IMAX 2000 best practice?

[Needle Bender]

fine advice, infact any half decent aluminium 5/8 would be better. here the sirio tornado fits a similar bill to the workman 5/8, ok it might not be as strong as other twigs, but it works pretty damn well.

On two occasions I have helped someone replace a Maco V58 with an Imax and they saw improvement in the order of about an S unit, and I saw more than that when replacing a V58 with a P500.

I disagree that the Imax is a POS, but I don't expect it to perform as well as a full-size metal 5/8 like the P500 or I10k, however, adding full 1/4 wave radials to the base does help lower the TOA and also seems to reduce the noise according to some who have added radials to their Imax 2000. :laugh:

 

[Zman]

I dont know why so many bash the A99 and the I maxx. It is a decent antenna and works well. I like mine and yes i have owned several other metal antennas and i do own a P 500 but for the money and time invested you cant beat an I maxx. Not everyone wants a huge antenna with big flopping ground planes like that are on the P 500 and maco...

 

[Needle Bender]

I dont know why so many bash the A99 and the I maxx. It is a decent antenna and works well. I like mine and yes i have owned several other metal antennas and i do own a P 500 but for the money and time invested you cant beat an I maxx. Not everyone wants a huge antenna with big flopping ground planes like that are on the P 500 and maco...

Flopping? The Maco maybe.

Mine was quite well behaved in the wind, but it's from the 1970s and not one of the new P500s so I can't speak for those.

I found the Imax about an s unit weaker on both transmit & receive, noisier, and the vertical radiator 2 to 3 times floppier in the wind, compared to the P500.

 

[The DB]

I would not say that an a-99/imax can beet a proper metal ground plane antenna consistently. My Maco v5000 (almost identical to the v5/8) is much better then the imax I used to have in exactly the same spot. I regularly talk to people much further away locally (and talk to them more consistently as well). And for those who mistakenly believe DX results can determine how well an antenna works, I get more contacts there as well, and seem to be able to hold the conversations I get over DX longer.

Both of my listed antennas were tuned to resonance via an analyzer at the feed point of the antenna, then checked again with the analyzer down he coax where it plugs in to the radio.

When it comes to build quality, I have seen my old imax completely folded over, the Maco in similar conditions is still near vertical.


The DB

 

[Zman]

An old timer once told me the best antenna is no antenna, the best radio is no radio, the best coax is no coax, the best mic is no mic at all, the best form of communication is just to get off you lazy butt and go visit the person and talk face to face! LOL.
I have had every antenna ever made and im pretty happy with the I maxx. In fact there are quite a few locals here that feel the same way... No its not the best and there are better but for general use they are pretty decent id say...

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

if someone is afraid/intimidated by assembling a typical aluminum ground-plane the 99/2000/bandit types are good options for them . the gainmaster seems to be a better option but the price hits the wallet harder . they're also good options for folks that don't want horizontal ground elements and don't trust the durability of a vector in their weather . i think the time/effort spent putting together a proper ground-plane antenna (really not difficult) is well worth the effort over settling for a copper wire supported by fiberglass types ....... but not everyone feels that way