Base New Imax wont tune 11m....this sucks

[Marconi]

357 and Recon, after nearly 2 years I am surprised no one has been able to provided the new dimensions for the New Imax. By now I would think there would be plenty of folks using the New Imax antenna.

Have you tried calling the sellers and ask if they would measure the antenna prior to shipping?

I went to ebay to contact one of the sellers and ask what the length of his Imax was. I also checked for CB and Ham base antennas. I found about 15 pages of 50 items each page. I found 0 Imax antennas for sale. I found plenty of A99's however. I have not checked Road Pro or Amazon to see if they sell the A99, and I find no contact info for Solarcon or a Website. It's like they never existed.

The capacitor was an after thought. I think the SWR problem happened awhile after the capacitor was added but thats a mystery too.

Interesting 357, I understand you being pissed, but is this just an opinion or do you have some bases for your idea?

I also contacted Coppers' Electronics with the question about the length of the New Imax.

 

[Marconi]

I also contacted Coppers' Electronics with the question about the length of the New Imax.

Copper's Electronics responded to my emai.

 

[techradioman]

So it's now an inch shorter and not 2 feet shorter ? If that's correct then that 1 inch should be able to be corrected by the rings or make almost no difference at all.

 

[ENC Pirate]

Time to move on, this is nuts and the making the antenna fit in a box is the dumbest thing I ever heard. I have the antenna, 24 feet, and truth is it is not the best antenna out there by any means, IMO. Local is one thing, but going for DX, just about anything will be as good, I have a couple dipoles that are every bit as good as my IMAX, wont even talk about beams, even beams at 10 to 20 feet off the ground will eat the Imax for lunch on dx. I paid about 130 not long ago for the IMAX, plus shipping and tax took it to around 160. For about that amount you can buy a 3 element Sirio, assuming you have the room. 73's
Ocean One Cape Hatteras

 

[Benz]

Hello,

Sorry for my english i live in switzerland
I ordered the max 2000 I installed and
Here is the result
27,000 swr 2.1
27.205 swr 1.9
27,405. swr 1.8
28,000 swr 1.1
29,000 swr 1.1
26,000 swr 2.5
21,000 swr 1.2
22,000 swr 1.2

Strip 11m impossible to descend the swr!

I also have a sirio gain master
25,500 to 29,500 swr 1.2

 

[AudioShockwav]

Let me refresh want was posted at a earlier date.

Solorcon shortened the Antenna 24 inches , making the antenna 22 feet long.
It is my guess that is when the correct name of the antenna went from the
I Max 2000
To
Max 2000.
Then Solorcon sold to Pro Com
They recently shortened it another 1/4 of a inch for some unknown reason.
In one of these threads I posted my e mails from myself to Pro Com.
I also think Bells CB stopped selling them when they went from 24 feet, to 22 feet.
I am sure a e mail to Bells may answer that one for sure if anyone is so inclined.
I have no way of putting a date on when the went from 24 to 22 but it was pro com that snipped off the last 3/4 of a inch.
There is no way of knowing if your nearby retailer has the 24 foot one or the 22 foot one because they may still have old stock of the 24's or it is new stock of 22 footers.
Unless you can get them to pull it out of the package and measure before shipping.

I think some of the online retailers have keep selling the antenna and not updated there descriptions.
This thread and a couple related ones was a attempt to get info about when the length changed and how it effected the tuning.
It is or was a popular antenna used by CB and ham operators.
Like the A99
Love by some, hated by others.

73
Jeff

 

[Marconi]

Jeff I can't remember, do you think anyone has posted the individual element lengths for the New Imax that is 22' - 0.75" inches.

BTW, my old I-MAX 2000 Manual that was bought on 07/03/2009, and it shows I-MAX 2000 on the front page. However on page 7, the Frequency/Antenna Length Table shows MAX99 in the first column and MAX2000 in the second column. Page 8, shows the specifications for the MAX99.

The type set for both pages 7 & 8 are the same as the rest of the Manual, but the type is "Bold" as noted below is an image of my Manual showing both names being used I-MAX2000, MAX2000 back in 2009. So, I guess a new question is: did Solarcon sell-out to whoever back then, on or before 2009?

Click link below.
https://www.worldwidedx.com/attachments/imax-manual-frequency-trim-chart-pdf.33301/

 

[AudioShockwav]

That I don't know Eddie.
It would help a lot if we had a timeline when the antenna was shortened and by who.
I think the correct length of the new one by pro com( or is it Road pro even I am forgetful now) is 21 feet 11 and 3/4 inch.

Let me go back and look through these threads to confirm that and the name of the company that now owned the I Max.
Yes I am also not sure about the Max 2000 gets I Max 2000 name change.
It was my hope that we could find someone in the know to tell us some solid details about the time line.
Be right back.

73
Jeff

 

[AudioShockwav]

So I write them back, saying that the Antennas were 24 feet long, and asked if they are now 21 feet 11and3/4 inches.
Here is the reply.
----------------------------------------------
Customer Service., Jan 6, 4:13 PM EST
Thank you for getting back to us Jeff,
Yes, you are correct. The length minus the 1/4" is 21' 11 3/4" .
Thanks again!


--------------------------------
This email is a service from RoadPro Family of Brands.


WTF?
73
Jeff

Here is the E mail from Road Pro ( not Pro Com) that states the length now.
From these EMails back in this thread it looks to me that SolarCon is who lopped off 2 feet.
Then sold to Road Pro.
73
Jeff

 

[AudioShockwav]

I posted the following statement from Bell's on this forum in November.
"We no longer sell this antenna because Solarcon decided to shorten the antenna so that it would ship easier. They did this without changing the tuning of the antenna so now it comes tuned for 10 meter Ham band and not CB radio".
Yesterday I had a discussion with the tech at Bell's who was the person who identified the shorter MAX 2000 antennas. He received fourteen new antennas and only one out of fourteen was twenty-four feet long.

This answer from bells CB says they got a shipment were only 1 antenna was 24 feet long, and the rest 22.
It seems they started shipping short antennas with out letting retailers the change had happened.

73
Jeff

 

[techradioman]

It's just the top section that has been shortened correct ? If so someone needs to make just a correct length top section for these.

 

[RT431]

Çut down a SS whip and jola! You got your 24' Imax.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I do not know if they only shortened the top section or all three.
We would need measurements of all 3 sections from both the 24 foot and the 22 , or 21 foot 11 and 3/4 to figure that one out.

73
Jeff

 

[AudioShockwav]

I also sent Road Pro a link to this part of the forum, but they never showed up here
73
Jeff

 

[Marconi]

It's just the top section that has been shortened correct ? If so someone needs to make just a correct length top section for these.

Tech, that would make sense, but all the elements were close to the same overall length similar to the images below. Here we see the base element looks to be the longest. If so and the problem was the shipping length which was given as the reason for making the antenna 2' feet shorter...just making the tip 2 feet shorter would not seem to me to solve the problem.

So, according to the trim schedule in the Manual...making the tip 24" inches shorter would put the antenna tune close to 29.743 MHz with a possible good match at 10 meters too, and again for me that would not make good sense for CB operators either.

This is why I'm curious about the possible new lengths for all 3 elements.

Jeff, I'm sorry I put you to reading more.