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installing my A-99, option of 55ft, or 65ft in the air... only problem is...

M

mr_fx

Sr. Member
Oct 8, 2011
1,536
172
173
Kansas City
installing my A-99, option of 55ft, or 65ft in the air... only problem is...

I plan to run a linear that is pumping out a 'clean' 225 watt

and I likely will only be running rg8x coax...


the back of my house has a level that is a little shorter(8 ft) than the main roof... this makes it really easy to mount the nearly 30 ft mast

however I could gain around 10 ft (or maybe a little more) by climbing on to the main roof and attaching the mast to my chimney (old strong brick chimney...) but this is going to be somewhat dangerous and tricky... further more I am going to need another 20-25ft of coax to do this...

????????????

another option is to mount my mast in a huge arse oak tree, this should get me around 100ft in the air... but I would need over 100ft of coax... hmm...
 

RG-8X coax is OK. All RG-8X coax isn't the same. Some brands of coax are better than others. If you are going to need a long run of it; then getting the better brand of coax might be needed. Longer coax will have more loss, better coax means less loss. Depends on the pocket book too. LMR-400 is one of the best.

Mounting it safe is a big deal. Get some help so that you don't get hurt. Bribe some friends with a pizza dinner. Any height at/above 35 ft at the antenna feed point is great.
 
If mounted in the tree you have the lightning rod away from the house.

As Robb said get good rg*x coax, 225 watts is ok , if you plan to run 500w or more make sure the antenna has a good VSWR.

The higher the better for local communications. Around 54' is best all around DX height. Either way you will have a lot of fun making contacts.
 
It depends on why you are able to do, what's practical for you. Also on how sturdy that pole is. Mounting to that chimney would be nice, but count on guying the pole. Putting the thing in/on that tree would also be nice, but just how practical will that be for you. Not the coax thing, but getting it into that tree, you know? I don't think you would ha ve any particular problem with using 'foam' RG-8X. Just keep the bends of a reasonable size, don't mash it, contort it, and normal summer heat shouldn't be a problem. There would be some losses, but you'd have losses with any feed line and in most cases those losses won't make a lot of difference. How loud your wallet screams at prices is also a factor to consider. How much power can it handle? More than you commonly hear about, but that depends on how well the 'load'/antenna on the end of it it tuned to a great degree.
So you decide what's the most practical for you.
- 'Doc

(If you got friends that would put that thing in a 100 foot tree, could I borrow them when you get through??)
 
i like the tree idea and lmr cable because i like to clear all trees and get a good clear view of the horizon...also like Doc's " (If you got friends that would put that thing in a 100 foot tree, could I borrow them when you get through??)"(y)
 
id get some friends ,a bucket truck if possible. and put it up in the tree . then
get some GOOD coax lmr-400 or lmr 600 . cause thge 8x will have WAY too much
loss and your height gained wiull be lossed in the coax.
now your first idea with the 30feet mast that would work and probaly could get by
with 8x coax . but it wouldnt be as good as the first choice and more likely prone
to tvi ssues the a-99 are known for.
your second idea would work but sounds little risky and as much as i like
the hobby i wouldnt risk injury on myself or anyone else for a antenna
my picks
1] in tree at highest point
2] on 30 ft. mast
 
Mr_Fx, there are a lot of good reasons NOT to go into the tree, but it can't be denied that a tree might get your A99 up higher.

My experience has been while installing my A99 in a 65' pine tree vs. a 35' pushup pole, using RG213 coax, I didn't see enough difference to justify the cost and trouble of going in a tree. I would go in a tree before I would attach and antenna to my home however, just due to the possible damage it can cause to the house and the coast to repair.

BTW in both cases with an antenna in the tree, I can't say the antenna caused this, but I lost both trees after a while.

If you have never worked any of these install ideas, you will not even realize what difference you could or could not see. For DX, height is probably less meaningful. For local, height is usually better, but safety and concerns are worth noting too.

BTW, a tree really move around if you have local winds, so consider that too.
 
Tree all the way..
With LMR 400 or better coax.

Just be careful and get good help..
No drinking until it is all done !!
 

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