GoldenRod 45 A+ antenna

[Slowmover]

L: You’ll have to enlarge to see tophat & coil (in tree gap).

R: Clearance over composite airfoil is 11”.

(Trying to get out of here. Load ready shortly. Received 25’ of DX Engineering “Buryflex” equivalent to get installed down from that PALOMAR ENGINEERS 15-ferrite choke seen above. [Thx, Redbeard; I figured that coax type worth a shot based on your experience]).

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Well...broke down and decided to give the GR45 a try...Should be here towards the end of the week according to George at Lightning...Specks say it's 56" tall, if thats true then I should be able to run it where I have my Predator 10K right now...Like to see if half the claims they say about this antenna are true or not...

If nothing else, I should be able to get allot of strange looks on the freeways!

 

[Slowmover]

Well...broke down and decided to give the GR45 a try...Should be here towards the end of the week according to George at Lightning...Specks say it's 56" tall, if thats true then I should be able to run it where I have my Predator 10K right now...Like to see if half the claims they say about this antenna are true or not...

If nothing else, I should be able to get allot of strange looks on the freeways!

Can do a picture comparison if you like.

Hell, we could do it in person some day.

We’ll have a D/FW meet-up I get the puck mount on the Dodge roof.
(Or I’ll just use it’s old home, a triple mag).

The GoldenRod matches my truck paint. Does yours? (Ha!).


I get the rest of the rig installed (200W) we can bamboozle all them
mudducks.


.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Can do a picture comparison if you like.

Hell, we could do it in person some day.

We’ll have a D/FW meet-up I get the puck mount on the Dodge roof.
(Or I’ll just use it’s old home, a triple mag).

The GoldenRod matches my truck paint. Does yours? (Ha!).


I get the rest of the rig installed (200W) we can bamboozle all them
mudducks.


.

Going home from work yesterday, near downtown, a car passed me with one similar stuck up on the roof...It looked to be about 3' tall, and all aluminum...The coil looked to be a little bigger in diameter than the ones I have seen on the Goldenrods...Not sure who made it either, just thought it was funny because I haven't seen anybody locally running a GR45, and then soon as I decide to buy one, the very next day I see this joker flying down the highway with a GR knock-off.

 

[Marconi]

Going home from work yesterday, near downtown, a car passed me with one similar stuck up on the roof...It looked to be about 3' tall, and all aluminum...The coil looked to be a little bigger in diameter than the ones I have seen on the Goldenrods...Not sure who made it either, just thought it was funny because I haven't seen anybody locally running a GR45, and then soon as I decide to buy one, the very next day I see this joker flying down the highway with a GR knock-off.

Jesse, I recall some mobile ham antennas, with a bit larger coil, a Bug Catcher I think, and with a top hat that may be similar to the GR45 driving around.

A while back I model my idea of the GR45 to specs as best I could. I set the antenna model for the GR45 radiator over a 1/4 wave Ground Plane similar to the Starduster, for better control of the match.

Then I set the GR45 antenna over a mobile model I made too, so as to compare them. This mobile model did worked, but the performance was not as good as the GR45 over the regular Startduster type GP I first made. And, it was sure not as good as a 1/4 wave 102" SS whip above these mobile objects I made and compared.

For years I felt the GR45 antenna had to work very well, just like it had been touted by the maker Lightening Engineering. My earlier models, posted here in the Antenna section, did not support any advantages either. See models on page #3, in link below.

https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/gloden-rod-50-sig-engineering.25783/page-3

Ask, if you have questions and I will try an respond.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Jesse, I recall some mobile ham antennas, with a bit larger coil, a Bug Catcher I think, and with a top hat that may be similar to the GR45 driving around.

A while back I model my idea of the GR45 to specs as best I could. I set the antenna model for the GR45 radiator over a 1/4 wave Ground Plane similar to the Starduster, for better control of the match.

