It's not the antenna that makes one loud. Antennas don't talk transmitters / Transceivers do. The A 99 is an excellent antenna. Price wise and band coverage can't be bought at that price, and work as well as they do.
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can the A99 ever be a good antenna?
- Thread starter Bearcat
- Start date
I spoke to ten's of stations from my QTH in New Jersey with My A 99 9 feet off the ground. Two watts from New Jersey to San Juan Puerto Rico, south Africa, Curacao and so many others, loud and proud. Conditions conditions conditions.
I know a few guys that say it's pretty loud when they throw it in a dumpster
Now, I have an A99 and use an A99 (among others). I have talked from California to Georgia, Canada and Hawaii - all on a stock Grant XL, 12 watts SSB and an A99 at 25 ft to the feed point. Something must work.
If you are going to go with an A99 style antenna - spend the extra 20 bucks on an I-max 2000.
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As far as I understand the Antron 99 is simply a 1/2 wave GPA with a slightly more convoluted matching system, dial a match rings (coil inside a coil)
So you will get exactly that the performance of a 1/2 wave vertical. Nothing more nothing less.
One of these silver rod antennas should do as well. (probably identical performance as it is one and the same design, minus the dial a match rings):
http://www.sigmaeurocomm.co.uk/sigmasilverrodvenomhalfwave.html
Ignore the 4.1dB gain figure it is overstated.
These cost £30.00 in the UK. That is $45.00 In the UK they are less than 1/2 the price of an Antron 99
"Good antenna" is subjective.... and relative to how it is installed, you could make a 1/2 wave one from copper wire (with matching coil) and a support for about $5.00 if you had the know how. (minus the dial a match section)
The performance would be identical. There are better antennas that will give you about 2 dB extra gain on the horizon maximum so they are in fact likely to be higher performance antennas. Other specifications that may effect the performance of any given antenna is whether it is a dipole type or has 1/4 wave ground pane radials and the physical length. This may make a little difference over and above the stated gain figures if one of the antennas works better given your exact mounting situation, height, nearby objects, obstructions and to a lesser degree at 27mHz ground conditions.
3dB is loosely described as 1/2 an S point. So it is less than 1/2 an S point gain on paper.
All of these antennas will radiate a decent signal when set up properly. Some marginally better than others, end of story.
It just takes quite a while before you come to realize that through testing and educating yourself and that happens to be quite good fun.
The Antron 99 is every bit as good as any other antenna of the same design is what I would say. (assuming that dial a match loading system is not known to be excessively lossy over a simple coil and tap)
On this Sirio GPE 1/2 wave this is a decent looking gauge piece of copper for the coil:
So you will get exactly that the performance of a 1/2 wave vertical. Nothing more nothing less.
One of these silver rod antennas should do as well. (probably identical performance as it is one and the same design, minus the dial a match rings):
http://www.sigmaeurocomm.co.uk/sigmasilverrodvenomhalfwave.html
Ignore the 4.1dB gain figure it is overstated.
These cost £30.00 in the UK. That is $45.00 In the UK they are less than 1/2 the price of an Antron 99
"Good antenna" is subjective.... and relative to how it is installed, you could make a 1/2 wave one from copper wire (with matching coil) and a support for about $5.00 if you had the know how. (minus the dial a match section)
The performance would be identical. There are better antennas that will give you about 2 dB extra gain on the horizon maximum so they are in fact likely to be higher performance antennas. Other specifications that may effect the performance of any given antenna is whether it is a dipole type or has 1/4 wave ground pane radials and the physical length. This may make a little difference over and above the stated gain figures if one of the antennas works better given your exact mounting situation, height, nearby objects, obstructions and to a lesser degree at 27mHz ground conditions.
3dB is loosely described as 1/2 an S point. So it is less than 1/2 an S point gain on paper.
All of these antennas will radiate a decent signal when set up properly. Some marginally better than others, end of story.
It just takes quite a while before you come to realize that through testing and educating yourself and that happens to be quite good fun.
The Antron 99 is every bit as good as any other antenna of the same design is what I would say. (assuming that dial a match loading system is not known to be excessively lossy over a simple coil and tap)
On this Sirio GPE 1/2 wave this is a decent looking gauge piece of copper for the coil:
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I agree with wavrider and others here the A99 can be a very good antenna.
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With a few mods to prevent the splintering of the Fiberglass, they can be a great antenna if you can get them up high enough. Not so much for dx but for RFI/TVI and local use, get one up to 30ft or more to the base and get it tuned properly and it will work just fine. I used heat shrink on the one I have. From top to bottom. Man was it a pleasure to hold after that LOL!! But like someone said, spend the extra few dollars and get the IMAX 2000. They do build them a bit better quality wise and they you are getting a much taller antenna. Height equals might! So this may help make up for someone that can't get an antenna up past say 20ft. Just some food for thought. And JMHO.
As far as I understand the Antron 99 is simply a 1/2 wave GPA with a slightly more convoluted matching system, dial a match rings (coil inside a coil)
So you will get exactly that the performance of a 1/2 wave vertical. Nothing more nothing less.
One of these silver rod antennas should do as well. (probably identical performance as it is one and the same design, minus the dial a match rings):
http://www.sigmaeurocomm.co.uk/sigmasilverrodvenomhalfwave.html
Ignore the 4.1dB gain figure it is overstated.
