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Maco v58 going up, please look this over

TruckerKevin

TruckerKevin

KD9NTD
Nov 9, 2017
234
143
53
59
Buckner, Illinois
www.qrz.com
Can you experienced guys please have a look at my video I made of my v58 before I put it up? I have a gang of people that’s coming over to help hoist it up and I want to get things right the first time. My swr is over 2, and I just want some opinions my buddy thinks that they’re going to drop when we get it raised up .

Only thing I would like to mention is in my video I said that the SWR had dropped to 1.5 on channel 1 and was it 2.1 on channel 40 and that was true, but then when I came in again after shooting the video they are both right back to 2.1 each .

Also please excuse the mess of our backyard we just remove the pool and there’s a big construction project going on out there

Here is the YouTube link
 
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The ground radios are laying there on the deck. They are 9 feet long each and he was claiming that they only work on the receiving end and don’t have anything to do with the SWR so I did not put them on there. If somebody knows better, please tell me and I’ll put them on and recheck everything
 
have you tried changing the location where the coax center conductor attaches to the ring?

using the radials, you should get a usable (1.2 - 1.3 swr) on that pole.

Also, I think the recommended overall length is 239 inches, many people shorten it to about 229.

YMMV
 
Right, according to the pamphlet it was supposed to be 228 for 11 meter. I got it right at 228 inches and it was 2.0 on both 1 and 40,,, I’m hoping when I get the radials on it they drop perfectly.

The reason why the radials aren’t on there is because the guy helping me today was a know it all. I really needed his help raising and lowering it so I was put on the spot because it didn’t want to piss him off and have him leave. He was adamant the radials didn’t matter. I’ll have my son helping me Saturday morning before the gang shows up I’ll put them on. I’ll be out of town tonight and Friday
 
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When I had a V58 back in the day.. I fully assembled it (put radials on!) and set it on 4 plastic buckets in my back yard.. at my old place i had a big back yard so it was away from everything. Ran coax (uncoiled) to it like 40 ft away. Since this was pre analyzer days for me..we used my budys mobile rig and a swr meter.. If I remember we had to slide the thing on the ring around some and swr was just under 1.5... once it went up to 60ft at the feed point it came down to almost flat.
 
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Had the same prob.... back in the day . Put them on they do matter they are your counterpoise and I cant see is that pole in the ground? you MUST have good grounding for a good SWR.
 
One more thing: I don't know if they have changed things last 5 or 6 years.
However if they are still using those "Hoop" type aluminum clamps with the set screw and nut for the driven element sections...LOOSE those!!!
Replace with Stainless Steel hose clamps and good Scotch 33+ tape on all the joint sections.
The one I had installed for a friend rattled loose in a couple months...VSWR went wako, and we had to bring it down and rework it due to those lousy clamps. Everyone one of those clamps stretched from the Mid-Western winds and were loose!:mad:
Yes, the radials are required to tune correctly. Yes, also uncoil the coax.
All the Best
Gary
 
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TruckerKevin said:
he was claiming that they only work on the receiving end
Click to expand...
Even if this numbskull is right, do you not want this antenna to receive? Perhaps you have a separate receiving antenna?
Ask the numbskull to tune a 102" whip by holding the base in his hand. Not mounted to a ground plane.

Use the radials! (and maybe get some new friends)

Good Luck!

73's
David
 
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