outside, but when I go over the mt. to Portland or the citys I remove it...car was too.
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listen twice; talk once
- Thread starter redbeast
- Start date
Im really thinking sirio right now, esp since it looks like im going to get my early 148gtl back on line and done up. Suggestions for best place/price on the sirio mag mount??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sirio-Turbo...759001?hash=item46550f0759:g:gOYAAOSw3YNXYkKh
Drill a hole, don't like mag. mounts my self. You will see mag. mounts here too. But drill a hole.
Are you liking the turbo over the performer?? I like the quarter turn and lay down. I get what youre saying about drilling a hole, but that means im going to have to run some sort of stiffening plate on the bottom, the roof on my metro is really thin .....don,t believe it will take the stress w/o rework. The performer looks to have a handle for lay down....is thatabout the only difference, or are they like the wilsons, with heavier gauge wire in the coils.
No, the turbo and performer are the same antennas, just different styles of laying down. I've owned both and have liked the performer better. The handle is just easy to use and lay the antenna down. Doesn't take very long at all. And as far as mounts go, look into the 3" Breedlove 1 hole S0239 mount instead of the mag mount. Like MD stated, it's a much better option. And you shouldn't need a backing plate either. Check out Breedlove antenna mounts. Here is a pic of the mount I am speaking of. And as far as buying the antenna, DNJ Radio has been about the best place I've dealt with. They carry the full line of Sirio antennas and the proper magnet mount (PL145), if you choose to go that route. But I would seriously consider the Breedlove mount first.
Here is a pic of the Breedlove mount. You should not have an issue with this mount on your GEO metro. Most all vehicles today have thin roofs and I've installed a few of these particular mounts and every one comes out great. Good seal and solid as can be. Cost is $45 plus $10 for shipping. And I promise the mount is worth every penny!! When you sell your car get a cheap Wilson guy drop mount and replace it with the Breedlove mount as to keep the Breedlove one!!! They are a great mount and I don't think anyone will dispute that. Also get some good coax. I like LMR240UF myself. That or at least some good rg8x made by someone like Belden. Not the cheap grey truck stop crap either!! The LMR240UF will cost more, but it has great shielding and is good coax.
Now if you choose to go the magnet mount route, you might want to look at the Sirio trucker series antenna with the PL145 magnet mount. Or even with the hard mount. The trucker style of this antenna has a bottom shaft of 8" which will lift the base load off the roof a little. They seem to work well, although I have no complaints about the regular Sirio performer 5000 or the turbo 5000. The only reason I like the performer 5000 the best is it's the one I've used and installed on a few vehicles myself. Everyone I ever installed came out perfect. Great match and had great RX and TX capabilities. Just for the record, I was able to reach out to about 30 miles while using a uniden 980 on ssb with 8 watts of power. Same with the receive. 30 miles or more. Depending on the conditions. But I could talk everyday as long as the DX isn't flooding in, to the distance of 20-35 miles. It all depends on how bad conditions are, but for local work, the antenna has a lot to do with it. Depending on your vehicle, you may have to cut up to 2" of antenna off. I would start without making any cuts first and see what you get. Read the manual and it explains how to tune the antenna. Only thing I do different is to make 1/8" cuts instead of 1/4" cuts. I know it's not much, but better to be long then too short!! Anyhow. Just some things to consider. Also if you are looking at the turbo 5000, yes they do turn down and tighten, but over time can become a pain to remove. The performer 5000 with the handle is a much easier antenna to lay down. And you can take it off completely as well. Great antennas as will just about keep up with a 1/4 wave whip as far as RX and TX go. Maybe better depending on how/where it's mounted. These are just my opinions and my own experiences. Mudduckmobile just installed one of the Sirio trucker series antennas if memory serves me right and he might be able to show you what he was able to attain with some added things to the antenna. Like ferrite snap on chokes and bonding of the vehicles body panels and such with flat ground braid ground straps. These antennas are well worth the money as well as the Breedlove mount. I would not have more than a couple in my garage if they were junk! I'll say that much. Anyways, don't skimp out on the antenna, I too used to use a K40, replaced it with a Wilson 5000, and had better results. I then switched to the Sirio performer 5000 and I promise you this, i won't buy another antenna unless it is something like a monkey made big Jon antenna or a couple other open coil type antennas. And that is only if I were going to be using more power then the Sirio antennas will handle. Anyways. Hope the text wall helped LOL!! And have a good day. Remember, your antenna system is the most important thing to have besides the radio itself. You can make a handheld radio talk well with a good antenna setup. Or you can have a $1k door stop if you choose to use a POS antenna setup. Height is might, the closer to the length of the antenna being 108" total physical length is what is needed. The Sirio performer antennas are almost 7.ft tall. They do an excellent job as long as to set them up correctly!! Be safe and if you do get one. Remember to find an empty lot with out any obstructions for st least 50-100 feet in all directions to tune the antenna.' Make sure all your doors are closed and that no one is standing around your vehicle. Also keep away from other vehicles. Make sure you turn your mic gain all the way down before testing your VSWR (SWR) readings. Which the manual that comes with the antenna will show and tell you how to perform this. Read the manual!! It will save you time. Also find some good ferrite snap on chokes as well to place at the antenna feed point. Use at lest 4 to 6 of them. This helps with any possible common mode currents on your coax. Mudduckmobiles install shows some very good pics and how to do things. I suggest reading that thread for more info!! And again, be safe and have a good day.
