Hey Wire W
Did you see Marconi' s Question?
I am curious about the length thing too.....
73
Jeff
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Bought Sigma Venom 5/8 Silver Rod, Performance Review To Follow
- Thread starter Wire Weasel
- Start date
Did you see Marconi' s Question?
I am curious about the length thing too.....
73
Jeff
Hi Jeff, yes I saw the question. I assembled the thing for 11 meter operation per the instructions. It worked right on the money where I wanted it to. I didn't see any point in playing with it any further.
Wire Weasel, you did good and I'm glad you are happy with your results.
I am intrigued by this simple antenna, even back in the days before CB got really big and HyGain built one similar.
I hear folks complain and other's asking questions about this line from the UK. I and a few others are curious how this seemingly "same antenna" comes in a box marked 1/2 wave and one marked 5/8 wave...while understanding there is a difference between these 2 wavelengths.
I also understand that plenty of CB operators don't care about all the details and that is as it should be.
I didn't know how you felt on these matters, so forgive me.
I am intrigued by this simple antenna, even back in the days before CB got really big and HyGain built one similar.
I hear folks complain and other's asking questions about this line from the UK. I and a few others are curious how this seemingly "same antenna" comes in a box marked 1/2 wave and one marked 5/8 wave...while understanding there is a difference between these 2 wavelengths.
I also understand that plenty of CB operators don't care about all the details and that is as it should be.
I didn't know how you felt on these matters, so forgive me.
Eddie i am not sure what brand you are talking about,
these budget 1/2 & 5/8 waves come with several different names all look very similar,
they are not the same length, the 5/8 versions are longer but not long enough to be 5/8, some have silver rod style short curved radials & some don't,
all the more recent ones i have had apart had wire transformers not a pcb like the same style antennas from the late 70's & early 80's,
sirio claim their 1/2 & 5/8 are the same length but the ones i have seen in the past were not the same length or the same transformer turns,
if sirio are now selling the same antenna as 5/8 & 1/2wave they must be including the 1/8wave radials like they include the length of your vehicle when they sell you 5ft 5/8wave or 6ft 7/8wave mobile antennas
these budget 1/2 & 5/8 waves come with several different names all look very similar,
they are not the same length, the 5/8 versions are longer but not long enough to be 5/8, some have silver rod style short curved radials & some don't,
all the more recent ones i have had apart had wire transformers not a pcb like the same style antennas from the late 70's & early 80's,
sirio claim their 1/2 & 5/8 are the same length but the ones i have seen in the past were not the same length or the same transformer turns,
if sirio are now selling the same antenna as 5/8 & 1/2wave they must be including the 1/8wave radials like they include the length of your vehicle when they sell you 5ft 5/8wave or 6ft 7/8wave mobile antennas
Bob, some time back I did a little research on the old HyGain Silver Rod antenna and found several suppliers or manufactures in Europe and all kinds of different configurations with different model names, different length of radials, no radials, and different overall lengths in some recent ads...just like you describe.
I can only recall trying to get some understanding in an old thread here...who the member was I don't recall. Right now I'm not sure what the problems were either.
The thread got to looking like a can of worms to me and I gave up. I remember the idea though, and that is why I thought Wire Weasel might could help pin some details down with this Chameleon like antenna.
I can't tell you why, but for a long time I've felt the 1/2 wave antenna was a better all around antenna than the 5/8 waves I've had...at least in the local range where most of my contacts for years were. I liked my SD'r, A99, A/P. Wolf Point 0.50_11M.
I think I use to piss off a lot of guys, saying I didn't see much difference among all of my CB vertical mono-poles I've use.
I can only recall trying to get some understanding in an old thread here...who the member was I don't recall. Right now I'm not sure what the problems were either.
The thread got to looking like a can of worms to me and I gave up. I remember the idea though, and that is why I thought Wire Weasel might could help pin some details down with this Chameleon like antenna.
I can't tell you why, but for a long time I've felt the 1/2 wave antenna was a better all around antenna than the 5/8 waves I've had...at least in the local range where most of my contacts for years were. I liked my SD'r, A99, A/P. Wolf Point 0.50_11M.
I think I use to piss off a lot of guys, saying I didn't see much difference among all of my CB vertical mono-poles I've use.
you are right Eddie, we have had many versions over the years, silver rods anodized blue rods, golden rods, 4 5 & 6 section,
more folk have cmc issues with the 5/8waves,
knights cb shop have this to say about the 5/8 vs 1/2wave versions of these antennas
"We have found 5/8 wave antennas without large groundplanes do not swr as easily as a 1/2 wave, and my preference is to go for the 1/2 wave instead of this"
the 5/8 versions are more popular round here.
i do see a difference in signals between antennas Eddie, sometimes more than expected such as my 10k vs imax,
i now realise that most of the differences in signal strength people see when comparing antennas are caused by things other than the antenna itself & usually due to poor installation practices.
more folk have cmc issues with the 5/8waves,
knights cb shop have this to say about the 5/8 vs 1/2wave versions of these antennas
"We have found 5/8 wave antennas without large groundplanes do not swr as easily as a 1/2 wave, and my preference is to go for the 1/2 wave instead of this"
the 5/8 versions are more popular round here.
i do see a difference in signals between antennas Eddie, sometimes more than expected such as my 10k vs imax,
i now realise that most of the differences in signal strength people see when comparing antennas are caused by things other than the antenna itself & usually due to poor installation practices.
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Well I'm thinking on pulling out some loot for the Sigma Venom 1/2 wave version of this. Does not have the little radials on it.
Does says CLR II (or maybe III as there pic sucks) on the box up top.
