best 11meter vertical ever, period.

[W5LZ]

There is no single 'best' antenna for all situations. There are 'better' antennas for particular situations. What works just great in one situation can never be guaranteed to work just great in another different situation. How well an antenna works is dependent on the purpose it's put to, where it happens to be placed and how it happens to be placed. And then it depends on propagation, which is always going to be the bottom line.
So, you can only say an antenna is the 'best' for any situation in a very broad and generalized way. Which means that it's a fair/good choice, but almost never the best choice.
There's just too much emphasis placed on TOA. The lowest isn't the only angle a signal can/will arrive at your antenna. It's probably not going to be all that 'low' in most cases, and is always varying.
- 'Doc

The only 'sure thing' with antennas is that if you lick one when it's transmitting, you'll regret it...

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

I'm sure this may invite some discussion.

that's why we're all here

 

[Henry HPSD]

No need to argue if a antenna is the best or not...

There is a forumula:
which has been proven with the best modeling software in the world.

E=(P+Ef)-((O/*)xL)) x (Pr/Tw)

where:

e= efficiency of antenna
p= actually real gain under the angle you want it.
Ef= effort you have done to put up the antenna
O= what others tell you
L= looks of the antenna
*= location of the antenna..(indoor/outdoor..high mast etc)
Pr= Price of the antenna
Tw= The time you have waited to get the antenna

always works for me !

Kind regards,

henry 19SD348

 

[W5LZ]

Huh...
Why does it always come up a negative number??
- 'Doc

 

[Needle Bender]

There is no single 'best' antenna for all situations. There are 'better' antennas for particular situations. What works just great in one situation can never be guaranteed to work just great in another different situation. How well an antenna works is dependent on the purpose it's put to, where it happens to be placed and how it happens to be placed. And then it depends on propagation, which is always going to be the bottom line.
So, you can only say an antenna is the 'best' for any situation in a very broad and generalized way. Which means that it's a fair/good choice, but almost never the best choice.
There's just too much emphasis placed on TOA. The lowest isn't the only angle a signal can/will arrive at your antenna. It's probably not going to be all that 'low' in most cases, and is always varying.
- 'Doc

The only 'sure thing' with antennas is that if you lick one when it's transmitting, you'll regret it...

Once again Doc we differ in opinion since I'll always try for the lowest TOA possible, (except for sub-flat, as in mountain top repeater colinears which are designed with downward tilt TOA) because I believe it's nearly impossible to go too low considering real world limitations regarding ground reflection and antenna height.
I want the least number of bounces into Europe, Asia, Australia/NZ etc. since energy is lost with every bounce.
It is rare that I'm needing a 30° TOA to talk sporadic-E, nor do I care about such short hop 'DX'.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

aluminum antennas do not survive well under the ravages of severe thunderstorms, microbursts and winter storms, and i do not feel like lowering an antenna for every storm that blows through

so what material is your antenna made of ?

some aluminum antennas have been up for decades surviving the conditions you say they cant . certainly many haven't also . but there are antenna that are plenty durable enough for climates where folks live .

 

[Needle Bender]

aluminum antennas do not survive well under the ravages of severe thunderstorms, microbursts and winter storms, and i do not feel like lowering an antenna for every storm that blows through

so what material is your antenna made of ?

some aluminum antennas have been up for decades surviving the conditions you say they cant . certainly many haven't also . but there are antenna that are plenty durable enough for climates where folks live .

I'll put my 35 year old Penetrator against a new A99 or Imax any day and at the end of 10-15 years of severe weather the aluminum Penetrator will still be standing operational where the noisy fiberglass antennas will have split and folded.

That goes double for an I10k.

I presume he has had experience only with the inferior MacoV58 or one of those self-destructing 27'-31' 'Ice cream cone' antennas. :tongue:

 

[gamegetter]

I'll put my 35 year old Penetrator against a new A99 or Imax any day and at the end of 10-15 years of severe weather the aluminum Penetrator will still be standing operational where the noisy fiberglass antennas will have split and folded.

That goes double for an I10k.

I presume he has had experience only with the inferior MacoV58 or one of those self-destructing 27'-31' 'Ice cream cone' antennas. :tongue:

Where does that leave your gainmaster-it fiberglass

 

[Needle Bender]

Where does that leave your gainmaster-it fiberglass

I'll let you know






...in 15 years!


Over the years I've helped take down several split & folded A99s & Imax2000s, especially Imax2000s. The funniest one; he covered the split bottom section with 2 layers of sch-80 pvc filled with expanding foam and sealed with RTV silicone rubber.
His swr went up a little but it's still up & working well, 6 years later!

 

[gamegetter]

I'll let you know






...in 15 years!


Over the years I've helped take down several split & folded A99s & Imax2000s, especially Imax2000s. The funniest one; he covered the split bottom section with 2 layers of sch-80 pvc filled with expanding foam and sealed with RTV silicone rubber.
His swr went up a little but it's still up & working well, 6 years later!

why not protect your investment with regular wax and uv protectant suitable for fiberglass?

 

[Needle Bender]

why not protect your investment with regular wax and uv protectant suitable for fiberglass?

I'm sure UV has something to do with it, but I suspect it lies more in the realm of the intense stress of bending up to 90° in high wind, (as I have witnessed with the one I permanently dedicated to the top of my friend's 90' pine. - Rental home, contract up in Sept.) which ultimately causes structural failure.

 

[gamegetter]

I would say the elements have everything to do with it, sun, rain, time then wind and crack.

 

[Needle Bender]

why not protect your investment with regular wax and uv protectant suitable for fiberglass?

From what I understand, they incorporate UV blocker into the material, though an additional layer certainly wouldn't hurt.

 

[Robb]

I've heard it said that fiberglass antennas are noisier than aluminum. But I have found that just isn't so. The Imax I use receives noise on some days and no noise on other days. So - if it is a noisy antenna by nature; then how come there is no noise with it sometimes. That argument that all fiberglass antennas are noisier just doesn't hold water - sorry to say.

But I will agree with just about everything else you said NB . . .

 

[Mudfoot]

I've heard it said that fiberglass antennas are noisier than aluminum. But I have found that just isn't so. The Imax I use receives noise on some days and no noise on other days. So - if it is a noisy antenna by nature; then how come there is no noise with it sometimes. That argument that all fiberglass antennas are noisier just doesn't hold water - sorry to say.

But I will agree with just about everything else you said NB . . .

I just wonder what type of surroundings these users have whem mentioning this noise. I had an Antron and an Imax up in the past. I don't recall any troublesome noise, other than the occasional power line crap.