Working on getting my A-99 put up. I got this antenna off the side of a rental house. Going to mount it off a 4x4 post from the back patio. Does it need to be grounded? If so how should I go about doing this? Also what is the best cable to use? It came with over 100ft of RG-8/x
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Soloarcon A-99
- Thread starter ncskipboy90
- Start date
*Does it have the "ground plane kit" with the A-99?
Three radials that attach to the antenna to give an RF 'counterpoise' made for the A99. It will work without it provided the antenna has steel mast below it. Works somewhat better with the 'gpk' than without it.
*Are you going to put it 70 ft in the air - since you have so much coax?
You got a lot of coax; do you need to use it all? If so; fine.
*Are there any power wires that the antenna/mast might fall on and electrocute you should your grip on it accidentally slip?
Danger Will Robinson!
*Do you have friends to help you put it up?
Bribe them with pizza/beverages to help you safely install the antenna.
*Did you know there are deaths every year due to folks not knowing how to safely install antenna due to electrocution/overhead power wires?
Grim yet true.
*Do you have 30 ft of steel mast to attach to the 4x4 post and your antenna?
Steel pipe10ft long from a chain link fence can be put together to get 30 ft - and cheap too. Or TV antenna mast is OK as well.
*Do you have enough Dacron guy rope to attach to the top and middle section (in at least three or four directions - radially- 120 to 90 degrees respectively) of the mast - and to secure it below to some fairly immovable objects equidistantly so it won't fall over due to winds?
Dacron won't fall apart due to the Sun's UV exposure; not that hard to find and is exceptionally strong too.
*Do you realize that you only need as much coax cable to make it from the feedpoint of the antenna and to your radio room plus an extra 10 ft and no more?
If you only need 50 ft; then trim it an put a new PL-239 connector on it.
*Did you know that too much/unnecessary/leftover coax length will degrade overall receive performance? Transmit too?
Receive and transmit suffer due to excess cable loss as the cable gets longer.
*Do you know that you can attach a ground wire from your radio and your antenna's mast to the ground rod near the home electrical box?
NEC electrical codes and lightning safety are pretty fair reasons
*Did you know that you can bury these wires if they are too much trouble above ground?
Well, maybe not inside the house anyway . . .
*Do you know that cheap coax is no bargain?
Radio Shack/Tandy RG-8 cable @ 100 ft long is a genuine nightmare of crap cable; use quality cable like Belden, Times-Microwave, etc . . .
Things to think about . . .
Three radials that attach to the antenna to give an RF 'counterpoise' made for the A99. It will work without it provided the antenna has steel mast below it. Works somewhat better with the 'gpk' than without it.
*Are you going to put it 70 ft in the air - since you have so much coax?
You got a lot of coax; do you need to use it all? If so; fine.
*Are there any power wires that the antenna/mast might fall on and electrocute you should your grip on it accidentally slip?
Danger Will Robinson!
*Do you have friends to help you put it up?
Bribe them with pizza/beverages to help you safely install the antenna.
*Did you know there are deaths every year due to folks not knowing how to safely install antenna due to electrocution/overhead power wires?
Grim yet true.
*Do you have 30 ft of steel mast to attach to the 4x4 post and your antenna?
Steel pipe10ft long from a chain link fence can be put together to get 30 ft - and cheap too. Or TV antenna mast is OK as well.
*Do you have enough Dacron guy rope to attach to the top and middle section (in at least three or four directions - radially- 120 to 90 degrees respectively) of the mast - and to secure it below to some fairly immovable objects equidistantly so it won't fall over due to winds?
Dacron won't fall apart due to the Sun's UV exposure; not that hard to find and is exceptionally strong too.
*Do you realize that you only need as much coax cable to make it from the feedpoint of the antenna and to your radio room plus an extra 10 ft and no more?
If you only need 50 ft; then trim it an put a new PL-239 connector on it.
*Did you know that too much/unnecessary/leftover coax length will degrade overall receive performance? Transmit too?
Receive and transmit suffer due to excess cable loss as the cable gets longer.
*Do you know that you can attach a ground wire from your radio and your antenna's mast to the ground rod near the home electrical box?
NEC electrical codes and lightning safety are pretty fair reasons
*Did you know that you can bury these wires if they are too much trouble above ground?
Well, maybe not inside the house anyway . . .
*Do you know that cheap coax is no bargain?
