antenna for base in low area

[BOOTY MONSTER]

so i got out of the apt and now i got a house . im wanting to do a base of course . i got my ssb/am export so ill use it with a power supply . my concern is ......... which antenna . im living in the city . the ground/yard of the houses behind me across the alley is about 4 to 7 feet higher than my yard . across the street about 5 to 7 feet higher . so im in a bit of a low area . its an older neighbor hood and i have lots of wires running to the house from poles . ive got a chimney on the side of the house that ill attach straps to the top of and run a mast from the ground up........25 foot max . no room to properly guy wire higher because of utility wiring and proximinity to neighbors property lines . its all one story ranchers here but there are some 50-60 foot trees around . im too old and fat (or maybe just too fat) to climb up the tree and put an antnna in it and im not at all comfortable with paying someone to do it . i dont know if theyll do it correctly and securely and god forbid they fall !!!!

im thinking that since im in a dip and am limited to mast/antenna height that something with a low angle of radiation may be called for , like a astroplane or a m400/starduster . that would put the top of those antennas a lil above and a lil below 30 foot in height .

however if i went with a Sigma/Alpha 5/8 or a maco v5/8 the top of the antenna would be 49 to 45 feet .

ive read many time about the astroplane excelling at low mounting heights , but since im in a lil hole to start with maybe one of the big ground planes with a higher signal angle would get me out better and still give good reception .

what do y'all think ?

 

[BJ radionut]

New House antenna

Maco or Workman's copy of the 5/8's hands down your best choice and most cost effective...unless your willing to spend the bucks for a 10K...I have had a Cushcraft 10m 1/2 wave Ringo up also and liked that set-up above my big beam....
When I put up the Maco I changed ALL the hardware and element clamps...and just ended up using the supplied bracket and tubing though...I thought the hardware was pretty lame...
All the Best
BJ

 

[W5LZ]

'B.Monster',
You have now moved to the place where most of us reside, one of those less than 'perfect' locations. So what do you do now? Very basically, don't worry about it. If you have an antenna, put it up and see what happens. If for some reason (a good one, now, not just cuz it 'might' be better) it isn't satisfactory, then think about changing antennas. You haven't established a 'base line' yet, right? ('Base line' = fancy way of saying "see what happens", technical secret... Ssshhh.)
Who knows, it may be so much better than what you are used to that it's 'good enough' (another technical term meaning "what the @#$$ would be better than this?"). Wanna try something else? Have at it! The only 'catch' to that is to be Realistic (all puns intended!).
What you are going to hear will be different than what you have been hearing, and will take a little time to really tell the differences, if any. The only 'sure thing' advice is higher is better, and 'bigger' is better. But you gotta work within your limitations. When you get to your limits, that's it so quit making it better (at least for a while) (that also gives your neighbors the time to 'get used to' that new weird neighbor, which is also a good thing).
I live in a sort of low place. I've also operated from places that were much more 'open' than where I live. There were differences. Not super huge ones, but still differences, and not all related to being high/low. Nowhere is going to be entirely 'perfect' for one reason or another, and the 'trick' is determining which one of those 'other' things you can change for the better within limits of practicality.
- 'Doc

Ahemmm, being the altruistic person that I am, and since we both live in 'low' places (pun intended), if you will send antennas that you think would be better than what you happen to be using to me. I will go through all the trouble of testing them. I will share the results with you. That will allow you to have that important information without going to all the trouble of doing the testing. I will even return the antennas after completion of the tests. Now, is that a deal, or is that a deal?

[I can hear him thinking, "That is sooo wrong!"... "I ain't ~that~ stupid!". Oh well, being altruistic is like being cheap. It ain't easy you know!] ... I'm also psychic!

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i dont have any base antenna yet . i do have a spare lil wil that i could probally stick on top of the refrigerator ... lol .

 

[Marconi]

BM, I think antenna theory tells us that a 1/4 wave vertical will have a little higher RF angle than a 1/2 wave and a 5/8 or .64 can show the lowest, with a 3/4 wave not being of much use in 11 meters and acting more or less like a long wire with high angles and deep nulls tangent to the radiator.

Personally where I live I don't see enough difference to shout about as long as these antennas are compared with tips at about the same heights. There are differences, but they may be hard to realize. I think most of this height business you described, where the AP works better at less than 30’ compared to 30’ feet and more, is some misinformation and a lot of CB-BS. With the antennas that you are discussing, any of these antennas should work fine at your proposed height. Just make sure the elements are at least 8’-10’ above and as far away from wires and other obstructions as possible.

That said, I think you might be all right on in your selection as described and at your location and you won’t have a lot of big heavy antenna up there to worry about. You might see a little better signal using a larger antenna, but I don’t think you are going to miss a lot of contacts due to the difference, and maybe your buds won’t even be able to tell.

Neither the AP or the SD’r are easy to handle and install due to having a lot of antenna down below the mast to antenna mount where you have to stand. They are lighter and they don’t require any tuning so that’s a plus. Just be careful and plan your install well. The AP is a lot easier to deal with considering the way the feed line attaches also. The SD’r can be a problem with the feed line and not bending it up in the process to mount. Have you considered an A99 or Imax 2000? They are both effective and are very easy to install.

Your “in a hole problem” is maybe more of a problem for flooding than it will be for your antennas not getting out. Just get it up there and wait a little while longer for CB to come back to the airways, if it does. It has sure been quite here on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

you do not have to have a very high antenna to get out good

if you can get the I-10K
i use mine very high up but my friend 1/2 mile away has his only 25 ft high and he also gets out like gang busters
However I-10K does not come cheep

forget the A99

if you want to stay on the cheep
go to the Imax 2000
a very good antenna for very cheep