Francis 8' Wheeler Dealer Antenna

[smalltiredart]

The Wheeler Dealer by Francis is an 8' long fiberglass whip antenna with 3 copper wire elements inside of it instead of 1 like a standard glass whip. <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/posticon34.gif ALT=":34">



How much power would this antenna handle safely ? <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/posticon60.gif ALT=":60">



Searched the net and could not find any power rating. <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/wow.gif ALT=":wow">






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[Lazybones1222]

huh?

 

[Red Ranger/444]

Smalltiredart, The wheeler dealer(cb28) only has 1 copper wire, the "Amazer" (cb50, grey colored) has 3 wires and is by far the better of the two. You can safely run 500-600 watts. Every month or 2, pull the cap off the tip, and take your pocket knife and scrap the carbon build-up off. Who cares about the ugly grey color when an antenna works this good. You can paint it with what ever achrylic color you want. Theres just one problem with the "Amazer", they arn't made anymore. There are a few floating aroud ,it took me about 1 month of searching to find one and only 1, the fella had left. He told me $18, I told him $22, he finally said $23, I said "Sold" 8) He was to low on the price and one of the best radio repairman in our state. :bounce

 

[smalltiredart]

Actually, in order to simplify production, Francis started making the last generation of the CB28's 3 wire construction just like the CB50. Mine is black and when I was trimming to tune it I diceted a piece and there were 3 small wires in it.

I did here from a rep. at Francis that they are no longer going to produce that antenna.

I've been running it for the last couple weeks and it works great local and skip. It's mounted at roof level on my pick up.

I am running around 600 to 700 watts through it right now, but when I step it up here soon and my new box arives I'm going to retire it to run a comp. Monkey

 

[Red Ranger/444]

The CB50, CB28 or both? Now I'm gonna' have to pull the cap and look on the one I think is CB28, but I'm pretty sure it is, to much of a change when I put the grey on I had a link to the "Amazer" for the patent file, I'll try to find 8)

 

[76Q]

anyone with a new or mint one for sale, CB50/ CB28?

Bump, anyone with a new or mint one for sale, CB50/ CB28? I'm interested, just let me know.

 

[AudioShockwav]

Patent Number 3541567

""Whip antenna formed of electrically conductive graphite strands embedded in a resin material""
And Actually they are Graphite strands, not wire.

( This is not correct,wrong info, another antenna I was thinking of at the time, disregard )
Good Luck in your search, I was able to find 2 in stock about 5 years ago in a small music store in Virginia, and bought both of them.......not easy to find anymore.

Francis Industries Inc. CB-28 "Wheeler Dealer"



Patent US3541567 - MULTIELEMENT RADIO-FREQUENCY ANTENNA STRUCTURE HAVING LINEARLY ARRANGED ELEMENTS - Google Patents


73
Jeff

 

[Marconi]

Patent Number 3541567

""Whip antenna formed of electrically conductive graphite strands embedded in a resin material""
And Actually they are Graphite strands, not wire.

Good Luck in your search, I was able to find 2 in stock about 5 years ago in a small music store in Virginia, and bought both of them.......not easy to find anymore.

Francis Industries Inc. CB-28 "Wheeler Dealer"



Patent US3541567 - MULTIELEMENT RADIO-FREQUENCY ANTENNA STRUCTURE HAVING LINEARLY ARRANGED ELEMENTS - Google Patents


73
Jeff

Jeff, I remember cutting my Francis without knowing the basic construction idea, and found the conductors almost like copper coated steel wire. It was very hard to cut. I don't think I hurt the antenna with just a 3/16" cut, but I could have, if it had three different sized diameter and length conductors inside...regardless of what they were made of. I remember only seeing one conductor inside, but after I read the patent, years later, I checked my Wheeler Dealer out very closely, and I see two conductor ends in the opposite sides at different lengths from the tip, so I figure it has three conductors of different lengths, unlike another post indicated.

If you look closely at the antenna it looks like the manufacture sharpened the tip down in a big pencil sharpener, you can see the mill marks in about 1/2 of the antenna toward the tip. This is just an assumption however.

I think graphite is conductive, so it could be true I suppose, but the patent doesn't say the conductors are graphite. Where did you get this information?

Just curious.

 

[AudioShockwav]

You are correct Eddie, I was thinking of another Patent that I was reading that is listed on the same page...

I will correct the first post.

73
Jeff

 

[AudioShockwav]

I checked my Wheeler Dealer out very closely, and I see two conductor ends in the opposite sides at different lengths from the tip, so I figure it has three conductors of different lengths, unlike another post indicated.

If you guys will give me a second here, I think I can get some close up pictures of the end of one up here in just a few.


On Edit:
I will have to wait until I get into town and get my other camera, the one on the phone will not focus down close enough to show all three conductors

73
Jeff

 

[unit_399]

I've said this before and I'll say it again ... The Francis Amazer was the best mobile antenna I've ever run. The Amazer became ancient history when Barjan bought out Francis. Now that Barjan is going into bankruptcy, maybe someone will pick up the Francis rights and (hopefully) start producing the Amazer and Wheeler Dealer again.
BTW, an old Francis brochure I have says they are rated at 500W (???)

-399

 

[Marconi]

I tried taking a picture too, but the flash covers up the element.

BTW Jeff, if you check yours out look for a small dot near the tip, about 3x this size (.), looks white years later on mine. One is about 2" down. There is another wire at 19" down. I didn't remember them that far apart, but...

According to Fig 8, in the patent the wires should show up on the same side of the radiator, two of the wires are shorter than the one in the tip.

My antenna is also red and had Wheeler Dealer on the side near the base.

 

[Se7en]

I've said this before and I'll say it again ... The Francis Amazer was the best mobile antenna I've ever run. The Amazer became ancient history when Barjan bought out Francis. Now that Barjan is going into bankruptcy, maybe someone will pick up the Francis rights and (hopefully) start producing the Amazer and Wheeler Dealer again.
BTW, an old Francis brochure I have says they are rated at 500W (???)

-399

i seen someone with one running 1kw PEP "bird watts" ..... maybe it was a copy? it did say on the chrome metal base: Francis amazer look like it was laser engraved or etched.

someone i know got two of them white for 10$ a piece at a garage sale.

 

[Marconi]

I've said this before and I'll say it again ... The Francis Amazer was the best mobile antenna I've ever run. The Amazer became ancient history when Barjan bought out Francis. Now that Barjan is going into bankruptcy, maybe someone will pick up the Francis rights and (hopefully) start producing the Amazer and Wheeler Dealer again.
BTW, an old Francis brochure I have says they are rated at 500W (???)

-399

Hey JJ. I heard a story once about Barjan that they could not reproduce the Francis spacing an isolation to specs, and they produced very few with their name on it. I think the story came from FreeCell or Old Masterbater, who I use to call Master Chef.

 

[rabbiporkchop]

francis amazer 96" antenna

The Wheeler Dealer by Francis is an 8' long fiberglass whip antenna with 3 copper wire elements inside of it instead of 1 like a standard glass whip. <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/posticon34.gif ALT=":34">



How much power would this antenna handle safely ? <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/posticon60.gif ALT=":60">



Searched the net and could not find any power rating. <img src=http://www.wwdx.org/smilies/wow.gif ALT=":wow">
150 pep





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150 watts pep- double if you co-phase