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What I wonder about that BigHair colinear 5/8 over 5/8 antenna is how the hell can that thing be self supporting? Just dealing with an 18' A99, I see the fiberglass elements flapping all around and transferring that energy down the mast. I can't imagine a 50' tall stacked 5/8 CB antenna that could possibly remain vertical in still air, let alone wind.

In regards to my testing methodology of mobile reception charted in each cardinal direction, you are correct, it is far from ideal. Yet, it is sufficient enough to display a statistically significant improvement. I wish I had the test gear required so that I could provide actual signal strength values in dBm at several different points, but I don't unfortunately. This leaves my results rather subjective. Regardless, I think I've proven that owners of this antenna would do well to add 1/4 wave radials to their own A99's if they want to maximize this antenna's potential.

Considering the low cost, ease of availability, proven reliability and reasonable broadbandness of the A99, I think it deserves a little more credit than the typical scorn I tend to observe in its regard, both online and even in discussions with other CBers on the air!

<blockquote data-quote="kaosfm" data-source="post: 461026" data-attributes="member: 39476">What I wonder about that BigHair colinear 5/8 over 5/8 antenna is how the hell can that thing be self supporting?&nbsp; Just dealing with an 18&#039; A99, I see the fiberglass elements flapping all around and transferring that energy down the mast.&nbsp; I can&#039;t imagine a 50&#039; tall stacked 5/8 CB antenna that could possibly remain vertical in still air, let alone wind.In regards to my testing methodology of mobile reception charted in each cardinal direction, you are correct, it is far from ideal.&nbsp; Yet, it is sufficient enough to display a statistically significant improvement.&nbsp; I wish I had the test gear required so that I could provide actual signal strength values in dBm at several different points, but I don&#039;t unfortunately.&nbsp; This leaves my results rather subjective.&nbsp; Regardless, I think I&#039;ve proven that owners of this antenna would do well to add 1/4 wave radials to their own A99&#039;s if they want to maximize this antenna&#039;s potential.&nbsp; Considering the low cost, ease of availability, proven reliability and reasonable broadbandness of the A99, I think it deserves a little more credit than the typical scorn I tend to observe in its regard, both online and even in discussions with other CBers on the air!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="kaosfm, post: 461026, member: 39476"] What I wonder about that BigHair colinear 5/8 over 5/8 antenna is how the hell can that thing be self supporting? Just dealing with an 18' A99, I see the fiberglass elements flapping all around and transferring that energy down the mast. I can't imagine a 50' tall stacked 5/8 CB antenna that could possibly remain vertical in still air, let alone wind. In regards to my testing methodology of mobile reception charted in each cardinal direction, you are correct, it is far from ideal. Yet, it is sufficient enough to display a statistically significant improvement. I wish I had the test gear required so that I could provide actual signal strength values in dBm at several different points, but I don't unfortunately. This leaves my results rather subjective. Regardless, I think I've proven that owners of this antenna would do well to add 1/4 wave radials to their own A99's if they want to maximize this antenna's potential. Considering the low cost, ease of availability, proven reliability and reasonable broadbandness of the A99, I think it deserves a little more credit than the typical scorn I tend to observe in its regard, both online and even in discussions with other CBers on the air! [/QUOTE]

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