GM-500, hope it rocks!

[Highlander_821]

After all i have heard, i have contemplated driving to pick up a gm, but it would be a 9 hour drive one way prolly an overnight stay, so i will take my chance with the carriers.

Highlander, any word on yours? Did you get from copper or h&Y?

Nope. I tracked down our regular driver on Wednesday, and he said there was a sub that day. The supervisor from our terminal has called a couple of times. At first they said the guy had left it on my neighbors' porch and even had the right street address and described it correctly as a horse farm.

But they don't have it and haven't seen anything on their porch or anywhere else for that matter. I know them and they would not lie. So now UPS are saying that he thinks he dropped it off on a country road a couple of miles from our road, at a "place where two cops live."

Of course it isn't there either, so I don't know what happens next. I imagine Copper will get reimbursed by UPS eventually, and then maybe I have to re-order the antenna or something.

Pretty sad when a company has ONE FREAKING JOB to do, that is to get shit where it is supposed to go, but they can't do it. Then go out of business and maybe someone will come along that can actually provide that service.

 

[gamegetter]

man that is a horror story... the ups guys here in my area of Missouri will not leave a package anywhere, unless if the receiver signs for it.

If no one is home, they will leave it on the truck and try to deliver each day for the rest of the week. If at the end of the week they have not caught someone at home then they return it to the station.

Good luck sir.

 

[Needle Bender]

Nope. I tracked down our regular driver on Wednesday, and he said there was a sub that day. The supervisor from our terminal has called a couple of times. At first they said the guy had left it on my neighbors' porch and even had the right street address and described it correctly as a horse farm.

But they don't have it and haven't seen anything on their porch or anywhere else for that matter. I know them and they would not lie. So now UPS are saying that he thinks he dropped it off on a country road a couple of miles from our road, at a "place where two cops live."

Of course it isn't there either, so I don't know what happens next. I imagine Copper will get reimbursed by UPS eventually, and then maybe I have to re-order the antenna or something.

Pretty sad when a company has ONE FREAKING JOB to do, that is to get shit where it is supposed to go, but they can't do it. Then go out of business and maybe someone will come along that can actually provide that service.

service with a smile, or service with a pile

 

[hotrod]

sorry to hear this. now when they deliever dont ya have to sign for the package
they deliever?if so find out who signed for it.i signed for my neighbors stuff before
but was with fed ex..i think

 

[Highlander_821]

I got it. Our regular driver found it and brought it to my house yesterday.

Not sure if I'll get it installed today---kind of windy.

 

[Marconi]

I got it. Our regular driver found it and brought it to my house yesterday.

Not sure if I'll get it installed today---kind of windy.

Good news Highlander.

I find some will disagree with me on this suggestion, but I recommend you try to get the new GM in the clear as possible, and to raise it up 20' or more at the mount. If you're interested in the best for local contacts higher is generally better anyway.

I see a noticeable ill-affect to the tune on my VA1 analyzer when this antenna is below 20' feet. That said, in my yard the antennas are always relatively close to something on the ground, so maybe this was the problem I saw, but whatever it was...it was obvious and when I got above 20' the problem when away. BTW, the homes in my area are all about 18' feet high.

Others have said they did not see such and issue when using an SWR meter, and that maybe understandable, so maybe you can't see this without using an analyzer. Just something to consider.

If you are just interested in DX contacts, being low to the Earth is not the worst of issues.

Good luck and be careful.

 

[Needle Bender]

I got it. Our regular driver found it and brought it to my house yesterday.

Not sure if I'll get it installed today---kind of windy.

were was it?

 

[Highlander_821]

were was it?

My understanding is that the people to whom it was erroneously delivered put it in their garage to get it out of the elements, but delayed contacting UPS for some unknown reason. I believe our driver (who is clearly an honest, conscientious person) actually went to the door and asked them about it and they produced the item.

I did not attempt to install it yesterday. Maybe next weekend.

 

[Highlander_821]

Good news Highlander.

I find some will disagree with me on this suggestion, but I recommend you try to get the new GM in the clear as possible, and to raise it up 20' or more at the mount. If you're interested in the best for local contacts higher is generally better anyway.

I see a noticeable ill-affect to the tune on my VA1 analyzer when this antenna is below 20' feet. That said, in my yard the antennas are always relatively close to something on the ground, so maybe this was the problem I saw, but whatever it was...it was obvious and when I got above 20' the problem when away. BTW, the homes in my area are all about 18' feet high.

Others have said they did not see such and issue when using an SWR meter, and that maybe understandable, so maybe you can't see this without using an analyzer. Just something to consider.

If you are just interested in DX contacts, being low to the Earth is not the worst of issues.

Good luck and be careful.

I would like to get it up higher, but when using a roof mounted tripod with a big antenna like this, I just don't feel comfortable going with more than the 10 foot mast that I am using.

You are right about local range with it being this low---it ain't going to be great. With the Imax at this same location, I have difficulty just getting contact with friends in town just 10-12 miles from me. I am in a topographically rough spot, being right next to a river at a very low elevation. I am also surrounded by timber on 3 sides. It actually gets better when the leaves come down.

DX has always been good with the Imax though, so I expect that it will be pretty decent with the conditions apparently really picking up. That's what got me motivated to buy and install this thing in the first place.

 

[Needle Bender]

I would like to get it up higher, but when using a roof mounted tripod with a big antenna like this, I just don't feel comfortable going with more than the 10 foot mast that I am using.

You are right about local range with it being this low---it ain't going to be great. With the Imax at this same location, I have difficulty just getting contact with friends in town just 10-12 miles from me. I am in a topographically rough spot, being right next to a river at a very low elevation. I am also surrounded by timber on 3 sides. It actually gets better when the leaves come down.

