Question, re: top radial of antron 99, would the transmit and receive of the top radial if it were switched to a 102" steel whip be more efficient, stronger on transmit than the foam filled copper wire?
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Antron 99 top radial
- Thread starter Caliman409
- Start date
The 102" whip is to long it would need to be cut down to the desired frequency. Also have read no benefit in trying this.
My . 02.
My . 02.
Thanks, the reason I ask is my top element broke, and I have heard that other fellas have used the stainless steel whip because the thread pattern is the same and yes you would have to cut it down to get a match or flat match. I might try this before buying a new antenna, I was just asking to see if anyone had any positive comments towards this
Considering the height of a base antenna with the 102" whip at the top, mother nature (wind) would play havoc with that whip.
I have a new 99 for sale.
My personal experience. At our camp, I attached a 102" stainless steel whip to a mirror mount without a spring and attached the mount and whip to a 30' ROHN telescopic mast and on windy days, the antenna bent over like a wet noodle. Maybe it was "cheap" stainless steel.
Cutting the 102" SS Whip? Perhaps there will be validations on this?
The bead at the peak of the antenna has a purpose. Without it, the radiation pattern changes. A replacement will be necessary to put a cap on it.
I've heard there are these whips that can be detached at their base. I've 4 and none having a set screw at the base enabling tuning from the bottom.
The length of the top section of the 99 is 71-1/2" from the tip to the end of the thread. The braze / silver solder at the base of the stainless whip can be heated / melted to remove the antenna to "trim-off" 30-1/2" to obtain the 71-1/2". The diameter at the bottom of my stainless whip is 0.200" and 0.200" at 71-1/2". The unknown is; what is the grade of stainless-steel whip and the base? You need to know this to ensure the correct braze or silver solder material is used to re-attach the whip to the base.
After you separate the whip from the base and trim the whip, you can drill and tap two 10-32 holes in the base and install two 10-32 stainless steel set-screws. I recommend to drill and tap on opposite sides of the base. No need to re-braze / silver solder.
No way in hell would cutting the tip off be noticed in any way whatsoever except swr changes because of length. There is not one person on the other end or in his receiver that will ever hear or notice anything. I'm not sure when all this crap that is like law on the internet started. Probably when the internet started. Just answering my own question. I read all this crap such as, someone posts I got my swr to 1.5. Someone replies. You are going to blow up your radio. Also this 1 watt dead key crap. A stock 4 watt radio will not blow up a low drive amplifier. Let's not forget SWINGGGGGG. PEP, Dosy , etc. On AM average power is where it's at. I see people selling 2 transistor amps saying IT SWINGSSSS 600 WATTS. If you have backward swing on an average meter. You will still see SWINGGGG on pep. But on the receiving meter they see backwards. I can go on but that's my rant. Cut the 102 whip for best swr and go nuts. SHAWINGGGGGG!
Lol..lol! When I was sixteen (1964) and was introduced into CB, just about everyone had whip antennas, including me. I thought the primary purpose of the ball on the tip of the antenna was to keep the antenna in that little gutter mounted clip. One day at a stop light, the ball came off and the whip almost hit the car behind me. As I looked around, I noticed more antennas with the ball missing and guys were bending the tip of the antenna so it would catch into the gutter clip.
KB,
I too have trimmed steel whips with no noticeable difference in performance other than the expected change in the resonant frequency and resulting SWR because of the shorter length. With the little ball missing from the top of the whip, I’ve also never experienced an increase in noise as some claim. That’s been my experience, anyway.
As far as the rest of your observations go, all that stuff drives me crazy too.
I believe it's called a corona ball. Suppose to keep static down and other things. Just can't remember all the stuff from years back. But cutting it off definitely won't change take off or blow up a radio.
I am far, far away from being anywhere close to being a radio tech person. I am curious.
I am assuming the diameter of the wire inside the top section of the A99 is less than the stainless-steel whip. Will the difference in diameters of the wire and whip have any positive or negative effect with the operation / function / SWR? Would it be "apples to apples" by trimming the 102" to the same 71-1/2" length as the original top section of the A-99?