Base antenna question

[radioman24]

Hi, so as of now, i am running a maco alpha v-5/8th wave base antenna, and my friend down the road from me is using the sirio vector 4000 base antenna,similar to the old school sigma 4 antenna and he is in a hole compared to my location and he has me by almost 5 db on the meter, so now i am wondering what to do? shall i get a sirio vector 4000? or try the sigma ground plane base antenna? i would like to find the sirio vector 4000 that was made with the flutted tubing i had on and man it ROCKED!!! so what should i do??

also if anyone has the flutted tubed made sigma 4 let me know if you may wanna sell it??

 

[W5LZ]

What else is your friend doing differently than you, and who'z meter are you going by? That 5 db would only be a bit less than one 'S' unit, and that's really not all that much difference sometimes.
- 'Doc

 

[radioman24]

well nothing really we both run the same radio and microphone but yet he can get over me easily when he keys up.

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

what about simply raising your antenna higher

 

[Robb]

what about simply raising your antenna higher

That is what I was thinking as well.
Put it up as high as you can and use extra sets of guy wires.
How high is it from the feedpoint of the antenna to the surface of the ground now?

 

[radioman24]

the antenna itself is on a 36 foot push up pole and it is extended all the way up,lol

 

[W5LZ]

... Your friend just has a bigger mouth, that's all.

 

[wavrider]

S meter readings are not a "given" standard.

The S meter is relative receive signal strength and only good for that.

Hard to find a radio, CB or amateur that has a calibrated S meter with a linear scale.

When using a S meter in a radio the 1S unit equals 6DB is the industry standard, on a work bench using calibrated test equipment this is true, in a real world scenario with nothing calibrated 1S unit is really more like 3 to 4.5 db instead of 6db per S unit. Until you reach S9+ reading, most meters become more accurate at 3/4 scale deflection.

This also changes on what Frequency you are receiving on.

Either antenna is a good choice, both work well.

You can try to improve your ground under your antenna, improve your coax if needed, or as stated raise your antenna higher.

Google a search with "Angle of Radiation", you will see how high you mount your antenna does effect it's performance.

Good luck.

 

[HiDef]

Get someone to operate your base. Take a ride in a mobile somewhere and hear your station compared to the guy down the street FIRST before doing anything.

Don't tell anyone what you are doing until it's finished.

On the air signal reports can be very inaccurate.


For fun, tell a bunch of people you already took their advice and put up that new Serious antenna and watch them tell you how much better your signal is.