Firestik Fire-Up 99 Has anyone tried one.?

[Lil'Yeshua]

remember that increased bandwidth is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to how well an antenna "gets out".

my dummy load has a flat 1:1 SWR from 1 to 30 mhz but it doesnt get out for squat!

antennas only have one specific frequency that they are resonant at (you guys know what im getting at, lets not throw red herrings in here! )

some antennas SWR curve is much narrower than others, but generally an antenna with a sharper curve is a more efficient radiator than one with a broad SWR curve.
LC

Yeah. Marconi noted that when he added a ground plane on the A99(I think), that the A99 indicated that it had a more pronounced swr/vswr(?) curve whereas before the ground radials where added it pretty much had a relatively flat swr curve. That right there tells me that ground radials are supplying the A99 with a nominal but more effective ground plane than if it was using the coax shield,mast pole,or neighbor's occasional wandering dog.

I intend to adjust my A99 to one resonant frequency and if I want to go band surfing in the neighboring free bands then I'll use my MFJ-971 just for that. I'm pleased with the results I have so far after erecting my A99. You see my stated radio checks I've gotten a few posts back and here's another radio check. Later last night another CB base operator 18 miles away gave me a 5 1/2 s-unit reading.
Again I sounded good and clear to him.

Last night I and my brother had a discussion over the airwaves about the possible variance of S/RF receive meter readings on different radios. He tried three different radios as he gave me dead key and pep readings that I sent using my 4 watter Galaxy DX-959 coupled up with my A99(tuning rings at 37').
His radios he used in the test and S/RF readings
Cobra 89GTL: 5 1/4 s-units dead key
Royce base station(find out model afterwards) 3 1/2 s-units dead key

Royce 1-604 NOS/NIB(DTB RADIO tuned): 8 1/2 s-units dead key.
His first two radios haven't if ever been under the care of a reputable,good tech. I don't think they've ever been tuned. I do know that the his Cobra 89GTL has been hacked half to death by a self appointed radio technician(sounds awful/AMC clipped). The Royce base station's receive doesn't receive that strong.
The Royce 1-604 he has that I gave him that I had DTB tune,I feel confident that the 1-604 is tuned to perfection. The 1-604 has a auto RF AGC circuit in it so I don't know if that will change his readings on different distance OP's. I know that my 959 that is DTB tuned and has the receive mod done to it. My 959 shows my brother's radio signal on my Galaxy's S/RF meter at an average of 7 1/2 s-units for all three of the radios he used that I described. There people in my neck of the woods that think that radios come tuned and aligned from the factory. I am quick to try and educate them that the factory ballpark tunes them and/or hamstrings them such as in the case of my Galaxy DX-959 but are't tuned for optimum efficiency.




You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him recite Shakespeare.

 

[hotrod]

remember that increased bandwidth is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to how well an antenna "gets out".

my dummy load has a flat 1:1 SWR from 1 to 30 mhz but it doesnt get out for squat!

antennas only have one specific frequency that they are resonant at (you guys know what im getting at, lets not throw red herrings in here! )

some antennas SWR curve is much narrower than others, but generally an antenna with a sharper curve is a more efficient radiator than one with a broad SWR curve.
LC

not to change the subject ,but ive always wondered about this. yes your right some antennas
have a wide coverage for swr .and some a narrow .example sp-500 is very narrow .and GM wide swr

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Here's a pic of my A99 with the stock top section and 101.5" SS Radio Shack 1/4 wave whips for radials on it. Note that it's not finished yet. I'm sticking the Firestik FS99 on it today now that I've established a reference with my cb buddies. I'll test it again tonight hopefully.

 

[The DB]

When it comes to bandwidth vs efficiency it all comes down to how the bandwidth was achieved. Unfortunately, in most cases, a wide SWR bandwidth is the cause of losses in the system. The losses can be from the coax losses, or simply bad coax, or losses in the antenna system due to things like an inadequate ground plane. If losses are the cause of your wide bandwidth just remember, to much will hurt both your transmitted and received signals, and you likely won't even know it is happening.

There are other things that can widen bandwidth, so it is possible to widen the bandwidth of an antenna to a point with minimal effect on efficiency. Operative words here are "to a point".

Unfortunately some people see their antenna with an excessively wide bandwidth as a good thing, and to often they don't know that it is actually hurting them.


The DB

 

[Marconi]

Here's a pic of my A99 with the stock top section and 101.5" SS Radio Shack 1/4 wave whips for radials on it. Note that it's not finished yet. I'm sticking the Firestik FS99 on it today now that I've established a reference with my cb buddies. I'll test it again tonight hopefully.

Just a note to consider: Here is my Starduster in the background and my Marconi with a GR45 mobile antenna with a top hat in the foreground. I asked earlier for your radial dimensions, so I thought I would show you the difference instead.

