They're not trolling, you're being OCD about it. I do contesting on amateur radio, I want the best performance I can but as long as the SWR is below 1.6:1 then I don't care after that. There is absolutely no advantage at all in trying to get a 1:1. A perfect SWR is what fools chase.
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Base New Imax wont tune 11m....this sucks
- Thread starter 357
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They're not trolling, you're being OCD about it. I do contesting on amateur radio, I want the best performance I can but as long as the SWR is below 1.6:1 then I don't care after that. There is absolutely no advantage at all in trying to get a 1:1. A perfect SWR is what fools chase.
I've owned a few Imax's and 99's. Not once, have I ever messed with those rings.
Well I'm the fool that gets a flat match in the end.
I had a maco 5/8 and I spent a couple days (maybe more I forget) messing with it trying to get it under 1.6.
Finally I found if I pull the vertical element out of the base insulator a 1/2, the match dropped like a rock.
Never had a problem again.
I passed it on to my friend on youtube, it worked for him after he was fighting with his.
Thats the problem with people today. "good enough" and a give-up attitude gets you nowhere.
This isn't my first rodeo and the Imax used to be a wicked performer, flat match from 26-28 with ease.
These pieces of crap are an embarrassment of an antenna and a counterfeit IMO.
Read the comments:
I did that and it worked! Thanks for the advice. Here is the follow up video...I am down to a 1.04 now!
I had a maco 5/8 and I spent a couple days (maybe more I forget) messing with it trying to get it under 1.6.
Finally I found if I pull the vertical element out of the base insulator a 1/2, the match dropped like a rock.
Never had a problem again.
I passed it on to my friend on youtube, it worked for him after he was fighting with his.
Thats the problem with people today. "good enough" and a give-up attitude gets you nowhere.
This isn't my first rodeo and the Imax used to be a wicked performer, flat match from 26-28 with ease.
These pieces of crap are an embarrassment of an antenna and a counterfeit IMO.
Read the comments:
I did that and it worked! Thanks for the advice. Here is the follow up video...I am down to a 1.04 now!
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While I applaud your efforts I think too many people are obsessed with "low SWR". I constantly run with an SWR of 1.6 or even 2.0.. its never a problem. Of course, the caveat is I am not running high power so maybe if I was I would think differently.
When it comes to SWR, perfection is irrelevant. Performance wise getting a 1 : 1 match compared to a 1.5 or even 2 : 1 matches will make no difference in how well your setup performs. Their is simply not enough of a difference between them to notice a difference.
And when you have equipment that gets hot just because you have a 1.4 : 1 match, then the equipment is faulty. If the equipment gets hot at this SWR because they are trying to squeeze every watt out of it, like a lot of CB amps, then the equipment was designed to be faulty, and again, for a few extra watts that you will never notice the difference on in the real world anyway.
Some antennas have multiple adjustments you can make, such as the Maco vertical antennas that were mentioned. And for the record, peak gain on said Maco antennas, as per a field strength meter, isn't where you get a perfect SWR match.
On the imax, if you are really that concerned with a pointless perfect SWR match, you can also vary the distance away from the antenna the choke you mentioned above is. This may take some experimentation on your part, which you seem to be willing to do.
The DB
Jus leave the damn antenner alone,............... and adjust your coax length to get that perfect SWR.
Oh, and after you get it perfect, don't ever change the frequency.
Oh, and after you get it perfect, don't ever change the frequency.
What Road Squawker said. Every time you change channels, your reverse power is going to change relative to the forward power.
I might. The problem is the rain.
I find my equipment runs cooler with a lower match and same with the coax being a proper multiple.
The imax was designed to be a flat swr over a wide range.
Now it is like squawker said, match goes up .05 every channel.
I'm gonna try to find a nos or lightly used vintage imax from when they did it right.
Then just to be sure I'm gonna buy some RG213 because it worked for me in the past.
I've been told that some operators noticed LMR400 wouldn't give them the SWR they expected and found the LMR400 didn't live up to expectations. RG213 just co-operated much better.
357,
It seems this venture has been full of pot holes for you.
I have been entertaining installing a 5/8 vertical at my location. I currently only have a 3 element beam for 10/11 mtrs. My installation options are very limited to 2 trees in my yard. One being about 90 feet tall and closest to my operating postion requiring about 125’ of coax and the other about 60’ tall requiring about 250’ of coax. 90 ft location requires coax crossing the driveway ( doesn’t make the wife happy). Going under the driveway is not an option as the utilities are underground parallel to the drive on the side of the tree. Add to this that I am too old to climb a tree and a 5/8 vertical with radials severely complicate a tree installation. So I am shopping for a decent vertical without radials that is broadbanded, can survive strong winds and will stand up to weather/corrosion for some time and is not a lightning magnet. I guess I am looking for the “Gold Plated Unicorn”!
Hence I have been following this post to see how you overcome the less than stellar performance of this IMAX.
Good luck.
73’s
David
It seems this venture has been full of pot holes for you.
I have been entertaining installing a 5/8 vertical at my location. I currently only have a 3 element beam for 10/11 mtrs. My installation options are very limited to 2 trees in my yard. One being about 90 feet tall and closest to my operating postion requiring about 125’ of coax and the other about 60’ tall requiring about 250’ of coax. 90 ft location requires coax crossing the driveway ( doesn’t make the wife happy). Going under the driveway is not an option as the utilities are underground parallel to the drive on the side of the tree. Add to this that I am too old to climb a tree and a 5/8 vertical with radials severely complicate a tree installation. So I am shopping for a decent vertical without radials that is broadbanded, can survive strong winds and will stand up to weather/corrosion for some time and is not a lightning magnet. I guess I am looking for the “Gold Plated Unicorn”!
Hence I have been following this post to see how you overcome the less than stellar performance of this IMAX.
Good luck.
73’s
David
http://www.hamuniverse.com/wc7iswr.html
http://www.hamuniverse.com/swr.html
https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/q1106037.pdf
Some reading , if you take the time to read it and understand what the articles are saying you will hopefully under stand how futile your efforts are.
http://www.hamuniverse.com/swr.html
https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/q1106037.pdf
Some reading , if you take the time to read it and understand what the articles are saying you will hopefully under stand how futile your efforts are.
It hasn’t taken a lot of reading for me to understand I will never “bag” the “Gold Plated Unicorn”. Just something to mull over for the last couple years. Until my 25 year old R/S rotor gives out it won’t be a priority. The 3 element Yagi is working fine. It seems that rotor is tougher than I have given it credit for.
73’s
David
73’s
David
Not GOLD Plated or Fancy Hype but a very practical, functional antenna...
http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/Product.php?productid=AR-10
Had one up for years above a 3 element 10m yagi...work pretty damn well...easy as hell to tune...and won't break the bank...Lots of guys give the Ringo's a bad rap...but you get them up and they work for years.
All the Best
Gary
This may be of some help although there are no values to see it is an inside look. Ok thought we were still talking about he Imax 2000
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