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Procomm Patriot 12 Foot CB Base Antenna advise
- Thread starter KOBO
- Start date
After reading several worldwide threads on the PAT 12,it looks like you need to give that antenna to someone you don't like and get something else. 
After reading several worldwide threads on the PAT 12,it looks like you need to give that antenna to someone you don't like and get something else.
LOL. I think I'll unload it in a garage sale.
Might have to put up my homemade one after all. Perhaps the tunable tips on the Firestiks will work better at adjusting SWR than the tuning rings on the PAT-12. They didn't seem to do much.
I still have the Firestik FS99 Fireup tunable stick on my A99's top section. I'm thinking the the top section of the PAT 12 is built the same way electrically. With the Firestik I had to move the tuning rings all the way to the top of their travel just to counteract the Firestik's 5/8's wave electrical length.
That being said,on a Worldwide thread on the PAT 12,one guy clamped a wide banded stainless steel hose clamp on his PAT 12 above the tuning rings which in turn brought the swr down some.
That would be something if you could duplicate what he did to see if that really works. Also,make sure your antenna's mounting section is earth grounded to a eight foot copper ground rod at the base of the antenna and also that your radio equipment is earth grounded as well.
Undoubtedly,the coax and mast is acting as the other half of the antenna. Make sure as with the A99 that you have the base if the antenna at least 9 feet above it's mounting stricture as well as away from any surrounding objects.
Some guys can get a 1.1 swr with this antenna. Those maybe the ones who have theirs mounted and grounded properly.
I have yet to earth ground my A99 as I am using a modified ground plane utilizing 4 102" SS whips instead of the GPK-1's 6 footers.
That being said,on a Worldwide thread on the PAT 12,one guy clamped a wide banded stainless steel hose clamp on his PAT 12 above the tuning rings which in turn brought the swr down some.
That would be something if you could duplicate what he did to see if that really works. Also,make sure your antenna's mounting section is earth grounded to a eight foot copper ground rod at the base of the antenna and also that your radio equipment is earth grounded as well.
Undoubtedly,the coax and mast is acting as the other half of the antenna. Make sure as with the A99 that you have the base if the antenna at least 9 feet above it's mounting stricture as well as away from any surrounding objects.
Some guys can get a 1.1 swr with this antenna. Those maybe the ones who have theirs mounted and grounded properly.
I have yet to earth ground my A99 as I am using a modified ground plane utilizing 4 102" SS whips instead of the GPK-1's 6 footers.
On one of the Worldwide PAT 12 threads a boomer kit was suggested.
Maco® GPRK Replacement Parts - Antenna Parts Outlet
http://www.antennapartsoutlet.com/Pages/Products/OmniParts.html
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/50986-maco-boomer-ground-plane-kit.html
Maco® GPRK Replacement Parts - Antenna Parts Outlet
http://www.antennapartsoutlet.com/Pages/Products/OmniParts.html
http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/50986-maco-boomer-ground-plane-kit.html
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I did try adding a SS hose clamp above the tuning rings but noticed no difference in SWR.
I did not ground the system as I was waiting to see if I could get the antenna to perform satisfactorily first. It's my understanding the use of a copper ground wire and ground rod does not affect SWR.
Okay, I decided to go ahead and put up my homemade Firestik antenna shown previously in this thread: http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/161969-wilson-1000-base-station-antenna-3.html
It is only 15' in the air and the bottom of the 2 radials are only 1' from my roof.
The SWR was 1.8 on CH 40, 1.9 on CH 1, and 1.5 on CH 19. Rather than take it down and start adjusting the tunable tips, I decided to leave that for another day, if I do it at all.
This thing behaves like we thought it would--- a good mobile antenna on a car hoisted 15' in the air.
And now you know the rest of the story.
It is only 15' in the air and the bottom of the 2 radials are only 1' from my roof.
The SWR was 1.8 on CH 40, 1.9 on CH 1, and 1.5 on CH 19. Rather than take it down and start adjusting the tunable tips, I decided to leave that for another day, if I do it at all.
This thing behaves like we thought it would--- a good mobile antenna on a car hoisted 15' in the air.
And now you know the rest of the story.
I'm the guy "LiL Yeshua" quoted you about installing the hose clamp above the tuning rings LOL As stated it brought them down to at least a useable reading but still was not good. I tried everything to make that antenna have a better swr and it was not possible but it did work. I did put a matcher inline and didn't hurt any of my equipment. I have since moved and was NOT installing that antenna again! I now have a Star Duster but wanted to show you my eve mount cause I think this would work for your antenna mounting. My roof peak is 30' off the ground and my antenna mast is 24' long and my Star Duster is 18' long giving me a antenna peak at 72' Oh I also forgot that I ran some big steel grounding cable and deep ground rods also but nothing would put it in a acceptable SWR. We seem to have in common that we don't know when to quit but really either quit now or order a cheap matcher so you don't burn up any radio's and that is just a band aid fix. Good Luck!!