The Marconi setup uses a homemade GPK hub using three 102" whips with a 27* degree angle. The Starduster comes with an angle that is <=20* degrees. I know for comparison purposes these pictures are not in perfect scale, and there is likely some skewing, but I think you can the idea that there is a little difference in the radial angles. Based on my real world experience and my modeling I believe the sharper angle down makes a difference in gain that is detectable. It is not a big huge difference, but it does show to be better.

I have a stock Hub with 4 radial ports, and I added 4 ports to the horizontal side of the hub, but it does not work as good as my 3 port hub with a sharper radial angle slanted down. I can detect the difference using my radio.

I also have two old styled M400's knockoff's that I picked up over time and they too did not work as well as my Starduster or my Marconi. I think this is also due to their angles being closer to about 40* degrees like your setup looks to have.

I'm not real sure, but I think the Merlin that looks like a Starduster antenna uses a radial angle that is closer to 40* degrees as well.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

That's some neat antennas you have. My SS 101.5" Radio Shack whip radials droop under their own weight. I think that if I use pcv bracing they'll be at the angle that aligns with the threaded holes in the GPK-1.

I looked at the models you've provided. The 108" downward slanted radials provide a minimal advantage over the 72" ones. If I use the 72" fiberglass radials that the GPK-1 came with the radials will be at a better angle.




The pic is from Marconi's model with 72" downward pointing radials. Never mind the 'H' designation,he corrected the antenna model picture that goes with this one.
http://www.worldwidedx.com/attachme...one-tried-one-a99-various-radial-setups-1.pdf

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

108" downward pointing radials.

 

[Marconi]

That's some neat antennas you have. My SS 101.5" Radio Shack whip radials droop under their own weight. I think that if I use pcv bracing they'll be at the angle that aligns with the threaded holes in the GPK-1.

Or find some fiberglass 8.66" whips.

Lil'Yeshua, I don't think there is one thing you've suggested in all of this thread, that is likely to make enough difference that really matters...just using your radio.

Using PVC sounds like a bad idea to me. Go to your nearest home supply, take a 10' x 1/2" piece of PVC at one end and see how much support that will be with it hanging out there in no where. It is just more crap up there to catch wind.

You have your antenna up now. It's time to do some testing with as many local stations as you can contact, without skip rolling. Take all the bells and whistles you have in line and in mind off your test antenna. Test and record, make a single change, test and record again. Record your results in some logical manner so you can come back latter and tell again what it all meant.

Then do something different and repeat above.

Every time you make a change or get a new idea you can, may, or likely will see some differences, and that can and will confuse any analysis you might make if you are not very careful and make really good notes.

 

[nosepc]

Here's a pic of my A99 with the stock top section and 101.5" SS Radio Shack 1/4 wave whips for radials on it. Note that it's not finished yet. I'm sticking the Firestik FS99 on it today now that I've established a reference with my cb buddies. I'll test it again tonight hopefully.

You should be aware that this tower, radio and everything is also metal antenna.

When you apply radio frequency to an item, do all partners.

If you do not believe me, just do a simple test.

Put electric current in coaxial cable, and then go and measure the antenna to see where in no current.

greetings.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I'm about to take the A99 top section off in stall the Firestick.
With low power and the present conditions,I would have to wait til early morning or late at night to make a DX contact. Mustang 131 has been on all day doing his show. I think I would have to pick another channel to get out on.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I installed the Firestik. Tuning was a little tricky with the antenna laying horizontal above the ground. I used the MFJ-207 and tuned it for the lowest swr. As it stands right now, I had to run the A99's tuning rings up as far as they would go. The Firestick tuning screw is turned down as low as it will go. After raising the antenna back in it's upright position I checked the swr at my base radio coax end. It's tuned for 27.285 MHz -27.655 MHz. The swr is a flat 1:1:1 between these frequencies. That's about where I want it tuned. At 26.615 and 27.775 MHz it's 1:2:1 ratio. It's definantly got a swr curve to it. I'll leave as is and get some on air reports tonight and for this whole week.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

A little closer.

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Radio check with Firestik:
The local that said I was putting 9 1/2 s-units on him said that I am now showing 20+ DB on his radio.
More radio checks to come!








I have the MFJ-971 Antenna tuner inline for now.
Going back over and checking the swr at the band ends and the free bands.
1:5:1 on 27.855 MHz.
1:7:1 on 26.515 MHz.
1:2:1 on 26.965 MHz.
1:2:1 on 27.405 MHz.






Bonus video!
http://youtu.be/0RCqTQUq8NQ
http://www.amateurradio.bz/
http://youtu.be/-W7Nbl2Z1eo

 

[AudioShockwav]

I have the MFJ-971 Antenna tuner inline for now.

I would remove it. You do not need it of the "antenna" is tuned properly and it just adds another variable to the mix.
Keep it simple, radio,coax,antenna.

73
Jeff

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

I would remove it. You do not need it of the "antenna" is tuned properly and it just adds another variable to the mix.
Keep it simple, radio,coax,antenna.

73
Jeff

I took it out of line. My brother's radio report of me on his Royce is 1/4 of one s-unit higher but 1/2 of a s-unit lower on his Cobra 89 GTL. Go figure!?