M400 STARDUSTER OWNERS: Poll & Info please.

[M0GVZ]

So the Imax has low SWR on 12, 11 and 10 meters. I feel now that I should have cut 4 inches or so off the top as I tend to work the upper channels on 11 and then 10 meters most, but My SWR is only 1.5 at the top of the 10 meter voice band, and its 1.4 at the bottom of 12 meters, so I can't complain.

NOOO you don't trim an Imax 2000, you turn the metal rings on the threaded bit at the bottom.

Now I tested with a friend, 15 miles, On the starduster we tested just before I took it down and was hitting him at S9 and I was receiving him exactly at S9. Hes on a good kenwood unit, Me on my 2995DX. With the Imax, same freq, same power..... no change! I gained nothing on this test.

Comes as no surprise. All monopole vertical antennas 1/2 wave and above are within fractions of a dB or a dB at most of each other no matter what the brand, no matter what bits of metal they bolt on with far fetched claims of gain.

Or even a ""Small"" beam that would out perform a groundplane for local talk, skip is easy. Suggestions are welcome!

73s. Tim
oh tower photo included, 135 feet up!

A beam won't help you and in fact will see you lose several S points as it puts out a horizontally polarised signal and everyone else locally will be using vertically polarised antennas so you've an instant -20dB loss through cross polarisation.

 

[The DB]

A beam won't help you and in fact will see you lose several S points as it puts out a horizontally polarised signal and everyone else locally will be using vertically polarised antennas so you've an instant -20dB loss through cross polarisation.

Assuming that it is horizontally polarized just because it is a beam is an awfully risky assumption...


The DB

 

[222DBFL]

The only antennas that I think will work better would be a 4 element quad antenna with dual polarization. Or place a 3-4 element beam vertically.
And some of my own experience. My local pal uses a 3 element beam at 85 ft. He is able to hear and talk to same people that I do while using a vertical antenna (Sirio Vector 4000). Now this may or may not work for everyone like this. We do live in Central Florida and it's pretty flat. A few areas that are above 100ft sea level, but that is it.
So yes a horizontal can talk both well locally and DX as well. Just my experience. Now this said, his antenna is at 85ft and mine is only 26ft to the base. Tip is at 52-54 ft. So he has way more height than me. But he is able to talk very well locally at this height and DX as well. With you being 135ft, you have rather good height. May have to just try it and see what works best. But I'll say this, that IMAX 2000 is going to bend like an Ugly Stick fishing pole at that height. Just joking around, but it will bend like crazy.

All that aside, the only other vertical antenna I would recommend to YOU, would be the Shockwave antenna. The one made in the USA. I beleive member 543 has one of these antennas and he lives in TX. He has had no issues that I know of.
Like I posted several times the shockwave is made for high wind areas. It's not cheaply built antenna.
So again, if you aren't happy with the IMAX 2K, get a shockwave antenna for a great 5/8 wave vertical that is made for heavy winds and is built like a tank. Or get a 4 element beam and place it vertically. JMHO.
Let us know what you end up doing. Remember that conditions have been pretty dead on 10/11m bands. And floor noise will be a bit higher with the IMAX 2000. Most people say that anyhow. It's a fiberglass antenna. Have a good day.

 

[392]

Well I talked to my contact again on 10 meters, he said I was 1/2 s unit higher on 10, then I was on the top of 11 meters. My SWR is a bit higher on 10 and my meter shows I am putting out 50 watts less on 10 than down on 11. Why would my signal be stronger on 10 than on 11 considering I am neat the limit of that antenna's bandwidth? I did not test the starduster with this same contact on 10 so I cannot report on that. 392

 

[hotrod]

imho. id rather have the quiter starduster. than a imax2k. at your height id be afraid to put up most beams. well maybe a small 2 element like a maco y quad. . but thats still alot of antenna up high. my best recommendation is the sirio vector 4k no radials.. or as others stated the shockwave . jmho

 

[392]

NOOO you don't trim an Imax 2000, you turn the metal rings on the threaded bit at the bottom.



Comes as no surprise. All monopole vertical antennas 1/2 wave and above are within fractions of a dB or a dB at most of each other no matter what the brand, no matter what bits of metal they bolt on with far fetched claims of gain.



A beam won't help you and in fact will see you lose several S points as it puts out a horizontally polarised signal and everyone else locally will be using vertically polarised antennas so you've an instant -20dB loss through cross polarisation.

thank you sir, the owners manual says to trim it for the upper freqs, even has the trim amount starting with 8 inches in the ten meter part. I was only thinking of 4. Its looking really good in those lower channels down to 12 meters but I don't even go there. I work the 20-40 on 11 then 10 meter voice....

this antenna theory is interesting to me but one can easily get paralysis of analysis

 

[M0GVZ]

thank you sir, the owners manual says to trim it for the upper freqs, even has the trim amount starting with 8 inches in the ten meter part.

You can use it on 10-15m bands without needing to adjust anything and have a SWR below 2:1. The values of R and X you get get quite funky in various spots but the radio will be happy with it.

 

[hotrod]

thank you sir, the owners manual says to trim it for the upper freqs, even has the trim amount starting with 8 inches in the ten meter part. I was only thinking of 4. Its looking really good in those lower channels down to 12 meters but I don't even go there. I work the 20-40 on 11 then 10 meter voice....

this antenna theory is interesting to me but one can easily get paralysis of analysis

ya that what owner mnual says but if memory is right just turn those tuning rings up a bit till 10m gets where ya want it. seeing as how you said you dont go even go there. now if ya tune the rings all way up and still swr is not here ya want it on 10m. then and ONLY then would i trim it...and it would only be 1/8 inch at a time

 

[Smack32]

Hey all,

Now up until a short time ago, I wouldn't give two thoughts about
a Starduster CB Antenna. In the 70's I laughed and cursed when I saw one of them on someone's house. Well, I was only 13 or 14 years old, what did I know.

I knew they were only 1/4 wave & for years I wouldn't give you a dime for one.
Now, and just like the Astroplane, There are re-issues of these old antennas of yesteryear for sale again claiming 1/2 wave for both with the M400 Starduster coming in at around $48.00 and the Astroplane at about $136.00 or so.

What I would like to know is; how many of you out there have a M400 Starduster CB Re-issue antenna? How does it perform for you? Do you use it for 10 meters? Are you satisfied with it? How far have you talked on it? etc.....

I'm curious and might buy one of these for fun.

I had a antenna specialist .. And a copy cat.. Also had a hygain penitrator .. The original m400 is Def betterthan the copy cat better recieve and TX swr definitely better flat out to 1:1 also compared to a hygiene penitrator .. Big size difference but not performance .. The starduster and penitrator almost the same in our field tests.. The duster actually performed slightly better in distance . The panitrator had slightly better recieve both tested in the field we with field stregth meters marked and place in the same locs around the antenna. Same coach ant radio using the same mast
.. We stay with the Duster as out omni.. Give the penitrator to a friend we got hit by a bad storm . The duster made it no problem . The penitrator broke in half sorry to say

 

[Xracerx13]

Give the penitrator to a friend we got hit by a bad storm . The duster made it no problem . The penitrator broke in half sorry to say

You must be taking about a newer penetrator 500 that broke in half. I have had the original Hygain penetrator since the late 80's with no issues and we get heavy winds all the time near the south shore of Lake Ontario and mine is up 45ft.
Can't see how an M400 performs the same as a penetrator since it is only a 1/4 wave antenna.