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Cool eave mount, Hammer. What is the other antenna below your StarDuster?
Someday I hope to live somewhere I can put a Starduster high in the air. I hear they are really good. 90% of the PAT-12 reviews I read were not too good. I thought I might luck out and be a ten percenter. No such luck.
My SWR's on my homemade job are all below 2.0 which I understand is safe to use. I think I'll leave it for a while as I'm guessing the adjustment using the Firestiks' tunable tips will be an ordear since I have three of them to mess with.
Might tackle it someday.
Someday I hope to live somewhere I can put a Starduster high in the air. I hear they are really good. 90% of the PAT-12 reviews I read were not too good. I thought I might luck out and be a ten percenter. No such luck.
My SWR's on my homemade job are all below 2.0 which I understand is safe to use. I think I'll leave it for a while as I'm guessing the adjustment using the Firestiks' tunable tips will be an ordear since I have three of them to mess with.
Might tackle it someday.
That antenna at the eave of the roof is a scanner antenna. I have pictures of my Pat-12 but I can't find them what I wanted to show was I invented this eave mount back a few years ago "so I thought" with a dismantled storm door and ten feet of galvanized pipe I really thought I came up with this design LOL. I had to go with this type of mount again because their is nothing else to mount to. I wanted to let you know that even though I could not get the SWR's down that the Patriot was still doing a kick ass job never the less. The SWR's red line at 3 and I was at 2 point something kind of far from the red zone so if you can radio check someone that's on a base and compare both antenna's you might find that the Patriot is still the best choice until you are ready for something else and by not having your antenna up high you can switch out easier. In any case good luck!
Gotcha. I misunderstood about the eave mount.
Truth is I'm kinda tired of fooling with it and think I'll leave my homemade one up for now. Am sorta old and tired and climbing that darn ladder LOL.
I miss the 1970s CB craze. Here's my setup start to finish back then.
1. Radio Shack Navajo 23-channel - Radio Shack ground plane 20' in the air.
2. Pearce Simpson Guardian - Same antenna.
3. Pearce Simpson Simba CB/SSB with Turner Plus 3 amplified mic - CLR2 ground plane.
4. Browning Golden Eagle Mark IV CB/SSB with D104 amplified mic - Astro Beam 35' in the air. (Sure wish I had this setup back!)
Mobile: Browning SST with a 102" steel whip on the rear bumper of my Plymouth Duster.
Yep, those were the good ol' days.
Truth is I'm kinda tired of fooling with it and think I'll leave my homemade one up for now. Am sorta old and tired and climbing that darn ladder LOL.
I miss the 1970s CB craze. Here's my setup start to finish back then.
1. Radio Shack Navajo 23-channel - Radio Shack ground plane 20' in the air.
2. Pearce Simpson Guardian - Same antenna.
3. Pearce Simpson Simba CB/SSB with Turner Plus 3 amplified mic - CLR2 ground plane.
4. Browning Golden Eagle Mark IV CB/SSB with D104 amplified mic - Astro Beam 35' in the air. (Sure wish I had this setup back!)
Mobile: Browning SST with a 102" steel whip on the rear bumper of my Plymouth Duster.
Yep, those were the good ol' days.
I found that picture of my Patriot 12 and the home made antenna mast brackets I made. The bottom piece is from a storm windowed door and the top piece is from a Toyota truck shipping tie down or tow loop. and the mast is a ten foot galvanized pipe probably from a fence. I used quality stainless hose clamps to secure everything together. This had no problem withstanding hurricane Sandy my trees didn't fair so well lol. Good Luck!
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That appears to have gotten the antenna far enough from the roof to work properly. Surprised you still had SWR problems. Must be an inherent problem with the antenna design.
Only having mine 15' up with a 30' steeply pitched roof blocking one whole side, I think the SWR gremlin has settled in for the duration regardless what I put up there.
Wonder if one of the "no-ground" antennas would be any better?
Only having mine 15' up with a 30' steeply pitched roof blocking one whole side, I think the SWR gremlin has settled in for the duration regardless what I put up there.
Wonder if one of the "no-ground" antennas would be any better?
If you are talking about the A99 or the Imax2k; yes - they will work much better.
The down side to these antennas - however - is common-mode current on the coax. As these antennas use the coax as part of the antenna. The downside to that situation is possible TV and other interference. Still MUCH better than the Patriot - or that other dummy load antenna