Here is a pic of the Breedlove mount. You should not have an issue with this mount on your GEO metro. Most all vehicles today have thin roofs and I've installed a few of these particular mounts and every one comes out great. Good seal and solid as can be. Cost is $45 plus $10 for shipping. And I promise the mount is worth every penny!! When you sell your car get a cheap Wilson guy drop mount and replace it with the Breedlove mount as to keep the Breedlove one!!! They are a great mount and I don't think anyone will dispute that. Also get some good coax. I like LMR240UF myself. That or at least some good rg8x made by someone like Belden. Not the cheap grey truck stop crap either!! The LMR240UF will cost more, but it has great shielding and is good coax.
Now if you choose to go the magnet mount route, you might want to look at the Sirio trucker series antenna with the PL145 magnet mount. Or even with the hard mount. The trucker style of this antenna has a bottom shaft of 8" which will lift the base load off the roof a little. They seem to work well, although I have no complaints about the regular Sirio performer 5000 or the turbo 5000. The only reason I like the performer 5000 the best is it's the one I've used and installed on a few vehicles myself. Everyone I ever installed came out perfect. Great match and had great RX and TX capabilities. Just for the record, I was able to reach out to about 30 miles while using a uniden 980 on ssb with 8 watts of power. Same with the receive. 30 miles or more. Depending on the conditions. But I could talk everyday as long as the DX isn't flooding in, to the distance of 20-35 miles. It all depends on how bad conditions are, but for local work, the antenna has a lot to do with it. Depending on your vehicle, you may have to cut up to 2" of antenna off. I would start without making any cuts first and see what you get. Read the manual and it explains how to tune the antenna. Only thing I do different is to make 1/8" cuts instead of 1/4" cuts. I know it's not much, but better to be long then too short!! Anyhow. Just some things to consider. Also if you are looking at the turbo 5000, yes they do turn down and tighten, but over time can become a pain to remove. The performer 5000 with the handle is a much easier antenna to lay down. And you can take it off completely as well. Great antennas as will just about keep up with a 1/4 wave whip as far as RX and TX go. Maybe better depending on how/where it's mounted. These are just my opinions and my own experiences. Mudduckmobile just installed one of the Sirio trucker series antennas if memory serves me right and he might be able to show you what he was able to attain with some added things to the antenna. Like ferrite snap on chokes and bonding of the vehicles body panels and such with flat ground braid ground straps. These antennas are well worth the money as well as the Breedlove mount. I would not have more than a couple in my garage if they were junk! I'll say that much. Anyways, don't skimp out on the antenna, I too used to use a K40, replaced it with a Wilson 5000, and had better results. I then switched to the Sirio performer 5000 and I promise you this, i won't buy another antenna unless it is something like a monkey made big Jon antenna or a couple other open coil type antennas. And that is only if I were going to be using more power then the Sirio antennas will handle. Anyways. Hope the text wall helped LOL!! And have a good day. Remember, your antenna system is the most important thing to have besides the radio itself. You can make a handheld radio talk well with a good antenna setup. Or you can have a $1k door stop if you choose to use a POS antenna setup. Height is might, the closer to the length of the antenna being 108" total physical length is what is needed. The Sirio performer antennas are almost 7.ft tall. They do an excellent job as long as to set them up correctly!! Be safe and if you do get one. Remember to find an empty lot with out any obstructions for st least 50-100 feet in all directions to tune the antenna.' Make sure all your doors are closed and that no one is standing around your vehicle. Also keep away from other vehicles. Make sure you turn your mic gain all the way down before testing your VSWR (SWR) readings. Which the manual that comes with the antenna will show and tell you how to perform this. Read the manual!! It will save you time. Also find some good ferrite snap on chokes as well to place at the antenna feed point. Use at lest 4 to 6 of them. This helps with any possible common mode currents on your coax. Mudduckmobiles install shows some very good pics and how to do things. I suggest reading that thread for more info!! And again, be safe and have a good day.
