Merlin Base Up Close and Personal

[swanny]

359,

I feel your pain on the puddle droppin out on ya..sucks when that happens.

As far as the antenna, hopefully the manufacturer will improve his quality control and everyone can be happy (well except for the 2 s-units or whatever over the competition antenna crowd)

 

[Shockwave]

Welding aluminum requires skill and the proper equipment. For antenna work there is another easy option. If you can solder copper plumbing, consider soldering aluminum now too. With proper preparation Supper Alloy 1 ( Super Alloy 1: The 350 Degree Multi-Metal Solder ) can solder aluminum and it melts at a low 350 degrees. With a little more heat you can make it flow like 60 / 40 solder. When in doubt, just add more flux and the stuff works great.

While it may not be as strong as true welding. I did a simple test soldering two pieces of 1/8 inch thick, 1 inch wide flat aluminum stock together. With a 1 inch overlap as the solder joint, Home Depot aluminum stock bent long before the joint could break. It also joins an amazing variation of different metals together. White metal, pot metal, zinc, die cast, lead, aluminum, bronze, steel, copper, or brass in any combination.

 

[Moleculo]

I would take the test results they posted with 2 grains of salt.

I would take them with less than that. The only thing you can surmise from Yota's testing methodology is perhaps a 1/4 wave groundplane antenna works better for him with the stations he normally communicates with. He could have spent a whole lot less money and achieved the same result.

 

[hotrod]

The antenna is now back up in the air. From ground to base is 33' 4".

The coax and jumpers have been replaced with new BR-400.

Radio is an RCI 2995dx. The radio was just tuned and aligned by a qualified technician.
Radio showing following wattage on Bird 43P into Bird 8890 Dummy Load.
Low-4 watts swinging to 120
High-48 watts swinging to 210
Limiter intact.

Amplifier is a Dentron Clipperton L. Radio and Amplifier bench tested and performed excellent. Following numbers as shown by a Bird 43P into a Bird 8890 Dummy Load.

400 swinging to 1600.

On my meter, Palstar WM150 going into antenna I am showing the following.

Radio:
Low 4 watts swinging 110

High 50 watts swinging 190.

Amplifier:
400 swinging to 1250.

DX Contacts:
First contact was on channel 6. Skip conditions were excellent. Witchita, Ks. 598 miles.

Second contact was Greenville, NC. 927 miles.

3rd and 4th contacts were very interesting.

3rd contact was Houston, Tx. 202 miles.

4th contact was Biloxi, Ms. 184 miles.

Controlled Local Contacts.


These are contacts made by myself from my base to my mobile.

New Iberia, La. 18 miles. Signal reading +10.

Rayne, La. 15 miles. Signal reading 9.

Mouton Cove, La. 25 miles. Signal reading 6.

Plaquimine, La. 46 miles. Signal reading 2. (Mobile was not able to make contact back to base.)

I have tried my best to provide as much information as possible and to create a controlled testing environment. I am not claiming to be an authority on antenna testing. I am just a guy who bought an antenna and figured I would share as much information as I could.

With that said and done I will give my honest opinion on the purchase that I made.

Am I happy with my purchase? Yes and No.

I am happy that it works and I am able to use it.

I am not happy with the quality of craftsmanship. I would think something as simple as a deburring tool could have been used. Also I was dissapointed in the way a grinder was used to remove some of the roll pins.

If I had to do it all over again would I purchase a Merlin? No. I feel it is overpriced for what it offers and the quality of craftsmanship does not reflect the cost.

For the money I spent I should have spent a little more and went with the Intercepter 10K.

For the same price of the Merlin I could have purchased a Maco V5000 and all new coax. Although I have never used one, I honestly feel that would have been the better choice for the money. The Maco is a proven design with many positive reviews.

these contacts were pretty decent i thought. considering the antenna is only a 1/4
i know i cant make a 46 mile contact with my sirio 5/8 antenna.so what this proves TO ME
is its working good at his location. maybe at my place it could be worse.however i live in a hole and was told i should use a 1/4 antenna which i dont understand why.but this is just my opinion im not a antenna gryu or a machineist or welder but will say id bet it will outlast my sirio.my opinion again.

 

[itx]

With the kind of wattage he was running, 40+ miles shouldn't be an issue with a ton of antennas. I've done 25+ miles on an A99 and a bone stock ratshack TRC-465 on SSB and the A99 was only 15ft (to the base) off the ground. 400w deadkey swinging up to 1200w on a (hopefully better) antenna 30+ feet up should be able to accomplish that easily I would think.

 

[bob85]

6061-t6 was/is the best used by antenna builders,
6063-t832 is a cheaper alternative to aircraft grade alloys,
im sure there are better materials if cost is no option

ASM Material Data Sheet
ASM Material Data Sheet

6082-t6 is also interesting

welding heat treaded aluminum tube at the highest stress point is poor engineering practice.

 

[hotrod]

With the kind of wattage he was running, 40+ miles shouldn't be an issue with a ton of antennas. I've done 25+ miles on an A99 and a bone stock ratshack TRC-465 on SSB and the A99 was only 15ft (to the base) off the ground. 400w deadkey swinging up to 1200w on a (hopefully better) antenna 30+ feet up should be able to accomplish that easily I would think.

ive done 25 miles with my sirio 5/8 at 15 feet with a cobra 2000 gtl .
probaly could,ve done 30 but i was at my desination.my point was
in a mobile at 46 miles giving his mobile a s-2 is dencent imho.
i would like to see what he,d do with just a standard cb or even
just the 2995 alone

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

using about the same power as his barefoot 2995 (uniden 78 into a palomar 225) ive talked from exit 64 to exit 92 on I95 on the mobile (ashland to willis rd) ........................... using a lil will . thats 38 miles . but the lil will was only 6 ft off the ground and moving .

 

[swanny]

wouldn't that be 28 miles booty monster?

 

[GnG8d]

but the lil will was only 6 ft off the ground and moving .

Ahh, yes, the velocity factor!

 

[Marconi]

Ahh, yes, the velocity factor!

359, the most concise idea of the Velocity Factor I've ever heard and it cannot be ignored under those circumstances, right?

 

[GnG8d]

359, the most concise idea of the Velocity Factor I've ever heard and it cannot be ignored under those circumstances, right?

No sir

 

[hotrod]

BUMP!!hows the merlin working for ya.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

wouldn't that be 28 miles booty monster?

Ahh, yes, the velocity factor!

my bad ...... buzz factor

 

[Red Ranger]

looks like an oversized starduster, with an unnecessary hat & coil... how much does that thing weigh?

(don't get me wrong, for what they were, the 'duster was a decent antenna)

No... it looks like an IMPROVED star duster! The coax connection alone is far superior to the starduster's.


Either will bend when debris hits it, and stay bent. I say replace the stinger with a 102" stainless mobile whip. It won't look AS cool, but it will be more robust.