Interesting thread, this site is always a worthy reference. I have an aging Imax 2000. I have talked all over the world on it, and I have used it on 10, 11, 12, and 15 meters with little to no tuning. Great antenna, and at a feedpoint height of 65-70’, it’s been awesome.
After reading this thread, I am going to go ahead and order it’s replacement. If I get a “short one”, I may try a 102” whip, cut to match my old one’s overall length.
My only concern there may be if the bottom section is shorter I may be messing with the balance of the Antenna. It’s very disappointing that the company that purchased Solarcon changed it.
i also looked at the Sirio Gainmaster 5/8, but I am concerned about the power handling as when on 10M I can legally run legal limit (although my AL-80B doesn’t put out that much power). Even the occasional 1KW might turn the GM 5/8 into a large fuse.
The temptation to homebrew a more stout version of the gainmaster or a copy of the “old” imax is gaining momentum.
On a side note, nice to see Ocean 1 on here. I spoke with him often while working at the Outer Banks a couple years ago.
WR79 Harry in Pennsylvania (aka NB79)