Anyone Try One Of These? "Bandwidth Enhancers"

[Wire Weasel]

Simple idea. Same as upper radials on Starduster.

Of course the 3db gain increase claim is a joke but I can see it increasing bandwidth by making the antenna "think" it is bigger around diameter-wise.

States slips over top of antenna and attaches to bottom of top section. Antron 99, Imax, and any vertical it will fit on I guess. Price is right. Be worth doing if it works.

http://cgi.ebay.com/cb-antenna-3-DB...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45f005406b

 

[SR385]

That's a capacitance hat...if it's really electrically connected to the radiator.

Makes an antenna look electrically longer.

This will stretch it to lower frequencies but blow the match on the frequency it is designed for.

The reason the match stays the same is the resistor/match in the base of an A99. So your input impedance may look better over a wider range, but you are still losing to heat and not radiating anything more efficiently...though you may get a bit more out on lower frequencies than the antenna was designed for vs not having it.

It would hurt you if anything in the range the A99 was really designed for.

 

[Moleculo]

That's a capacitance hat...if it's really electrically connected to the radiator.

From the ebay ad:

You slip this unit down over top of your antenna till it rests on the metal part of the upper whip of your Base antenna and you then snug the 2 radial's so contact is made to your antenna

The metal parts are electrically part of the antenna on these. A cap hat is useful if the antenna is electrically short. However, the antennas this device designed for are not electrically short. The ad also states that you would have to trim some of the portion above the radiator. See my previous two sentences, LOL.

One thing a cap hat CAN do for you on these types of antennas is reduce the amount of coil necessary in the matching section to obtain a good SWR. If that coil is a lossy design, getting rid of some of it by retuning the antenna is a good thing and can help your signal a bit. That 3db number is just plain ridiculous, though.

For $9, it probably would be fun to play with. If it really does broadband the antenna, it might be worth it if you're going to use the same antenna for 10-12 meters. I wouldn't expect miracles, though.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

so that thing makes about as much sense as dehydrated water ? just add water to rehydrate it . hehehe

 

[W5LZ]

Re-hydrating water sold separately...

 

[Wire Weasel]

Actually is does make sense. Was just asking if anyone on here has tried one. The larger around - diameter - a radiator is, the larger bandwidth it will have.

Take the upper little 3 prong 45 degree radial hub OFF of a Starduster and then see how well it works.