These cost £30.00 in the UK. That is $45.00 In the UK they are less than 1/2 the price of an Antron 99
"Good antenna" is subjective.... and relative to how it is installed, you could make a 1/2 wave one from copper wire (with matching coil) and a support for about $5.00 if you had the know how. (minus the dial a match section)
The performance would be identical. There are better antennas that will give you about 2 dB extra gain on the horizon maximum so they are in fact likely to be higher performance antennas. Other specifications that may effect the performance of any given antenna is whether it is a dipole type or has 1/4 wave ground pane radials and the physical length. This may make a little difference over and above the stated gain figures if one of the antennas works better given your exact mounting situation, height, nearby objects, obstructions and to a lesser degree at 27mHz ground conditions.
3dB is loosely described as 1/2 an S point. So it is less than 1/2 an S point gain on paper.
All of these antennas will radiate a decent signal when set up properly. Some marginally better than others, end of story.
It just takes quite a while before you come to realize that through testing and educating yourself and that happens to be quite good fun.
The Antron 99 is every bit as good as any other antenna of the same design is what I would say. (assuming that dial a match loading system is not known to be excessively lossy over a simple coil and tap)
On this Sirio GPE 1/2 wave this is a decent looking gauge piece of copper for the coil:
Good read...why do you think both antennas performed the same at that height? I have always been told the A99 has a lossy coil section...true?
Because they're both the same antenna design. The A99 doesn't have a lossy coil section, it has a matching section that is as efficient as any other. The difference between that and the other halfwave posted is that it uses rings to make up the LC circuit instead of putting the coil inside a tube. That allows you to tune the antenna using the rings to vary the feedpoint impedance instead of altering the length of the antenna.
Can debate this all day long about what makes a certain antenna better than others.
To summarize, any antenna will radiate the RF put into it, some better than others depending on impedance matching networks if required.
The basic simple Star Duster is 1/4 wl no matching network required and will work 10 through 12 meters. As efficient as it gets no LOSS in matching network.
1/2 WL. 5/8 wl and .64 WL all require a matching network.
IF the tips of all three are at the same height it would be hard to tell the difference in transmitted signal.
Many that have posted here have taken the time to test and evaluate all the above mentioned antennas.
None of them really stand out over the other, plain and simple all are about the same.
So with that in mind, and keeping your antenna within budget if you have one go with whatever vertical you like, and forget about the advertising hype.
There are simple wire antennas that provide more gain (in certain directions) than any of the verticals mentioned above.
The antenna is 95% of your signal and the THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your station.
Antennas can be built out of almost anything. Mine is a 5/8wl, tapped matching coil using stainless steel brake line for ground radials, It works.
The most important thing is to install your antenna safely, as high as you can get it and start making some contacts. Have fun.
To summarize, any antenna will radiate the RF put into it, some better than others depending on impedance matching networks if required.
The basic simple Star Duster is 1/4 wl no matching network required and will work 10 through 12 meters. As efficient as it gets no LOSS in matching network.
1/2 WL. 5/8 wl and .64 WL all require a matching network.
IF the tips of all three are at the same height it would be hard to tell the difference in transmitted signal.
Many that have posted here have taken the time to test and evaluate all the above mentioned antennas.
None of them really stand out over the other, plain and simple all are about the same.
So with that in mind, and keeping your antenna within budget if you have one go with whatever vertical you like, and forget about the advertising hype.
There are simple wire antennas that provide more gain (in certain directions) than any of the verticals mentioned above.
The antenna is 95% of your signal and the THE MOST IMPORTANT part of your station.
Antennas can be built out of almost anything. Mine is a 5/8wl, tapped matching coil using stainless steel brake line for ground radials, It works.
The most important thing is to install your antenna safely, as high as you can get it and start making some contacts. Have fun.
Matching networks typically don't have any loss that is even worth considering as long as they can present a feedpoint impedance that matches the load impedance until you get to electrically short antennas that have a wide bandwidth where the only way to achieve that is through intentionally creating a lossy matching network.
A similar claim about loss is often made about traps in multiband antennas but losses in those are in small fractions of a dB.
One thing I will add.....My IMAX2000 never goes below a SWR 1.5:1 in any mount. My Silver Rod goes 1.1:1 without issue.
In actual fact I don't think the tuning rings seem to make much difference once I hit 1.5:1 in my own mounting methods. The VSWR only goes upwards from here.
I am not sure if it is to do with their being an absence of ground radials (5/8 wave IMAX) or if the IMAX2000 is physically too long for the frequencies on which I operate (Very narrow set of frequencies). In any event I find this a slightly annoying trait of the IMAX2000. I have considered cutting off 1cm at a time and see if it comes down.
Seems to be the case however I mount it and I use quite a few ways of mounting including various heights. Not sure if the same issue exists on the A99.
In actual fact I don't think the tuning rings seem to make much difference once I hit 1.5:1 in my own mounting methods. The VSWR only goes upwards from here.
I am not sure if it is to do with their being an absence of ground radials (5/8 wave IMAX) or if the IMAX2000 is physically too long for the frequencies on which I operate (Very narrow set of frequencies). In any event I find this a slightly annoying trait of the IMAX2000. I have considered cutting off 1cm at a time and see if it comes down.
Seems to be the case however I mount it and I use quite a few ways of mounting including various heights. Not sure if the same issue exists on the A99.
Although the Sirio GPE27 does not appear to be in a tube. (only a plastic one) You mean a former ? That seems to be plastic too.
I just thought 2 tightly wound coils might be a little more lossy than a thick copper single one on a 1/2 wave with no tuning rings/double tight coils set up.
Agreed on loss not worth mentioning EXCEPT and as you posted there IS a slight loss in ANY matching network or coil. However slight it may be it is still worth mentioning.
An antenna is an investment research and go with the best one you can afford