I am just starting to get into radios a little more. Messed with it back in the mid 70's but was never a real radio person. I have an A99 right now that I am using and plan on a beam when I can afford it. My antenna will be mounted on a 40 foot tall tower. Will it work better if I put the ground plane kit on it or just leave it without? Want to do a little DXing. Need some input. Thanks
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A99 with ground plane kit
- Thread starter Phantom 342
- Start date
lords
Active Member
Ireally don't think you need a ground plane with a tower!
I ran a A99 for about 7 years 4 on a 60' tower with great DXing,and 3 years on on top of a 20' mast with a 6 element homemade beam under it...
i did notice when i did have it on top of the 20' mast i did get more noise..but that could of been from the beam ,never quite found the problem..i move from there and took it all down and poped the A99 and the beam in storage,the storage got robbed suckers took the beam and not the A99.. just sold the A99 on ebay with the ground plane kit ...my main thing was when it was on the 20' mass was it splattered a lot over everything(phone,tv,micro wave)
course that was with a 350 tube amp so i wouldn't think it would hurt any..
I ran a A99 for about 7 years 4 on a 60' tower with great DXing,and 3 years on on top of a 20' mast with a 6 element homemade beam under it...
i did notice when i did have it on top of the 20' mast i did get more noise..but that could of been from the beam ,never quite found the problem..i move from there and took it all down and poped the A99 and the beam in storage,the storage got robbed suckers took the beam and not the A99.. just sold the A99 on ebay with the ground plane kit ...my main thing was when it was on the 20' mass was it splattered a lot over everything(phone,tv,micro wave)
course that was with a 350 tube amp so i wouldn't think it would hurt any..
That question has been around just slightly longer than the ground plane kit has. There is no definitive answer to it. Half will say 'yes', half will say 'no'. There's no good electrical reason to use one. There's definitely a financial reason for buying one!
- 'Doc
wait for it, here it comes...
- 'Doc
wait for it, here it comes...
lords
Active Member
I have used a A99 with and with out a ground plane kit and I get more range locally with out the kit.
A friend of mine and myself had A99's he had the ground plain kit I didn't just the stick same radios and setup the same the only difference was his was 40' and mine was 60' I could talk to people he couldn't hear he would have a 6 on ground noise mine would be a 1-2 if that much. Not sure if it was the kit that cut his ears off or the 20' extra that made mine quieter just encase the power lines were under ground at his house don't think he was getting noise from that. I believe that there is nothing better then a full length not made shorter with a coil for the wave length weather it be 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, or .64 metal antenna put up as high as you can get it.
in order for the a99 and imax ground plane kit to work corectly. you must isolate the antenna from the mast and install a air choke or 1:1 balun at the feedpoint.