wire near the middle of the antenna.
Maybe there is a short straight wire from the feed point to the start of the 1st coil. I need this length and wire diameter.
Next is the first section of coils with wide spacing. I need the spacing dimension, the wire diameter, the number of coils, and the overall length of this section...and each subsequent section of coils if there are any.
Then maybe next there is another small straight wire from the top of the 1st coil, the transition area to the bottom of the 2nd coil, that is about the middle of the antenna.
Then of course, the same dimensions for the upper coil as well.
Here is a picture in the PDF file attached below. I placed a "?" mark near each section, plus a bracket show the range...I need dimensions for:
This goes for anybody who has such an antenna, 7' footer, that can provide me these dimensions, so I can model it.
Thanks for any help,
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