I need a new antenna!!

[Marconi]

Thanks everyone for the replies!


Marconi, my question to you is... What would you recommend for me, being as I had a SP-500 up? I can put the Starduster plenty up there, I can match it tip for tip with my SP-500, I have plenty of mast. Should I go with a Starduster, or go with something like the Vector 4000 or other similar antenna?

~Cheers~

Exit13, in my experience I don't find enough difference among all the antennas mentioned here to really make a big difference...if one can get the tips reasonably close.

But this is what I find here at my location in the flat lands of Texas about 60 miles from the Gulf Coast. If it was me I would get me a Sirio SD'r or a Sirio New Top One, get it up as high as I could, and take my chances.

From the reports I often hear, the Vector 4000 tends to be a bit weak in windy areas, and in my recent experiences with my original Antenna Specialists SD'r...it might be about the same.

If your old SP500 held up well enough in your area...then I would seriously consider a new one if you old one is banged up.

 

[wavrider]

Exit 13.

I have owned and compared most of the gp you mentioned.

$$ for $$ I have found the imax 2000 hard to beat, price, installation, wind load, and weight all taken into consideration.


I am here in Florida where we get daily afternoon thunderstorms and major wind gusts. The imax has survived every thing thrown at it.

It does need some paint or other type of UV protection, other than that it is an impressive antenna for what it is and the price.

I installed a simple RF choke, I.E. ugly balun at the feed point and i get no TVI or RFI runnin full legal limit on 10/12 and, 15 meters.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Need a bigger picture, Tecnicoloco - lol.

I fixed that.

 

[space cowboy]

my Antenna Specialists's Starduster has been up for the last year and has had a few days with 45 mph wind and 70 mph gusts.
no problemo.
I did mount mine on galvanized water pipe. I used electrical connection grease (no-ox) where the antenna screwed onto the pipe.

there aren't any originals on ebay right now, but they do seem to show up pretty regular.

 

[Marconi]

my Antenna Specialists's Starduster has been up for the last year and has had a few days with 45 mph wind and 70 mph gusts.
no problemo.
I did mount mine on galvanized water pipe. I used electrical connection grease (no-ox) where the antenna screwed onto the pipe.

there aren't any originals on ebay right now, but they do seem to show up pretty regular.

Thanks of the fix CK.

I agree with SC, if you use iron water pipe on your original SD'r you really need something to lube the iron to aluminum connection point, or you'll likely never get it apart...after time and weather work on it. Galvanized water pipe may do the same.

 

[ExitThirteen]

OK folks... just ordered a new Sirio Star duster antenna and 100 ft. of Times Microwave LMR-400 coax. Can't wait to see how this setup does!!


~Cheers~

 

[Robb]

Lightning considerations?
I mean - after all - you live in Iowa . . .

 

[radioman24]

I sent ya a Pm Exithirteen

 

[Beetle]

In the six days this thread has been going you could have built and trimmed a dipole and been on the air for five and a half days.

Or more.

 

[hotrod]

OK folks... just ordered a new Sirio Star duster antenna and 100 ft. of Times Microwave LMR-400 coax. Can't wait to see how this setup does!!


~Cheers~

waiting for review

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

For your enjoyment
10 Meter Yagi Antenna - YouTube

 

[ExitThirteen]

Just got the antenna today, just waiting on the coax!



~Cheers~

 

[hammer0630]

This is my new Sirio Star Duster M-400 with LMR-400 about a year old now. These work great and seem to be wind resistant. I've watched storms come in and knock trees down and I used to run outside to see how my antenna was doing and it just was not moving. There is about 35 base stations around here and they all thought I was on top of the world when I am actually in a hole. The antenna came with good hardware and my mast is aluminum military 4' sections and everything else is stainless or aluminum I do not trust some of the Galvanized products on the market today.

 

[ExitThirteen]

Ok, just got everything installed today... 11M is OPEN! Made plenty of contacts with a barefoot Cobra 148 I had just sitting on the bench. Gotta see about local, but people out in DX told me I was loud and clear. SWR's are 1.1 at Ch 1, flat on 40, and 1.1 on 27.805.

Will post again when I can get some results locally.

I lost about 10 ft. compared to my SP-500 as I don't have a longer mast pipe to make up the difference, but that's ok... will do that later, it's easy enough to swap out masts. Here's a pic of the finished setup.

~Cheers~

 

[curlyjo]

Nice ! Now you are back in the game !