I just order a new Imax 2000. It is the most i can afford at the moment. I plan to use a 8'-9' grounding rod, and mount it on a 20'-25' tall steel mast off the ground. The mast will be next to the house and attached to the eve. This antenna will never see more then a peaked and tuned legal AM/SSB radio. I will also use new belden 9913 coax all one length with one switch. Do you think I will have any issue with TVI and upset neighbors.
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IMAX 2000 INSTALL.
- Thread starter socal1leg
- Start date
Run an ugly balun where the coax meets the antenna, and I think you will be just fine. Unless you have a neighbor running a junky old TV or cordless phone, a stock rig and good grounding should not cause problems.
When your budget allows, you could add a Bencher TVI filter, but it probably won't be necessary with a clean output stock rig.
73,
RT307
When your budget allows, you could add a Bencher TVI filter, but it probably won't be necessary with a clean output stock rig.
73,
RT307
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/62990-coax-choke-info.html
if it's not too late to cancel your order you may want to consider a workman 58 '
W-58 Omni-Directional Antenna - Palco Electronics
same as a maco 5/8 basically
CBRadioMagazine.com - Maco V 5/8 Antenna Review
if it's not too late to cancel your order you may want to consider a workman 58 '
W-58 Omni-Directional Antenna - Palco Electronics
same as a maco 5/8 basically
CBRadioMagazine.com - Maco V 5/8 Antenna Review
Why people bash this antenna as a "junk antenna" ill never know.. Around here the '2000 is one of the most popular antennas around. I had one and i wish i had of kept it as it was one of the better vertical antennas i ever owned that was fiberglass, and i never had any issues with the people next door..
Thanks guys,
I just moved(renting) into this house and I don't want to install a big antenna with a ground radial just yet. I haven't meet too many of the neighbors yet so i'm hoping for no issues. I was thinking about adding home brew choke for good measure. This antenna was recommended by a local skip shooter that is helping me with cleaning and tuning the radios.
I just moved(renting) into this house and I don't want to install a big antenna with a ground radial just yet. I haven't meet too many of the neighbors yet so i'm hoping for no issues. I was thinking about adding home brew choke for good measure. This antenna was recommended by a local skip shooter that is helping me with cleaning and tuning the radios.
Could you have some RFI with that (or any other) antenna? Sure, that's not all that unusual. Can you 'cure' that sort of thing? At least 50% of the time, sure. The other 50% of the time it isn't the antenna (or feed line) that's the problem, but the device being interfered with. Not much you can do about that since it isn't your 'device', it's theirs.
Good luck.
- 'Doc
Good luck.
- 'Doc
Well, I actually backed that part out of my comment, because I felt I was getting off topic.
However, since you brought it up, I do not feel it is a junk antenna, nor is the A99. I have had many people tell me that they bleed all over the place, and that they are bad for TVI. Never experienced that myself, because I have ran an A99 for nearly 8 years with no complaints from the neighbors. With a 4 element Yagi in the air, I can assure you they would know who's door to come knocking on if I was interfering. And that was running as much as 500 watts through it, too. I ran a Imax 2000 at my Dad's place with a two pill with no complaints, eitherWhat I did recommend was the same thing I'd recommend with ANY ground plane antenna (or beam for that matter), fiberglass, aluminum, or whatever combination someone can come up with. Good basics are good basics, and we should all follow them. Sounds like socal1leg is on the right track.
73,
RT307
Imax great antenna run a clean radio and well grounded system you should have no problems. as far as the junk lable maybe some folks did not do a proper install. i have a antron 99,Imax 2000 and a maco V5000 all up at 42' and see no knock out drag out diffrence between the 3. the Imax and Maco have a ever so slight edge but out of the three i like the Imax 2000 better simply due to ease of installation and versitility with them bein so wide banded i can go from 26.8550 thru 28.5850 and still have swr's under 1.5. another thought some times TVi and interference that happens with folks electronic equipment can be atribute to cheap azz electronics they buy from walmart and dollar general some stuff is just poorly made and a mouse fart will bleed thru.