Attachments
The Sirio 5000 line are really all the same it's just the mounting systems on them that make the dif. I have the trucker model as I wanted to get the coil up higher over the cab top. I am thinking of may be increasing the coil height as well by adding more length to the under coil 8in. rod by way of 18in length of copper pipe. Almost forgot. The Breadlove 4in. mount is what I use, you really don't need a backing plate as the 4in, mount has a nice back but if you have thin metal at the mount spot you may want to order the Larger backing plate just call Breadlove and they hook you up.
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Wow, thanks guys. I checked the breedlove site, way good stuff. Are you using the 239 connector or the ring mount? Im going on the assumption that the 18' "rule" for coax isnt an issue, have seen lots of pros and cons. Again, trying to go for quality here without breaking the budget, when i get the 148 done up id like to be ready for it to go, hopefully it will really reach out and touch someone. Most power im planning if at all would be a kicker @ about 250-but really mostly gonna be barefoot. Nothin for nothin guys, bear in mind that im not a ham guy.....that being said i REALLY appreciate the input as im never above learning....half the fun is seeing other ideas and verdions. Btw, 222BDFL, thanks man, great post and great info........the hits just keep on coming!!!
I said at the start my k40was done, swr over 3, and from reading posts the cap is suspect. Haven,t run heat thru this antenna that i recall, took it apart and inspected/cleaned. My trusty fluke sez 0 res on center line and 0 res on shield, hi res shield to body. A couple of questions.....the ground plane is going to be made thru the metal "film" bonded to the mag, right? Will paint affect this? The antenna coax is not 18' , is that a myth or not.ikinda fail to see how coax length would effect a base loaded coil. I tried adding a temp extension to whip, now that helped, dropped swr to btwn 2-2.5(40 slightly higher than 1). Isthis somethingthat would happenwitha bad cap, or is this the result of too dhort a whip. My next step was goingto be add more extension, and if swr will come down around 1-1.5 fine tune from there. Have had this antenna for so long forgot where i got it, and how long its been since ive even checked tune. Is the cap located in that round snap ring connector, didnt really look like it would come apart unless you unstamped the metal griund ring. Yeah, still thinking sirio but im not passing up a chance to fix something either!!!! "You can't fix it if you don't know how it works"!!
Water intrusion could have happened. The cap could be bad. The 18ft coax is a myth. No the paint on the car won't affect the tuning of the antenna. Also, Most coax lengths are about 17ft 4in. If memory serves me correct. That was what I measured on a Wilson magnet mount anyhow. Having owned the K40, they are an ok antenna. They suffer from water intrusion and also the magnet gets moisture and or water under it causing VSWR readings to skewed. This is where a hard mount excels! Also the K40 is a short antenna compared to some others. Like the Sirio performer 5000. When I switched from the K40 to the Sirio performer 5000 it was night and day difference!!! Tuning was a breeze even with the magnet mount, and I ran about 300 watts through it. I made DX contacts all over the world including Australia from central FL while driving 70mph down the road!!
The K40 won't compete with the Sirio performer 5000, that is JMHO. Longer antenna and better made is the Sirio. It's RX and TX are both way better than the K40.
Now if you are trying to fix the antenna you have, don't spend much on it! Could be too short of a whip. They don't need much cut off them usually from the factory. I say usually because every install is different. Try a longer whip. If your VSWR won't tune below 1.7:1 or near there, you have other issues. Also if you have the 2 piece sma to PL259 connector on the end of that coax, cut it off and replace it ASAP!!! This is a known issue and needs to be addressed first thing. Those 2 piece connectors are junk!!
Like I said, if you don't want to waste your time and such, order a Sirio performer 5000 and the PL145 magnet mount from Sirio. I'll bet that you will be happy you did!! They are just a way better antenna than the K40 all day long. This is JMO, but I am sure others will agree with me on this one. Hope you get it resolved. Good luck. And have a good one.
The K40 won't compete with the Sirio performer 5000, that is JMHO. Longer antenna and better made is the Sirio. It's RX and TX are both way better than the K40.
Now if you are trying to fix the antenna you have, don't spend much on it! Could be too short of a whip. They don't need much cut off them usually from the factory. I say usually because every install is different. Try a longer whip. If your VSWR won't tune below 1.7:1 or near there, you have other issues. Also if you have the 2 piece sma to PL259 connector on the end of that coax, cut it off and replace it ASAP!!! This is a known issue and needs to be addressed first thing. Those 2 piece connectors are junk!!
