I need a new base antenna

[KD2GOE]

ok will, I had some BAD luck with my new A99 antenna I cant get the SWR down when the power is up.. my friends A99 is fine.. and my other friends I-Max 2000 gives me all most the same trouble my a99 is giving me...

Is there any fiberglass antenna 5/8 that has a good track record??
it will be mounted to a 25' flag pole..

 

[camaro1]

gainmaster or go to an aluminum 5/8

 

[bob85]

you could try a coax choke or change the length of your coax,
you may have a length that promotes strong cm current on the braid,

of the fiberglass twigs i have tried the gainmaster has performed best with no cm current issues so far on any on my buddies installs.

 

[Road Squawker]

ok will, I had some BAD luck with my new A99 antenna I cant get the SWR down when the power is up.. my friends A99 is fine.. and my other friends I-Max 2000 gives me all most the same trouble my a99 is giving me...

Is there any fiberglass antenna 5/8 that has a good track record??
it will be mounted to a 25' flag pole..

I don't know what you mean by "when the power is up",...........

if the VSWR is acceptable at "normal" power levels and is not acceptable when it is "up", then it is not a antenna issue.

are you running a solid state amp? an external VSWR meter?

 

[959]

my imax works great it talks all over the world check your coax

 

[9C1Driver]

ok will, I had some BAD luck with my new A99 antenna I cant get the SWR down when the power is up.. my friends A99 is fine.. and my other friends I-Max 2000 gives me all most the same trouble my a99 is giving me...

Is there any fiberglass antenna 5/8 that has a good track record??
it will be mounted to a 25' flag pole..

If the SWR goes high "when the power is up" then you have another issue. Could be an impedance mis-match with the amplifier, this is very common with cheap Palomar, Boomer, and other low end amplifiers. That or you could have a ground issue.

As far as the antenna, the A99 is ok, IMAX 2000 better, Maco V5000 better yet. Then there is the big dawg of Omni antennas.
Home of the Interceptor 10* Antenna

 

[New cb user]

If two different antennas give you the same problem have you ruled out the cable? Or even the radio? Perhaps it's just your area.

 

[KD2GOE]

If the SWR goes high "when the power is up" then you have another issue. Could be an impedance mis-match with the amplifier, this is very common with cheap Palomar, Boomer, and other low end amplifiers. That or you could have a ground issue.

As far as the antenna, the A99 is ok, IMAX 2000 better, Maco V5000 better yet. Then there is the big dawg of Omni antennas.
Home of the Interceptor 10* Antenna

I am not running an after market amp this is the stock RCI amp that is in the radio front the factory...
I tried 2 different amps from 2 friends that stopped over. they all did the same thing on my antenna... and they where not cheep amps..



1 amp was a RM Italy kl 203 with works fine with his A99
the other amp is a Texas Star 350.. works fine what the antenna, forgot what it is but it is all aluminum I have not stopped over with my radio to test it.

 

[KD2GOE]

If two different antennas give you the same problem have you ruled out the cable? Or even the radio? Perhaps it's just your area.

UPDATE on that....

They gave a similar problem after I tuned his antenna this week is fine now he is running 100' Rg8x with the I-max

I am running NOS RG8 Belden 8214 cable 55' before that I was running 50' RG58A/U 95%

my other friend is running 50' RG58A/U 95% with his A99

 

[W5LZ]

When you are dealing with SWR, or impedance matching, the feed line typically get's blamed for a lot of things that it actually has nothing to do with. Coax cable's biggy is it's characteristic impedance. If that impedance is the desired amount then it very seldom will cause SWR problems in it's self. If it's the wrong impedance then hang on, it can cause all kinds of problems. An antenna system, if measured at the transmitter end of it is a combination of all the different impedances in the whole system. If some 'part' of the system isn't at least close to the desired impedance then there can certainly be problems.
About that 'characteristic' impedance thingy. The name implies that there can be and are variations in the cable's impedance, which is absolutely normal. It's man-made meaning that it ain't never going to be 'perfect', you know? That 'characteristic' impedance is the 'average' or 'mean' impedance and can be 'off' by a few ohms. If it's 'off' by more than just a few ohms then there's a fault in the cable. That doesn't happen too much because the manufacturers want to protect their reputation if -their- name is going to be on it.
All this sound like it's complicated? It is. Each device in the antenna system plays a part in the resulting impedance. The feed line get's the blame in most cases and that's just not very typical at all. The input and output impedance of each device has to be considered. Sorry, but an SWR meter just isn't the best means of determining where the 'fault' is, it can't distinguish between the two parts of impedance, only the 'gross' combination of them.
- 'Doc

(If new cable 'fixed' the apparent problem then you get to wonder if it actually 'fixed' anything or if it just 'hid' it. Ain't that a hoot?)

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

The manual insists on providing a good ground to the antenna mounting base. Don't mess with the tuning rings unless you have a swr Meter and want to tune it for a particular frequency. The condensation hole(s) at the SO-239 connector must be unobstructed.
Label on antenna reads,"STOP DO NOT MOVE THE TUNING RINGS. VERY IMPORTANT. Look at the bottom of the antenna near the SO-239 connector. The two condensation drain holes must be open. Sealing these holes closed can cause the antenna to fill with water and short out. Rattle in antenna is ok . Checking the bottom of the antenna from the center pin of the SO-239 to the top your meters should read open. Checking from center pin of the SO-239 to the outer thread or aluminum sleeve your meter should read shorted."


http://www.comunicacio.net/eb3tc/esquemes/2008/febrer/A-99.pdf
The guy that sold me mine moved the rings. :O. I got my plastic duck(MFJ-207)

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Condensation hole

 

[Lil'Yeshua]

Manual troubleshooting:

"Make sure amplifier isn't installed out of phase?

P.S. Check your coax and connectors.
http://www.belden.com/techdatas/english/8214.pdf

Belden 8214 VF: 78%
http://www.kc9aop.net/HAM/antenna_facts.htm

 

[KD2GOE]

here is a pic of my antenna

the rubber sleeve is not in the way of the drain hole I even installed ground straps on all the joints..

 

[W5LZ]

Haven't heard that one before! What does it mean for the amplifier to be installed 'out of phase'?
- 'Doc