Solarcon MAX OPTIMZER The Ultimate 10-11 Meter Base Antenna

[Rick330man]

• Replacement for IMAX2000 Antenna
• Original IMAX 2000 is now discontinued
• 1-2 DB better than ANY other 5/8ths wave

Wow! $210 USD plus shipping (R & L has $239 free ship) ...
Think I would buy Penetrator for $$220 USD...Hell the MOSLEY GP is only $100 more...The Zero 5 still $150 more...so maybe not horrible price since ALM cost has Doubled last 2 years!!! but BIG jump from the old $100 USD price for years.
A99 still less than $100...but that antenna not even as good as Dipole

I paid $106.00 for my IMAX 2000 and $55.00 for my A99. They are both still working, but I've informed my wife that a Mosley Devant would make a fine Christmas gift this year.

 

[Marconi]

I paid $106.00 for my IMAX 2000 and $55.00 for my A99. They are both still working, but I've informed my wife that a Mosley Devant would make a fine Christmas gift this year.

Keep us posted if you get the Mosley, OK?

 

[HomerBB]

I've preferred homebrewed antennas because they are fun to build, usually less expensive, and work very well. I, however, received in payment for repairing some broken down porch steps an older Imax 2000. Because I can operate 17m - 10m SSB area without hitting the tuner button I keep it up. No typical GP 5/8 wave, nor any dipole, has ever provided the bandwidth the Imax2k has for me. Are there big losses because of that? Probably. I don't care. It is not on my checklist of needs for receiving or sending signals on those bands to be useful to me. I can't hear them then I don't miss hearing them. If I can hear them, I may key up and talk to them. It never disturbs my sleep at night if I didn't catch that slight signal from catdaddy out of boondocks bayou...
And I'm sure Catdaddy doesn't lose sleep over me.

 

[capsman]

So they optimized it by adding a section to make it the length it was originally?
Confusing

The antenna is a little more than 23 feet without the optimizer 1 foot section inline. this allows for 10 and 11 meter usage. For just 11 meter usage, you add the 1 foot section, making the antenna a little more than 24 feet in length. The Imax 2000 was 24 feet

 

[Marconi]

One of the local guys (my friend) recently purchased a I MAX 2000 from ebay. I advised him to measure the shipping box prior to opening and if the box is not eight feet long, he did not receive the original twenty-four foot antenna. The box was not eight feet long and he opened the box and measured the total length of the segments, and it was not a twenty-four foot antenna as advertised on ebay. He contacted ebay and the seller. The seller authorized the antenna be returned at no cost.
He recently received and installed an Antron 99, and he is happy as a pig in mud!

Very Good post Brother Recon.

On 11/20/2020 I bought a new setup for radio from Bells CB in Florida. I had done business with them for some years.

When I got my A99 I found it to be about 8" inches short of all the older A99's I owned. So, IMO the new A99 is also optimized with compromised tuning at or below 1.50:1 SWR.

So, according to the PDF file below, Bells and ad is different than what the New A99 manuals says about the length at 17'4''.

I emailed this pdf to Bells last Monday and they still have not responded.

Sorry these images did not turn out as good as I expected.

 

[Marconi]

Here is a YouTube video of a guy that just bought a New A99, and he tells us it is 17'4" long not 18' like the old A99 use to be for CB.

So, the New A99 are also optimized matching similar to the Imax. This is why my New A99 shows a fair impedance reading at the radio end of my coax and resonance in 10 meters, while showing reactance over 100 Ohms in 11 meters. It is also not broad-banded anymore.

The New A99 is short by 8" inches, so I get a compromised tune whether I like it or not. And there is not fix for the A99 that extends the length to 18'...3 sections of about 6' feet or 72" inches.

 

[snippits75]

Cranky, a local tech from my area posted his thoughts on the Max Optimizer. Pictures of the manual, and the measured length of the antenna with and without the extra 12 inch section.

 

[clayburton harrison]

It's strange that owners of the too short max 2000 don't have the option of buying the extension piece. You'd think after getting jipped It's the least a company could do.

You can buy the 12 inch section that's what I did and works better than the original

 

[snippits75]

I bought a Max Optimizer a couple weeks ago because my Sirio 2016 took a crap after two years.

Anyway, I installed the Max at 20 feet above ground. Used a RigExpert AA35 Zoom to tune it. With the 11 meter 12 inch section installed, it was tuned way down in 26.xxx...the low side. Tuning rings from the factory were almost at the bottom of the antenna.

Started raising the rings up towards the top of the antenna, and it started tuning correctly for 11 meter 40 channels. I don't talk on the lower channels from 1 through 15, so I tuned it for the upper channels and the high side. Ended up with 1.43 on channel 1. Channel 20 was 1.25. Channel 40 was 1.16. Tuning rings were at least 3/4 the way up towards the top of the antenna.

I am happy with the tune because I talk most of time on channels 25 to 40 and on the high side. Even channel 1 at 1.43 is still very useable.

 

[clayburton harrison]

I bought the new Max Optimizer a couple weeks ago because my Sirio 2016 took a crap after two years.

Anyway, I installed the Max at 20 feet above ground. Used a RigExpert AA35 Zoom to tune it. With the 11 meter 12 inch section installed, it was tuned way down in 26.xxx...the low side. Tuning rings from the factory were almost at the bottom of the antenna.

Started raising the rings up towards the top of the antenna, and it started tuning correctly for 11 meter 40 channels. I don't talk on the lower channels from 1 through 15, so I tuned it for the upper channels and the high side. Ended up with 1.43 on channel 1. Channel 20 was 1.25. Channel 40 was 1.16. Tuning rings were at least 3/4 the way up towards the top of the antenna.

I am happy with the tune because I talk most of time on channels 25 to 40 and on the high side. Even channel 1 at 1.43 is still very useable.

I agree 73's

 

[Justme]

Old original long Imax 2000 here refurbished it last year painted it with polyester paint and work on 10/11/12/15 meter with it worst swr 15 meter 1:1.6.
not complaining nice multiband antenna

 

[Marconi]

You can buy the 12 inch section that's what I did and works better than the original

clay are you saying you can get the 12" section without buying the whole antenna?

If so, then let me know where you got it. I want to see if it will fix my A99 that is about 12" short.

 

[clayburton harrison]

Yes that is exactly what I'm saying I erase the images of the business that I got mines from I hope I didn't violate the forums policy

 

[AudioShockwav]

Its fine if you want to share the source of the part.

73
Jeff

 

[clayburton harrison]

Its fine if you want to share the source of the part.

73
Jeff