I regularly put 1 KW into an older Imax 2000 with ground radials of 17 feet long on the roof ( wire radials) and use it on 17/15/12/10 meter.
Never had problems with any R.F. getting into our or our neighbours electronics.
Never had problems with any R.F. getting into our or our neighbours electronics.
if you really want a Imax or an A99 to perform, and I use that term loosely you need to isolate it from it's mast (if it's conductive), wrap 5 turns of RG8x around a 4.25" form, add radials
I guess if you don't want to add radials you could use the mast as a ground radial, which basically makes the Imax into a vertical dipole...
so basically the Imax and the A99 are NOT going to perform better than a Vertical dipole cut for the band... IN FACT it will even be outperformed by a typical vertical dipole. WHY??? Well it's simple the Imax and the A99 are nothing more than a piece of wire and a matching coil to control the piss poor match
that being said people will keep buying them and will keep using them
I guess if you don't want to add radials you could use the mast as a ground radial, which basically makes the Imax into a vertical dipole...
so basically the Imax and the A99 are NOT going to perform better than a Vertical dipole cut for the band... IN FACT it will even be outperformed by a typical vertical dipole. WHY??? Well it's simple the Imax and the A99 are nothing more than a piece of wire and a matching coil to control the piss poor match
that being said people will keep buying them and will keep using them
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
most dipoles are just wire too but some of them are made of tubing with a matching device . i don't think tubing has any magical rf properties over wire . tubing can typically stay erect on it's own and can handle more power and can be more broad banded . many many folks are happy with their 99s and 2000s so i wouldn't consider them a bad or crappy antenna . i do think there are better omni CB antennas to be had for similar or less money (and more money), but for some installs/requirements they get the job done very effectively .
Mr. Booty Monster,the tubing does not effect how narrow of broad banded the antenna does, the matching device, and the thickness (or thinness) of the wire used does. But the matching device actually wastes power.
The A99 claims a 9.9dbi gain, BUT in real world testing the A99 actually had a gain closer to 0, in some cases it even had a minor LOSS
I Imax 2000 only does marginally better than the A99.
These types of antennas are made for ease of setup, ease of operation, and low cost operation, they achieve this at the cost of performance.
I have been considering gutting mine and removing the matching device (also shortening the antenna), and adding multiple 1/4 wave radials (at least 4) at a 45° downward slope. But that that point it becomes a a true ground plane antenna. Keep in mind you would still need a matching device to keep the Imax 2000 @ 5/8 wave (or was it .64wave?)
The A99 claims a 9.9dbi gain, BUT in real world testing the A99 actually had a gain closer to 0, in some cases it even had a minor LOSS
I Imax 2000 only does marginally better than the A99.
These types of antennas are made for ease of setup, ease of operation, and low cost operation, they achieve this at the cost of performance.
I have been considering gutting mine and removing the matching device (also shortening the antenna), and adding multiple 1/4 wave radials (at least 4) at a 45° downward slope. But that that point it becomes a a true ground plane antenna. Keep in mind you would still need a matching device to keep the Imax 2000 @ 5/8 wave (or was it .64wave?)
B
BOOTY MONSTER
Guest
"....... the thickness (or thinness) of the wire used does ......"
i was thinking that electrically the tubing would be seen as a larger diameter wire .
most folks know the 9.9 db gain BS
"..... I have been considering gutting mine and removing the matching device (also shortening the antenna), and adding multiple 1/4 wave radials (at least 4) at a 45° downward slope. But that that point it becomes a a true ground plane antenna. Keep in mind you would still need a matching device to keep the Imax 2000 @ 5/8 wave (or was it .64wave?) ......"
is the matching device loss detectable to human ears ? what matching device do you plan on using that would make a humanly detectable difference ? wouldn't the lower section be destroyed by taking out it matching coils ?
The Imax 2000 EXPOSED!