I purchased an Imax to put on my mast while I'm talking on the mountain top. My only concern is that the 16 pill in my mobile (3000-3500 watts) will be too much for it. Has anybody put this kind of wattage through an Imax? I know the antenna says a 5kw rating, but I just don't feel safe approaching over the half-way mark on some of these ratings without hearing from someone who has done it successfully.
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Imax power handling
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It is advertised as having a 5000 watt peak power handling capability. That being said, I don't know that I would trust that completely. I have heard of these being burnt up with far less power then you are planning on running through yours. A friend of mine has had 250 watts burn up its shorter cousin, the a99, which is advertised to have a 2000 watt peak capability.
It seems hit or miss for these antennas and big power handling.
The DB
It seems hit or miss for these antennas and big power handling.
The DB
Ive run much more on my A99 on a few different bands I ronically I was gonna go out and put my Imax 2000 together and get that up today and give it a whirl. I kind of wanted to wait until I got the groundplane kit first but I may just try it since I have to figure oput and investigate inside and outside today because my Amateur setup is ripping up the internet modem here lately.
Personally I wouldn't trust an Imax at anything above 1K and even above 500 I would have my doubts.
If you're going to be running that kind of power on a base I would purchase an antenna with stronger construction properties and one that has been proven to perform under those kinds of numbers.
If you're going to be running that kind of power on a base I would purchase an antenna with stronger construction properties and one that has been proven to perform under those kinds of numbers.
iv'e put 3500 watts thru a Imax with no problems consistantly for some time. the imax and antron folks have some poor quality control on there mfg. thats why sometimes you can get a antron or imax that will talk it's azz off for years then you can get one thats a pure crap stick and won't talk past it's coax,maybe thats the reason some will consistantly take the watts and some just fold under the wattage its a crap game. i say go for it if it holds then you got winner they make for a fine antenna when well. wide banded easy to install low maintenance.
I dumped 1.5 K into my Imax and went up in smoke, Now it will not tune for nothing even with a barefoot radio..
So flip a coin if you are going to get a good or bad one..
(Imax coming down and Sigma 4 going to go up :w00t
This antenna was never intended for 3.5kw.
They say it can do 1kw; but I'd have to agree that 500 is all it should see.
It is what it is . . .
They say it can do 1kw; but I'd have to agree that 500 is all it should see.
It is what it is . . .
There are two things that will affect the outcome here. First, did you get one with good soldering inside or are the wires just touching the lugs inside because they forgot to solder them? Second is duty cycle because the longer you're keyed the more heat it's going to produce in the matching transformer. The Imax has no core material here to fail. It's wound as an open air form with fairly beefy wire. However you can bet that wire is going to get real hot if you run the full rating on AM with the carrier for long keys.
What I can say is I've seen a guy run a set of four 4-400C tubes that were cathode driven by four 811A's into his Imax 2000. On the Bird 43P he was keying 1000 and modulating to 4500 PEP! The antenna held up fine but he only got away with it for about a year before the RFI problems associated with this antenna got all the neighbors on his a$$. If he ran the carrier up too high or keyed too long the reflected power would start to rise but it would come right back down after a few seconds of cool down time. I don't recommend doing this but it is possible.
What I can say is I've seen a guy run a set of four 4-400C tubes that were cathode driven by four 811A's into his Imax 2000. On the Bird 43P he was keying 1000 and modulating to 4500 PEP! The antenna held up fine but he only got away with it for about a year before the RFI problems associated with this antenna got all the neighbors on his a$$. If he ran the carrier up too high or keyed too long the reflected power would start to rise but it would come right back down after a few seconds of cool down time. I don't recommend doing this but it is possible.
Thanks for all the replies. I should first mention that I am not long winded. So that may be in my favor. Furthermore, I can probably drop the output power going into the 4 pill down enough to loaf the 16 pill along at ~2500 watts. So perhaps that would be my best bet.
It is interesting to hear folks say 500 watts though, because I know at least 5 locals who have been pushing 8 pills, sb220's and the like into them for years. None have ventured to more than half the rated power of the antenna though. If it wasn't for the need of something extremely mobile and easy to assemble, I could consider things like the i-10k.
It is interesting to hear folks say 500 watts though, because I know at least 5 locals who have been pushing 8 pills, sb220's and the like into them for years. None have ventured to more than half the rated power of the antenna though. If it wasn't for the need of something extremely mobile and easy to assemble, I could consider things like the i-10k.
Unfortunately I don't think that is an option now. I've heard from two people that have purchased them through Steve in past years tell me they can't get another one because he's not making them anymore. If someone knows something different then this, please speak up?
damm..
i Didn't know jay/steve were no longer making the I-10K's
Had i known..
I would have bought a couple before he stopped his run.
Now i will have to call Jay and find out for sure.
With Regards to this Thread.
I would Never Run that kind of power into an Imax.
That is why you Get an Interceptor I-10K or similar Antenna.
You can Run Excellent Power and be Worry free of Even Extreme Weather !!
i Didn't know jay/steve were no longer making the I-10K's
Had i known..
I would have bought a couple before he stopped his run.
Now i will have to call Jay and find out for sure.
With Regards to this Thread.
I would Never Run that kind of power into an Imax.
That is why you Get an Interceptor I-10K or similar Antenna.
You can Run Excellent Power and be Worry free of Even Extreme Weather !!