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A Dipole for your CB Base Station?
- Thread starter Robb
- Start date
Some additional without the technobabble.
A balun on a resonant dipole is not necessary at all....unless you're experiencing RF radiation in your shack from the coax. This might happen because you might use cheaper coax that's not 100% shielded and some of the signal out may leak out through the unshielded portion. This can also be a problem if the antenna is mounted too close to the shack. It's always a good idea when possible to use 100% shielded coax and locate the antenna a bit away from the shack when possible.
The 1:1 balun accomplishes this job. Several companies make a balun for wire antennas that also serves as the center connector the antenna. It has a terminal on either side for the dipole halves, and an SO239 connector on the bottom for the coax. It's an all-in-one unit and they're only around $20 at any ham retailer. This is what I use for feeding my loop except loops require a 4:1 balun. But it looks and installs the same way.
Try a dipole without a balun first. If you experience no problems in the shack, then you're good to go.
A balun on a resonant dipole is not necessary at all....unless you're experiencing RF radiation in your shack from the coax. This might happen because you might use cheaper coax that's not 100% shielded and some of the signal out may leak out through the unshielded portion. This can also be a problem if the antenna is mounted too close to the shack. It's always a good idea when possible to use 100% shielded coax and locate the antenna a bit away from the shack when possible.
The 1:1 balun accomplishes this job. Several companies make a balun for wire antennas that also serves as the center connector the antenna. It has a terminal on either side for the dipole halves, and an SO239 connector on the bottom for the coax. It's an all-in-one unit and they're only around $20 at any ham retailer. This is what I use for feeding my loop except loops require a 4:1 balun. But it looks and installs the same way.
Try a dipole without a balun first. If you experience no problems in the shack, then you're good to go.
I need to get my CB 1/2 wave ground plane back on the roof - now that I've made a few adjustments. Going to use nylon guy wires too. Thanks for all of the great info and insight shared here for the CB dipole project! The CB dipole will be a project for the coming week - Lord willing...
Other news:
Well, I went down to Ham Radio Outlet today. I returned the LDG Z-100 antenna tuner for a couple of reasons. First, the LDG is good for only 125 watts; very little headroom there for the IC-718; especially if I turn up the modulation on SSB circuit a tad. If I kept it and burned it up, I would have wasted money that I couldn't recover. This is an expensive thing to replace; and I must be frugal. The other reason is that I needed an external meter for it - to monitor radio function when monitoring outside of the radio itself. So, I paid the additional $100 difference and bought a MFJ-993B Intellituner. Sweet. That's a lot of tuner for a $100 more.
Simply put:
"MFJs exclusive IntelliTuner™, Adaptive Search™ and InstantRecall™ algorithms give you ultra fast automatic tuning with over 2000 non-volatile revolving memories. You get a highly efficient L-network, wide 6-1600 ohm matching at full 300 Watts SSB/150 Watts CW, 1.8-30 MHz coverage, Cross-Needle and digital meters, aural SWR meter, backlit LCD display, remote control port, radio interface, heavy-duty 16 amp/1000 volt relays and more." -eHam
'More" includes being able to hook up two different antennas and switch them, variable balanced lines out for wire antennas. But the meters and the LCD readout is the big reason - besides it's ability to super-tune.
I also ordered a Radiowavz 10-40 meter Windom OCF Dipole. It is supposed to take a week to get here. Also ordered a USB computer cable for the IC-718 and a adapter cable between the MFJ and the Icom.
Other news:
Well, I went down to Ham Radio Outlet today. I returned the LDG Z-100 antenna tuner for a couple of reasons. First, the LDG is good for only 125 watts; very little headroom there for the IC-718; especially if I turn up the modulation on SSB circuit a tad. If I kept it and burned it up, I would have wasted money that I couldn't recover. This is an expensive thing to replace; and I must be frugal. The other reason is that I needed an external meter for it - to monitor radio function when monitoring outside of the radio itself. So, I paid the additional $100 difference and bought a MFJ-993B Intellituner. Sweet. That's a lot of tuner for a $100 more.
Simply put:
"MFJs exclusive IntelliTuner™, Adaptive Search™ and InstantRecall™ algorithms give you ultra fast automatic tuning with over 2000 non-volatile revolving memories. You get a highly efficient L-network, wide 6-1600 ohm matching at full 300 Watts SSB/150 Watts CW, 1.8-30 MHz coverage, Cross-Needle and digital meters, aural SWR meter, backlit LCD display, remote control port, radio interface, heavy-duty 16 amp/1000 volt relays and more." -eHam
'More" includes being able to hook up two different antennas and switch them, variable balanced lines out for wire antennas. But the meters and the LCD readout is the big reason - besides it's ability to super-tune.
I also ordered a Radiowavz 10-40 meter Windom OCF Dipole. It is supposed to take a week to get here. Also ordered a USB computer cable for the IC-718 and a adapter cable between the MFJ and the Icom.
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I use a radiowavz dipole , I have been really pleased with it. STEALTHY & very easy to move & reset . SWR for me has NEVER been a problem on 11 meters ! I run extremely LOW power at home but, the antenna receives very well !
Just keep in mind that MFJ products often arrive in "kit form", lol.
I had two brand new tuners from MFJ that had to be sent back as soon as I got them. A lot of guys end up repairing them themselves, due to MFJ's notoriously slow and inept service.
My tuners were gone for 3 weeks and 9 weeks, respectively. Cost of shipping was on me. Mind you these were BRAND NEW units.