Then I set the GR45 antenna over a mobile model I made too, so as to compare them. This mobile model did worked, but the performance was not as good as the GR45 over the regular Startduster type GP I first made. And, it was sure not as good as a 1/4 wave 102" SS whip above these mobile objects I made and compared.

For years I felt the GR45 antenna had to work very well, just like it had been touted by the maker Lightening Engineering. My earlier models, posted here in the Antenna section, did not support any advantages either. See models on page #3, in link below.

https://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/gloden-rod-50-sig-engineering.25783/page-3

Ask, if you have questions and I will try an respond.

Got it today, and put it together and got'er tuned...One thing I did notice right off the bat, was how broad-banded the thing is...Tuned really well too, once I figured out how to do it...

As for quality of the antenna...I'm less than thrilled about the way it's put together...IMO it's pretty flimsy built...First impressions are, this thing is going to vibrate to pieces on Dallas Highways! But, I'm already thinking of a fix if this becomes a issue...

"JB Weld" to the rescue!

Haven't had a chance to drive around with it yet, figure I'll give it a good workout tomorrow going to work, plus that will give a good chance to test out the distance since I'll be on the other side of the city from all my locals, so that will give me a good idea how well it works compared to my Predator 10K...

From Irving to Mesquite is roughly 20 miles as the crow flies (25 if you drive it) so I know I can make that trip with the Predator 10K to a couple guys, well see what happens with the GR45...May not be perfectly "scientific" way to test it out, but It will give some idea of how well it's doing.

Thing is super-lightweight, so my antenna mount won't be a issue...Just curious to see how well it holds together at 80+ MPH down the freeway, and hitting potholes large enough to be visible from ISS...

 

[Slowmover]

Got it today, and put it together and got'er tuned...One thing I did notice right off the bat, was how broad-banded the thing is...Tuned really well too, once I figured out how to do it...

As for quality of the antenna...I'm less than thrilled about the way it's put together...IMO it's pretty flimsy built...First impressions are, this thing is going to vibrate to pieces on Dallas Highways! But, I'm already thinking of a fix if this becomes a issue...

"JB Weld" to the rescue!

Haven't had a chance to drive around with it yet, figure I'll give it a good workout tomorrow going to work, plus that will give a good chance to test out the distance since I'll be on the other side of the city from all my locals, so that will give me a good idea how well it works compared to my Predator 10K...

From Irving to Mesquite is roughly 20 miles as the crow flies (25 if you drive it) so I know I can make that trip with the Predator 10K to a couple guys, well see what happens with the GR45...May not be perfectly "scientific" way to test it out, but It will give some idea of how well it's doing.

Thing is super-lightweight, so my antenna mount won't be a issue...Just curious to see how well it holds together at 80+ MPH down the freeway, and hitting potholes large enough to be visible from ISS...

I used to run with my Signal Engineering version atop a JK Jeep Cherokee on a tri-mag mount in twice annual round-trips to Chicago and back to Dallas.

The design was meant to be mounted on the cowling of a sedan or coupe behind the rear glass the folks at SE told me in a phone call back then.

About the upper third of the antenna would always be in the clear (above rooftop).

I ran the highways at 62-64/mph with it in place (sometimes with quite strong winds). I could see it rocked back some via shadow cast.

It always got attention so asking others if it looked like it was in trouble was easy (no).

That said, it does present a pretty fair wind load. And without the passenger compartment blocking direct winds to about half of it, I always felt (but didn’t get around to) using a forward guy would be worthwhile to try.

I used a Clay Thompson dual-finals converted Uniden PC-76 with an RK56 he matched up to it.

The SE GR-45 on the tri-mag atop that Cherokee with the 76 got some of the finest compliments I’ve ever had in my CB experiences (As my wife was along — barely tolerant — I limited my talk time to necessity. Besides, this was vacation).

First, they want to know what Base Station on Mars you’re trying to reach.

Second, they ask about the radio.

Third, they express their surprise it all works so well.

