second best 5/8 base antennas

[BOOTY MONSTER]

so everyone wil have their absolute fave 5/8 base antenna be it an i10k or merlin or mr coily or what ever .

so whats the best 5/8 base antenna under $100 ?
whats the best base 5/8 under $150 ?

 

[Robb]

You still haven't bought an antenna yet?!?
I made the plunge and bought the IMAX 2000. It's not a 5/8 wave; but a true .64. Don't get me wrong, I'm really a fan of the aluminum ground plane antenna. But this IMAX is pretty stealthy, healthy, and boomy. It really gets out and recieves very well. Best thing about it? Its broadband-ness. Covering 10 thru 12 meters - no problem.

I would still go with the MACO V-5000 because of its bandwidth and strength of construction, But for the price, the V-58 is just as broadband as its bigger/better brother...

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

"You still haven't bought an antenna yet?!?"
LOL . you shoulda been around when i was making an amp decision !!!


i was gonna get set up this month but i had to put money into my vehicle . plus ive talked to the dude i rent from and i can attach a mast to the rake on the peak of the roof . i didnt think he would let me attach to the house so that makes things a lot easier .

i was thinking i-max and isolating it as well as adding four 108 inch grounds . but i keep reading post about the top or middle section breaking . plus the dude dont want guy wires up ...... . i wanna try to stick with something with ground radials

i was really interested in the alpha/sigma/58 at g.i joes . but ive e-mailed them twice with questions and called probally a dozen times and never got a reply from them or anyone answering the phone or even an option to leave a message . but since i cant find anyone else that carries it im marking it off my potiental list . if they cant answer a phone or e-mail when i want to spend money ill be SOL trying to contact them if i have a problem !

i really really like the looks and price of the sirio tornado . but i keep seeing folks posting about it not being a durable antenna . they do have the sirio 827 and it can be had for about $150 delivered , but id rather keep close to a C note or less . it does seem to consistantly get very good comments .

 

[Robb]

I hear that.
I did the same thing -procrastinating- before I bought my OmegaForce.
The nicer things about the IMAX are, they work great w/o ground planes, the are stealthy (not an 'eyesore'), and are $90 at Palco. Palco answers the telephone and will chat with you about your choice; not pushy.

Just don't procrastinate about the coax - though!
LMR is nice; but the Belden 9913Flex is flexible and has the S A M E specs as the LMR. Same db loss - very, very low! Cost is about the same - or maybe a little more. Since you were picky about your amp - what did you choose. I also have to be picky about the amp I get, so what were all of the criteria for your amp choice???

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i used 9913f7 in my mobile cause it was only a few feet and the cost vs 8x was very similar . ill probally use the 50 foot of 8x from sparkys with the amphenol 259's . itll handle a TS 500 no problem and the loss @ 50 ft. wont be seen in the real world .

my amp choice . LOL . well...... i had a lot to learn . im a big fat guy and initially i wanted a fatboy amp , lol . then i started hearing about bias classes and bias efficency and what different typs of bias class was best for . then i started learning about how increasing power affects the transmitted distance . i asked tons of questions and i found IMO the hams had answers that made more sense and could provide additional info with links to articles . most cb'ers just wanted to squash ducks and were totally consumed by the watts claimed by the amps builder/seller . anyhow , i first got a palomar 225 with ab biasing and filtering . Genuine Palomar 225 LINEAR Amplifier . then last summer i got a texas star 500v from a forum member here for $200 delivered .

i wanted something with a proper bias for a modulated signal . i wanted something that would be less likely to have bleedover/splatter issues . i also wanted a proven design that had been around a while . the messenger 450/cobra 500 should be as clean as my 500v , but they have filtering to help prevent bleeding onto tv's computers and such .

BTW . lmr makes a LMR-400 UF that has a stranded center and is flexable . palco are nice folks to talk to and as you say arnt pushy . they have good prices on the workman W58 and the maco v5/8 . mut MOJO's shop beats them on the maco with shipping .

 

[hookedon6]

.... i asked tons of questions and i found IMO the hams had answers that made more sense and could provide additional info with links to articles . most cb'ers just wanted to squash ducks.../quote]

:w00t::w00t: there ya went and did it. ...... we really need to keep all those ducks under control

oh btw as far as the antenna goes. the hi gain (not the ant specialist) super penatrator 500's are hard to beat. and they can still be found if you look.