I hope you have better luck with them. I will be hesitant to say the least about trying any other of their products!
I had two brand new tuners from MFJ that had to be sent back as soon as I got them. A lot of guys end up repairing them themselves, due to MFJ's notoriously slow and inept service.
My tuners were gone for 3 weeks and 9 weeks, respectively. Cost of shipping was on me. Mind you these were BRAND NEW units.
I hope you have better luck with them. I will be hesitant to say the least about trying any other of their products!
And for permanent tie off line, use dacron. Dacron is the only synthetic rope line out there that is unaffected by the sun's UV rays. It simply will not rot or break down period. Nylon "ski rope" is very affected by UV rays and will rot out in the sun. Likewise, cotton rope will rot with moisture & sun. Dacron is available at ham shops, places like The Wireman, who is a big ham supplier of coax, antenna wire & parts, and I've bought dacron rope on ebay.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Point taken. Don't places like Home Depot have Dacron rope too? If not - then it's off to the Ham Radio Outlet once again. I'm already on a first-name basis with those guys now. I might as well get my coax when I'm down there too. Guess I'll get the 75 ft 9913 Belden coax. Unless I can get a real deal for it online that doesn't charge too much for shipping that cancells out any potential savings.
EDIT: Went to Home Depot, they didn't have Dacron. They did have polyester clothesline at $7 for 100 feet.
EDIT: Went to Home Depot, they didn't have Dacron. They did have polyester clothesline at $7 for 100 feet.
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I used a RadioWavz Bazooka 11 meter dipole for years, hit almost every state and England, Alaska, New Zeland, Australia to name a few......
Most of the watergates of me on various radio web sites around the net were from that dipole. I had it up around 50 feet, in an inverted V stretched out on a pvc frame join to a plumbing vent, click the thumbnail to see it:
Does it throw around a lot of harmonics when using a kicker or w/o a kicker?
Do the neighbors complain - or is it all good?
Do the neighbors complain - or is it all good?
I don't think so. But I could be wrong.
They do have braided lines for masonry and layout work that are quite durable.
I've used them and they tend to last for at least a couple of years. That's my limited experience with them, they might last longer.
They are very strong and fairly light, but after years, I bet the sun drys them out.
I ran a five pill into it in that neighborhood and never got a door know. But I ran clean stuff, not overdriven and not clipped.
OOOHHH heck yeah those dipoles were famous in Milwaukee Wi. In the mid to late 1990's there was huge problems with CB radio RF bleedover in Milwaukee because so many people were running radios and the city had enough of it so the Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold signed a bill that allowed the city of Milwaukee to do what they had to to stop the problems which in return allowed the police to write tickets for disorderly conduct disturbing the peace ETC and do whatever it took to get the problem under control.
That was until a local Ham radio operators Dipole design caught the attention of the operators on the local channels and sparked ideas. You see this woman had run the multiband dipole because her landlord like anyother or most others wouldnt allow an antenna to be mounted on the house so she constructed her dipole and boy it was really cool how she did this it was very stealth and it got out great when she would check in on 27.115.0 from time to time to say hi to a few of her friends.
Most knew what she was running and didnt even give it a second thought because they were happy with whatever they were running well until they realized that the police and neighbors could for the most part pinpoint the source of bleedover buy looking for the easily found antenna sticking up in the air. Well let me tell you this girl was a busy woman for quite some time building these dipole antennas for the locals. CB radio has since settled down as it has everywhere but I often wonder how mant dipoles are still hidden hanging in trees in the Milwaukee area that were left from old tendents that rented and now have moved ETC.
That was until a local Ham radio operators Dipole design caught the attention of the operators on the local channels and sparked ideas. You see this woman had run the multiband dipole because her landlord like anyother or most others wouldnt allow an antenna to be mounted on the house so she constructed her dipole and boy it was really cool how she did this it was very stealth and it got out great when she would check in on 27.115.0 from time to time to say hi to a few of her friends.
Most knew what she was running and didnt even give it a second thought because they were happy with whatever they were running well until they realized that the police and neighbors could for the most part pinpoint the source of bleedover buy looking for the easily found antenna sticking up in the air. Well let me tell you this girl was a busy woman for quite some time building these dipole antennas for the locals. CB radio has since settled down as it has everywhere but I often wonder how mant dipoles are still hidden hanging in trees in the Milwaukee area that were left from old tendents that rented and now have moved ETC.
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
i dont know...................but i suspect (inviting trouble now !!) most boat dealers or boating supply stores would have dacron rope .
Dacron is good to use but there is nothing wrong with nylon rope either except that it tends to be a bit stretchy.Nylon is used in all kinds of marine uses including long term exposure to the sun. I'm talking about real nylon rope,the silky white stuff, not what most people call nylon which in fact is that yellow polypropylene crap.I have had nylon rope out in the sun for over ten years and I can still untie the knots in it.They are a bit weather hardened but the rope is still fine. On the other hand I can't remember how many times I have gotten my hands covered in polypropylene slivers after the rope has been in the sun for only a year or two.
I went to Ham Radio Outlet and bought a 100ft spool of 3/16" dia Dacron rope for $15. Cool like that. I cut it to 4 - 25ft lengths and going to put it up the 1/2 wave Archer today. Got to dig out four eyelet screws as the rope-to-roof mount. Putting the station ground rod in tomorrow or this week. First things - first. Then - I can build the CB dipole.