Like I said, if you don't want to waste your time and such, order a Sirio performer 5000 and the PL145 magnet mount from Sirio. I'll bet that you will be happy you did!! They are just a way better antenna than the K40 all day long. This is JMO, but I am sure others will agree with me on this one. Hope you get it resolved. Good luck. And have a good one.
Don't waist time or $ on the old K40. Mag. mounts, I'm not a fan of.... I had one fly off, and it's a power thing. Drill a hole and forget it. One more thing. The Sirio 5000 line of antennas are great. I you can't use a 102/108 whip, my next pick is the Sirio line.
They are about as close to a 102" whip as it gets. Almost 7ft tall. And they are built well and are easy to tune for most.
. Seriously, it's worth the cost. Don't keep throwing money into a sub par antenna. That is JMO. As far as the K40's go. Especially one that has had issues like yours. But if you want to mess with it, have at it! It's up to you what you want to do, not us!! All we can do is recommend things that we have had experience with. I've owned the K40, Wilson 5000, and now the Sirio performer 5000 and the Sirio gets used! The others sit on the shelf!! Here are pics of all 3 antennas. Notice the length difference. From left to right, K40, Wilson 5000, and Sirio performer 5000. Hope this helps. Again, have a good one!!
. Seriously, it's worth the cost. Don't keep throwing money into a sub par antenna. That is JMO. As far as the K40's go. Especially one that has had issues like yours. But if you want to mess with it, have at it! It's up to you what you want to do, not us!! All we can do is recommend things that we have had experience with. I've owned the K40, Wilson 5000, and now the Sirio performer 5000 and the Sirio gets used! The others sit on the shelf!! Here are pics of all 3 antennas. Notice the length difference. From left to right, K40, Wilson 5000, and Sirio performer 5000. Hope this helps. Again, have a good one!!Attachments
Yup, I'm hearing every word and believe you're both absolutely right! But I'm a GM tech of 21 years, and diagnostics are in my blood. Here's what I found. Put an extension on the k40 whip and swr dropped to 2- 2.5; put a longer extension on and swr went back up,,,,,,,,,,,lopped off in increments and lo and behold swr down to 1.3. You were right about the whip length Mudduckmobile- too short. With extension measuring about 55", without about 40". Now I know my old 3 window micronta ain't much of a meter- but when swr came in modulation over 90% and watt readings went from 15 to just under 5.......how many threads have I read about " high wattage with high swr" due to ""sum of forward and reflected power"". So at least the cap can't be bad as whip length wouldn't have made a difference, so I've got a spare. Definitely going to be going sirio, still mulling mag or hole- but definitely appreciate your advice guys. Was beginning to wonder if my meter was bad or something. Hey- learning is about playing around and comparing change. Hey, on another subject- I bought a rk56 on ebay( yeah, it broke my heart i just don't trust most ebay sellers) . Tried it on the cobra 25 i'm running and it would talk. opened the mic and compared wiring to my old rk56- oops, not wired the same. Wired the new one like my original and tried it- now it works but backwards- no key- tx; keyed- no tx. Suspect the pins are wired wrong as well. Any good schematics for the rk56 to be had, need to know whether I'm looking at cord plug or radio plug. Would I be correct in my assumption that the wiring inside the mic on the turners should be the same???? " listen twice, talk maybe!!"
They are about as close to a 102" whip as it gets. Almost 7ft tall. And they are built well and are easy to tune for most.
Should have worked out of the box. As far as I know the RK56 mics are wired for cobra radios out of the box, although I haven't used one in a long time due to them being made by a cheaper company. They aren't like the original RK56 mics.
A good mic that does work well on most radios that I have used them on and they aren't expensive is the old uniden bearcat mic, like the one pictured below. As for the RK56 mic, you definitely have a wiring issue it's sounds like, I am just not sure how they wire them. Sorry can't be of more help in that dept. I hope you get it resolved. Do some google searches for the new RK56 mics and see if you come across a different wiring color code or way to wire it. Again, sorry I can't be of more help. But I will say the mic i posted does work well with every 4 Pin cobra type mic wired radio. Just some food for thought. And they can be had for less than what the price pictured is as well. Again, hope you get it resolved. Have a good day.
A good mic that does work well on most radios that I have used them on and they aren't expensive is the old uniden bearcat mic, like the one pictured below. As for the RK56 mic, you definitely have a wiring issue it's sounds like, I am just not sure how they wire them. Sorry can't be of more help in that dept. I hope you get it resolved. Do some google searches for the new RK56 mics and see if you come across a different wiring color code or way to wire it. Again, sorry I can't be of more help. But I will say the mic i posted does work well with every 4 Pin cobra type mic wired radio. Just some food for thought. And they can be had for less than what the price pictured is as well. Again, hope you get it resolved. Have a good day.