 

[Red Ranger]

I like the looks of that Palomar! The first 50 watts are the biggest watts you can buy.

Also I noticed nobody mentioned the A-99, it is cheaper than a Imax.

 

[Cajun Invader]

The Imax for me caused lots of TVI. I however did not have a ground plane kit and have not compared it to anything other than an A99 that also did not have a ground plane kit and lots of TVI.

Next weekend I should have the new antenna up then my snake Merlin and I can tell you more about it.

 

[Robb]

I've never had an antenna yet that didn't throw off TVI. Unless there is a brand/model that I'm not aware of that doesn't (could be).

One always needs to do what one can to eliminate it. Ground rod(s), choke coil, TVI filter - whatever it takes to get the job done...

 

[Splash1]

no tvi problem here..have the gpk and rf choke..plus its copper which is a better conducter then aluminum..be carefull handeling it though after a while or you,ll get fibre glass in your fingers .. PS..you mentioned in your op ''your favorite 5/8'' and the brand merlin..merlin is a 1/4 wave ,, NOT a 5/8 wave .. the only way a merlin could compare with a imax would be if you mounted the base of the merlin to at the same hiegth as the top of a imax and then still the imax would recive better becauce of the longer radial which would capture more signal .. if you think about it the merlin isnt any cheaper eigther becauce you gotta buy extra coax and mast to get to the same hiegth as a imax .. i may be wrong but if you realy look at it the merlin looks like a con job ..

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

"merlin is a 1/4 wave ,, NOT a 5/8 wave"


well , some will argue to hell and back that its a 1/2 wave antenna . if you ran its radials straight down it would be a coil loaded dipole with a top hat . anyway , you are correct . either way i wouldnt pay what theyre asking for it , $300ish delivered for a glorified starduster . i think a m-400/starduster with a full length top should do better performance wise , but the merlin looks like it should last forever .

 

[hotrod]

check copper.com for the maco5/8 they carry them.h&y carrys them also
although i perfer coppers.i think thier around 125.00 there.the sirio 827 can
be had at h&y also

 

[Marconi]

"merlin is a 1/4 wave ,, NOT a 5/8 wave"

well , some will argue to hell and back that its a 1/2 wave antenna . if you ran its radials straight down it would be a coil loaded dipole with a top hat.

Well BM, both you and Splash are right that the Merlin is not a 5/8 wave, but it is not exactly a 1/4 wave either. Whatever it is, I would not argue the point except to say that the Merlin nor the Starduster are center fed or balanced like a 1/2 wave dipole. If you check the measurements out a bit, you will note that they are off center fed just a little bit. This fact might just be what gives these designs a bit of advantage in the real world and not follow theory to the ‘T’.

anyway , you are correct . either way i wouldnt pay what theyre asking for it , $300ish delivered for a glorified starduster . i think a m-400/starduster with a full length top should do better performance wise, but the merlin looks like it should last forever.

The Merlin is only slightly shorter than the SD’r. If 55 knows-his-stuff and tested his work, I believe he could have designed a coil and radiator well and it could equal or better the efficiency of a full length 1/4 wave radiator it replaces. I’m not writing the Merlin off yet, even with its feed line exposure to RF.

 

[Mr. Doug]

You still haven't bought an antenna yet?!?
I made the plunge and bought the IMAX 2000. It's not a 5/8 wave; but a true .64. Don't get me wrong, I'm really a fan of the aluminum ground plane antenna. But this IMAX is pretty stealthy, healthy, and boomy. It really gets out and recieves very well. Best thing about it? Its broadband-ness. Covering 10 thru 12 meters - no problem.

I would still go with the MACO V-5000 because of its bandwidth and strength of construction, But for the price, the V-58 is just as broadband as its bigger/better brother...

My IMAX 2000 broke in half the first 50MPH windstorm.. right below second joint.. not at the treads either..

 

[Mr. Doug]

I've never had an antenna yet that didn't throw off TVI. Unless there is a brand/model that I'm not aware of that doesn't (could be).

One always needs to do what one can to eliminate it. Ground rod(s), choke coil, TVI filter - whatever it takes to get the job done...

With new Digital TV regulations, you should hardy get ANY TVI.. on Sat or Cable none at all.