I hope you mean near ⅝λ on the 10, 11, and 12 meter bands. You are talking about a near four foot of difference in ⅝λ lengths going from 10 to 12 meters. That is a lot of length to cover at those frequencies to still be considered ⅝λ.
The DB
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imax 2000 with or without?
- Thread starter rockymount622
- Start date
I hope you mean near ⅝λ on the 10, 11, and 12 meter bands. You are talking about a near four foot of difference in ⅝λ lengths going from 10 to 12 meters. That is a lot of length to cover at those frequencies to still be considered ⅝λ.
The DB
I think it depends on your mounting location. If 12' aff with an aluminum roof just below fed point the propagation will be drastically affected vs on 16' 4x4 in open area.
5/8 on 11 near 5/8 on 10 close enough to get out and have a decent SWR.
on 12 bit too long for 5/8 close enough to have good SWR and get out, on 10/11/12 no tuner needed here with my 20 year old Imax 2 K.
on 15 it is a 1/2 wave SWR 1.8 there, good enough for internal tuner of the radio's here to work good enough.
The Imax 2 K is at 11 meters above ground with the base fed with 15 meter coax comparible with LMR 400.
Almost every day i work here withh FT-8 from New Zealand, aussie, china, Japan EU south africa, south america and USA /Canada.
Good enough for me, the Fritzel OCF FD-4 also works on 10/11/12 but mostly vertical is working just a tad better.
In the end i don't mind SWR to be under 1:2 just 10% loss nobody notices.
I look at the results i get with it, working all continents regularly now with the Imax 2 K says enough for me.
Compared to other 3 band ham verticals with traps i now have 4 bands to work with good results, no traps that go bad and also have losses.
And enough spare parts of old Imax 2 K antenna's for the rest of my life, having been given/ bought for scrap prices when lots of Cb stations here gave up.
On Digital modes i run anything from 20 to 100 watts there, i can make 1000 watts here withh the rebuild Heathkit SB-1000 the imax can handle that whistling from fun.
Hardly use the amplifier, most of the time 100 watts does the job.
From 160 to 6 meter were the FD-4 also works fine
Is it perfect? no, do i need a separate peaked antenna for each frequency? nope, the Imax doees it and the results are there.
Get off the high horse beng purist use what you have or can use.
I use 11 meter just for local contacts with CB friends here, around 30 to 40 mile radius.
DX is for the Ham bands here
on 12 bit too long for 5/8 close enough to have good SWR and get out, on 10/11/12 no tuner needed here with my 20 year old Imax 2 K.
on 15 it is a 1/2 wave SWR 1.8 there, good enough for internal tuner of the radio's here to work good enough.
The Imax 2 K is at 11 meters above ground with the base fed with 15 meter coax comparible with LMR 400.
Almost every day i work here withh FT-8 from New Zealand, aussie, china, Japan EU south africa, south america and USA /Canada.
Good enough for me, the Fritzel OCF FD-4 also works on 10/11/12 but mostly vertical is working just a tad better.
In the end i don't mind SWR to be under 1:2 just 10% loss nobody notices.
I look at the results i get with it, working all continents regularly now with the Imax 2 K says enough for me.
Compared to other 3 band ham verticals with traps i now have 4 bands to work with good results, no traps that go bad and also have losses.
And enough spare parts of old Imax 2 K antenna's for the rest of my life, having been given/ bought for scrap prices when lots of Cb stations here gave up.
On Digital modes i run anything from 20 to 100 watts there, i can make 1000 watts here withh the rebuild Heathkit SB-1000 the imax can handle that whistling from fun.
Hardly use the amplifier, most of the time 100 watts does the job.
From 160 to 6 meter were the FD-4 also works fine
Is it perfect? no, do i need a separate peaked antenna for each frequency? nope, the Imax doees it and the results are there.
Get off the high horse beng purist use what you have or can use.
I use 11 meter just for local contacts with CB friends here, around 30 to 40 mile radius.
DX is for the Ham bands here
S&W357
$upporting Member KO4RJD....WDX-556
Very handy tool gives you a good idea what your antenna's do and if changes are really an improvement
Use it daily here with digital modes, now back at 15 though, conditions decent not stellar though.
Use it daily here with digital modes, now back at 15 though, conditions decent not stellar though.
S&W357
$upporting Member KO4RJD....WDX-556
S&W357
$upporting Member KO4RJD....WDX-556
You can work FT-8 on a clothes hanger & 5 watts most any day so I don't see that as much proof. Do it with Phone & then we are seeing real results.