In your case I’m going to guess it may not have the long distance punch of the Predator.

But I’ll also guess it’s better sounding in near to middle distances.

Better the audio quality of the radio (system), the more it shines.

IOW, part of the test is also radio gear in use, and how it’s set up.

.

 

[Marconi]

I found it weak too.

I ran my GR45 static only, because it definitely did not look to stand up on the road well. In fact the top hat was hard to secure and the wind alone could move these wires to slide down in the bracket.

I also compared it to a 102" whip on top of the Starduster type ground plane I added to both at about 25' height. The whip consistently showed a better signal.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Well...It's going to be mounted in the exact same spot as my 10K, so the only real difference will be the height of the GR45 is almost a foot shorter than the10K so guess we'll see how much "Height" place a difference...

Second thing I'm going to be watching is to see if the tuning changes much after driving around for a while...Since it looks like it's going to catch more wind than a typical vertical antenna, just curious how well those tuning circles keep their shape...right now I couldn't ask for a better SWR reading like what I got on the MFJ...it actually tuned better than any Predator 10K I think I have ever had...not to mention more broad-banded.

 

[Slowmover]

“Tuning Circles” only ever changed on mine if I altered them.

Or, catching some tree branches (as it did when on the back of the sleeper on the 579 Peterbilt).

Did you make physical measurements of a rough sort as a baseline?

.

 

[jessejamesdallas]

“Tuning Circles” only ever changed on mine if I altered them.

Or, catching some tree branches (as it did when on the back of the sleeper on the 579 Peterbilt).

Did you make physical measurements of a rough sort as a baseline?

.

No, just tilted them down till SWR got to where it needed to be, then left it alone...Like i said, I'm going to leave it like it is for a while and drive around then re-check everything in a day or so to see if anything moves around.

 

[Slowmover]

Tuning Circles being a variant on top hat

 

[Marconi]

It has been a long time since I had my GR45 working, but I seem to remember the Top Hat was two wires that were oblong and not a circle.

I also recall that Lightening Engineering made another version of their GR45 that was described as a military type antenna and a bit longer with a different shape for the Top Hat that was more triangular shaped.

I have a reelection that somehow the length of these two wires were adjusted a bit for tune as well. But I do realize that slanting top hat radials up and down can also have some effects on the tune.

I can only recall my match working well. All my work on this antenna is buried in my antenna notes somewhere and I have not looked back to those notes yet.

I found this image on the Way Back Machine and at that time is was described as a new style GR50. See link: http://web.archive.org/web/20031002120221/http://www.signalengineering.com/

 

[Marconi]

Here is another look for a Top Hat, (4 loops) on a GR45...if it is a GR45 by Signal Engineering or Lightening Antennas.

Sorry, this was an old link...and it looks to be lost.

I emailed this image to myself...see if it works.

Here is a video that was with the links above.


This shows how this operator tuned his GR45.

 

[Slowmover]

Meant to mention that above. Glad you brought it up, Marconi.

Mine was received with the top hat centers “widened” as shown in video (distance across center at mast widest point). S-E said this was correct and that it was unlikely I’d need to re-tune.

This wasn’t as “pointed” as shown in video, it had a gentler radius. Instead of a couple of fingers as mandrel, imagine 3-4 being used. A bend in the road versus a turn or curve.

I’ve moved that antenna MANY times from one place to another. Closets and corners. It’s not as though it’s been resting quietly in the same garage rafters for 21-years. So re-creating that geometry of bend is a ritual prior to use.

At the same time I don’t have an analyzer for the last tweaks.

If you’ll look at the last picture I posted (Post #16) where it’s mounted on the Pete, you’ll see the orientation of “ends” also differed. (The shape of the loops mirror each other though pic doesn’t reflect it).

The loops are on a flattened plane. Same wire height all around.

The difference from this picture and the “as received” condition of the top hat would be in loop width (I may be slightly off in/out).

.