DX has always been good with the Imax though, so I expect that it will be pretty decent with the conditions apparently really picking up. That's what got me motivated to buy and install this thing in the first place.

you really should think about getting a push up mast. i hope it helps and outperforms the imax. i hope the angle isnt to low for your setting and i will look forward to your report in a week or so

 

[Highlander_821]

Well my friend came over yesterday and helped me install the GM. That went without a hitch. As long and ungainly as this stick is, it is very light and was not a problem for me to walk it up vertically and steady it while Rich got it to slide down into the tripod.

I did not to an extensive bandwidth test yet, but SWR was flat at 27.200, rose a bit as I went into the freeband (1.6 or so on 27.500 if I recall), and came back down under 1.4 in the most popular 28.300-500 part of ten meters.

Hit a couple of stations in California with good signals both ways, just 40 watts from my Galaxy 2517.

Haven't had time to get some local action on it to see if it compares to or exceeds the Imax in that regard.

So so far, so good!

 

[Marconi]

Well my friend came over yesterday and helped me install the GM. That went without a hitch. As long and ungainly as this stick is, it is very light and was not a problem for me to walk it up vertically and steady it while Rich got it to slide down into the tripod.

I did not to an extensive bandwidth test yet, but SWR was flat at 27.200, rose a bit as I went into the freeband (1.6 or so on 27.500 if I recall), and came back down under 1.4 in the most popular 28.300-500 part of ten meters.

Hit a couple of stations in California with good signals both ways, just 40 watts from my Galaxy 2517.

Haven't had time to get some local action on it to see if it compares to or exceeds the Imax in that regard.

So so far, so good!

821, here is something to consider. Your BW description is sorta' typical of what I saw with my GM at 11' above Earth. However, I was using my VA1 analyzer at the end of a 75' foot feed line when I saw an irregular wave shaped BW curve, falling and rising kind of similar to what you describe. My SWR bandwidth charts, using a CN801 meter, showed a more flat shaped curve across the bandwidth. Were your tests above with an analyzer or an in line meter?

I assumed that this bad undulating results at 11' feet was due to something being too close to the bottom choke coil on the GM. IMO, this was because on raising it 7' feet higher the analyzer bandwidth began to look more like the BW curve noted on Sirio's spec sheet. That said, the difference in the SWR bandwidth curves, using and in line meter were far less dramatic...as you may notice in my PDF file below. Here you will note the curves are more or less flat for 11 meters, and a little less flat over the rest of the 2.0:1 bandwidth.

View attachment Gain Master bandwidth curves.pdf

I didn't realize all of this until later, so without knowing what the reports showed, I did not test the antenna for on-air responses at 11' or 18' feet. If I ever test again I will lower the GM down to 18' feet and do some good testing to see if I can duplicate this situation.

I believe the GM is likely to show noticeable attenuation unless the antenna is well in the clear and the bottom choke is a good 1/2 wavelength away from Earth and stuff around the antenna. I hear pro and con on this issue from the guys in Europe, but I believe it is worth noting. Maybe if someone else tested this idea using their analyzer and SWR meter, we may know more. I could be wrong.

Also note in the BW curves that some variations may be due to a difference in feed line length used.

 

[Highlander_821]

821, here is something to consider. Your BW description is sorta' typical of what I saw with my GM at 11' above Earth. However, I was using my VA1 analyzer at the end of a 75' foot feed line when I saw an irregular wave shaped BW curve, falling and rising kind of similar to what you describe. My SWR bandwidth charts, using a CN801 meter, showed a more flat shaped curve across the bandwidth. Were your tests above with an analyzer or an in line meter?

I assumed that this bad undulating results at 11' feet was due to something being too close to the bottom choke coil on the GM. IMO, this was because on raising it 7' feet higher the analyzer bandwidth began to look more like the BW curve noted on Sirio's spec sheet. That said, the difference in the SWR bandwidth curves, using and in line meter were far less dramatic...as you may notice in my PDF file below. Here you will note the curves are more or less flat for 11 meters, and a little less flat over the rest of the 2.0:1 bandwidth.

View attachment 5854

I didn't realize all of this until later, so without knowing what the reports showed, I did not test the antenna for on-air responses at 11' or 18' feet. If I ever test again I will lower the GM down to 18' feet and do some good testing to see if I can duplicate this situation.

I believe the GM is likely to show noticeable attenuation unless the antenna is well in the clear and the bottom choke is a good 1/2 wavelength away from Earth and stuff around the antenna. I hear pro and con on this issue from the guys in Europe, but I believe it is worth noting. Maybe if someone else tested this idea using their analyzer and SWR meter, we may know more. I could be wrong.

Also note in the BW curves that some variations may be due to a difference in feed line length used.

I was just testing with an Astatic 600 power/swr meter. Just some quick and dirty tests, I did not have time to mess with it much.

 

[hotrod]

I was just testing with an Astatic 600 power/swr meter. Just some quick and dirty tests, I did not have time to mess with it much.

when ya get time to check check for the floor noise
when theres no conditions and no locals on.i agree with marconi
seems this antenna needs to be 18 -20 feet at the rf choke minumin
after reading many posts from way back seems this antenna was a poor
performer when mounted lower than 18feet.and another thing keep
your imax down and away from this antenna also. again after reading
seems alot of stuff can have a ill effect on this antenna.happy to hear
its all going good. how high is it so far

 

[Highlander_821]

It is mounted exactly where the Imax was. It is on a 3 foot roof mounted tripod on my 2 story house with a 10 foot section of antenna mast. The feedpoint is probably right around 30 foot AGL.