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best 11meter vertical ever, period.

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 . . .

What you said is absolutely true. Just because the antenna has fiberglass around the radiating conductor does not mean that it is noisy. Any number of variables are in play that can affect this, including but not limited to where the antenna is mounted.


The DB
 
folks say something about the wind and fiberglass causing a static charge .... i don't know and don't care myself ............... but it's fun to watch folks argue/discuss it :)
 
I actually have 2 of the sigma 4 antennas in my outside building with several other antennas one of these days Ill put them together although one of the aluminum rings is broke on one of them.
 
I'm not parroting. I was the first one to ever challenge the misconception that the Sigma IV is a 3/4 wave antenna. Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean I'm wrong.

why doesn't that surprise me.:bdh::bdh::pop::pop:

the argument of best vertical 11m antenna will go on forever, who cares? as long as your antenna works for you then its a good un.


i personally think the ham int big mack which bob 85 mentioned at the start of this thread is/was and might always be the best performing vertical antenna for 11m, but like most large verticals nowadays, the build quality is shit.
 
lowes sells aluminum strip that can be used to fix it .

Shop steelworks aluminum at Lowes.com: Search Results

you can get a short piece of the same size and cut it to length . or get a 8 ft length and make a new 30 inch loop .

30 inches X 3.14 (pi) = 94.2 inches . do a 1 inch over lap (close enough)

95 / 4 = 23 3/4 inch hole spacing .

Do 1 3/4 inches of overlap and you won't have to cut it. :whistle:

I had both a Penetrator and an Imax up at the same time. The Imax was higher but I had to switch to the Penetrator to clearly hear weak stations which were drowned out by noise on the Imax. I imagine there are times when the static level is so low that even an Imax or A99 won't seem noisy, but those other times are when I appreciate a DC ground shunted radiator like the Penetrator.
:pop:
 
i was referring to cutting it to replace one of the four pieces that the stock ring is made from ..... or remaking the whole thing as one piece . but i'm glad you made me think about it NB because i forgot last night that the sigma 4 used tubing for the ring . so i'd just replace the whole loop with a 8 ft piece of 1/16 by 1 or 3/4 inch strip to make it visually consistent .
 
Do 1 3/4 inches of overlap and you won't have to cut it. :whistle:

I had both a Penetrator and an Imax up at the same time. The Imax was higher but I had to switch to the Penetrator to clearly hear weak stations which were drowned out by noise on the Imax. I imagine there are times when the static level is so low that even an Imax or A99 won't seem noisy, but those other times are when I appreciate a DC ground shunted radiator like the Penetrator.
:pop:

NB, I tend to agree with you regarding the noise on an Imax/A99 with one exception. I see this difference as detectable only when conditions are very quiet and that difference is noticable, but minimal at best. Otherwise it is very hard to impossible to detect when conditions are generally noisy...with traffic or just plain white noise.

In my experienced with an antenna system with heavy losses, reported to be similar to what we constantly hear about the Imax/A99 in particular, to show a very low SWR reading, and the RX was very quiet as a result of those excessive losses.

I know the antenna system I noted probably had a lot more loss than the Imax/A99 matching networks, which is always noted to be a lossy match, but I would think the tendencies would remain about the same.

Just to be clear, I think the idea regarding the Imax/A99 having very lossy matching is based on the very broad bandwidth they tend to show, and not much of any thing else.

If this is claim is true, then how in the heck do we explain the results, we hear and see in our own experiences regarding the Gain Master with a very broad bandwidth, and being made with fiberglass tubing?

So, what do you attribute to the difference you see between your Imax and SP...with this thought and your experience in mind?
 
why doesn't that surprise me.:bdh::bdh::pop::pop:

the argument of best vertical 11m antenna will go on forever, who cares? as long as your antenna works for you then its a good un.


i personally think the ham int big mack which bob 85 mentioned at the start of this thread is/was and might always be the best performing vertical antenna for 11m, but like most large verticals nowadays, the build quality is shit.
Hi George, long time no see dude. Nice to see you - we must talk sometime.
Never experienced a big mack apart from the maccy d version, I agree with your 'what works best for you scenario' though. I have a A99 with a spiderplane, choke and isolation package running at the moment and although I know you hate A99's its working very well. No static at all when other A99/Imax users have s7 of static in muggy weather. Because I never have static I can have the squelch well down and pick out distant stations otherwise impossible on a stock A99.
My idea of the best 11M antenna would include the reliability, strength and good performance so 827's, Vectors, GP's etc are all in the bin. From what I've seen around here with whats up at the moment nothing can touch an i10k, there are 2 of them near me, strong, reliable and decent performance - i'd love one but expensive with shipping.
 

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