Will it be better than my A99? I dunno I get 3-7 noise here all day on my A99.
Anyone such as the OP have any thoughts on performance thus far?? Online reports say it very good.
I wish the Sirio 2016 was still out there but I talked to DNJ on the phone and he said end of June maybe for them.
Does says CLR II (or maybe III as there pic sucks) on the box up top.
Will it be better than my A99? I dunno I get 3-7 noise here all day on my A99.
Anyone such as the OP have any thoughts on performance thus far?? Online reports say it very good.
I wish the Sirio 2016 was still out there but I talked to DNJ on the phone and he said end of June maybe for them.
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I want one, never could locate a local dealer for something like these.
The CMC issue though WILL occur. I've even tried "guy wiring" to see if it could take care of some of this mess...
What I wound up doing was - and since this antenna was a much older Big-Stik from the (Cu) days - it my younger life I spent a lot of time mobile - so in it's transport to the various locations I lived in, some bits and pieces always wound up never making it to the next destination. It's "last assignment" worked like a "flag Pole" only the flag never made it onto it - the Flag was mounted on the tree instead...pounded a 10' section mast into the ground and bolted the remaining hardware and bracket I still had for it - and made a nice "ground plane 1/2 wave" antenna.
Got it taken out one day by a drunken evicted tenant from a cabin further up the street wanting to drive over everyone's rose gardens and street post lamps as they departed for another life elsewhere - I never recovered from that for the job at the time took up too much of my personal time to repair and or finally replace it.
The CMC issue though WILL occur. I've even tried "guy wiring" to see if it could take care of some of this mess...
What I wound up doing was - and since this antenna was a much older Big-Stik from the (Cu) days - it my younger life I spent a lot of time mobile - so in it's transport to the various locations I lived in, some bits and pieces always wound up never making it to the next destination. It's "last assignment" worked like a "flag Pole" only the flag never made it onto it - the Flag was mounted on the tree instead...pounded a 10' section mast into the ground and bolted the remaining hardware and bracket I still had for it - and made a nice "ground plane 1/2 wave" antenna.
Got it taken out one day by a drunken evicted tenant from a cabin further up the street wanting to drive over everyone's rose gardens and street post lamps as they departed for another life elsewhere - I never recovered from that for the job at the time took up too much of my personal time to repair and or finally replace it.
I had one of these up in a pine tree for about 25 years. Survived many storms over there years. The tree finally grow over it so I replaced it. Very durable antenna.
Not to worry. Cousins and I nailed him as a teenager (we were younger). A war-surplus Jeep-driving punk kept running over the little kids snowmen. Several up & down street over a period of days. Right before Christmas.
So the neighborhood boys built a bigger one covering a fire hydrant.
(Yup. He did. At speed).
Several sorts of mothers & grandmothers came out to cook his goose when city police arrived. Roasted with a minimum of words. Judicial brevity.
Nice neighborhood the other 364. The type where responding officers may have needed directions on how to get there.
He left in back seat of the city’s Plymouth. Those cops were ramrod-straight at that point. I’d never considered being able to walk AND stand at attention at the same time.
He had bruises and cuts already.
Wasn’t that convenient?
The punk not seen again in that part of town. We enjoyed that story for years.
In the Depression-era childhood of our parents no police would’ve been called. The Wild West still lingered. Times were hard. Those miners fists were harder.
Your antenna lent some Cu wire that later caused a short and a consuming electrical fire.
The worldline I’ve described (where justice bends to serve) is a bit more fun, eh?
.
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I love it!
Could have used that up there but when this all came about - the guy was gone - happened while I was at work...
Fire Hydrant - very effective...
I'm considering the 1/2 wave sigma to replace my wind damaged antenna. I'm not wanting to spend much with the many uncertainties right now so the sigma fits the bill. Their ebay store is out of stock but after messaging they say later this week will have more. Once here and in the air I'll report back on it
KAMSAT and Nevada Radio in UK have them. Nevada quote was 28 BP to ship to US the 1/2 wave version.
I bought the venom for under .$100 shipped. I think like $79 shipped. Showed up in 3 days. It has been sitting for about a year. String of bad luck is keeping me for getting it up.
I have used the Sigma 1/2 waves, they work ok but are a little light weight. I now have a 1/2 wave Sirio GPS 27.
The difference between the Sigma/Sirio is that the Sirio is significantly better quality. Thicker aluminium, steel mounting bracket, better quality SO-239 (and the way that the So-239 is mounted i.e. heavy duty nut and not 2 rivets, not even 4 rivets !) Also the coil in the Sigma is a rather thin piece of wire wrapped around a piece of plastic former. The Sirio has a thick solid core piece of copper wire.
The quality difference is not small.
If you want a super light antenna for some reason the Sigma will work. If you want an overall more robust antenna with better parts the Sirio GPS 27 1/2 wave is much better built.
Stick with the 1/2 wave variants for a lower SWR, I could not get the 5/8 waves to SWR very well.
The difference between the Sigma/Sirio is that the Sirio is significantly better quality. Thicker aluminium, steel mounting bracket, better quality SO-239 (and the way that the So-239 is mounted i.e. heavy duty nut and not 2 rivets, not even 4 rivets !) Also the coil in the Sigma is a rather thin piece of wire wrapped around a piece of plastic former. The Sirio has a thick solid core piece of copper wire.
The quality difference is not small.
If you want a super light antenna for some reason the Sigma will work. If you want an overall more robust antenna with better parts the Sirio GPS 27 1/2 wave is much better built.
Stick with the 1/2 wave variants for a lower SWR, I could not get the 5/8 waves to SWR very well.