Radio Shack/Tandy RG-8 cable @ 100 ft long is a genuine nightmare of crap cable; use quality cable like Belden, Times-Microwave, etc . . .
Things to think about . . .
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Robb brought up some good points.
Get the antenna up as high as you can go, try for at least 1 wavelength 36' or better.
Wrap an RF choke AKA ugly balun at the feed point to help eliminate CMC
Understanding Antennas For the Non-technical Ham by N4JA - An online Book!
Good reading on that link
BUILD AN AIR WOUND 1:1 CHOKE BALUN FOR HF - THE UGLY BALUN!
RF choke, your pc speakers and neighbors will thank you for putting a choke at the feed point.
Get the antenna up as high as you can go, try for at least 1 wavelength 36' or better.
Wrap an RF choke AKA ugly balun at the feed point to help eliminate CMC
Understanding Antennas For the Non-technical Ham by N4JA - An online Book!
Good reading on that link
BUILD AN AIR WOUND 1:1 CHOKE BALUN FOR HF - THE UGLY BALUN!
RF choke, your pc speakers and neighbors will thank you for putting a choke at the feed point.
At least to start with, put the thing up as high as you can and stay practical. There really isn't an "ideal" height, in general, the higher the better (quit at 1/4 mile high).
The best length for that feed line is whatever it takes to get from the antenna to the radio with a little left over for convenience. There are reasons for specific feed line lengths but not in your instance. Too short isn't good, too long isn't as bad but still isn't necessary. Got a problem with cutting the thing, putting on connectors, etc? Then don't cut it, 100 feet isn't terrible.
Antenna grounding? That's a complicated subject. Most antennas ('A99' included) don't need grounding for 'RF' purposes. Any antenna can benefit from safety grounding (or the user does anyway).
Something to keep in mind is that however you install an antenna isn't the -only- way you can do it. Nothing says you can't change it later, right? A less than ideal first install just gives you something to compare to and 'improve'.
Have fun.
- 'Doc
(If you don't change things at least once, you are either very lucky or not very curious.)
The best length for that feed line is whatever it takes to get from the antenna to the radio with a little left over for convenience. There are reasons for specific feed line lengths but not in your instance. Too short isn't good, too long isn't as bad but still isn't necessary. Got a problem with cutting the thing, putting on connectors, etc? Then don't cut it, 100 feet isn't terrible.
Antenna grounding? That's a complicated subject. Most antennas ('A99' included) don't need grounding for 'RF' purposes. Any antenna can benefit from safety grounding (or the user does anyway).
Something to keep in mind is that however you install an antenna isn't the -only- way you can do it. Nothing says you can't change it later, right? A less than ideal first install just gives you something to compare to and 'improve'.
Have fun.
- 'Doc
(If you don't change things at least once, you are either very lucky or not very curious.)
id mount it on steel pipe
get the gpk
mount as high as ya can.18 feet minumin
the coax ya got is a little long but usable and id
upgrade it to lmr-400 in furture.
get the gpk
mount as high as ya can.18 feet minumin
the coax ya got is a little long but usable and id
upgrade it to lmr-400 in furture.
Lighting doesn't strike an antenna per se. Lightning is attracted to the greatest opposite charge in the ground. This 'ground field' will shift from place to place but will concentrate often near the base of a thunderstorm. I chase storms as a hobby too. I had a lightning strike a mere 5-7 yards away from my vehicle that had three antennas on it (CB, Ham, and cell phone). Why the ground in front of me - and not my vehicle? Because the ground field was stronger in front of me; not the antennas on my car that attracted it.
Since you may live in an area where lightning is commonplace; you might want to use a large gauge cable from the antenna mast to the ground rod near your power box. This will help guide the majority of the current away from the building and into the ground where it wants to go. You might lose the antenna; but keep the house from catching fire. Use an old battery cable and even double it up so that there is little resistance to massive current flow from the strike to the ground rod. You might add and tie in an additional ground rod too.
Ground your radio to your power supply using braided wire - if your power supply has a grounded plug that is. Unplug all gear and coax when a storm approaches and toss the end of the coax out the window/out of the house. That should do it.
Since you may live in an area where lightning is commonplace; you might want to use a large gauge cable from the antenna mast to the ground rod near your power box. This will help guide the majority of the current away from the building and into the ground where it wants to go. You might lose the antenna; but keep the house from catching fire. Use an old battery cable and even double it up so that there is little resistance to massive current flow from the strike to the ground rod. You might add and tie in an additional ground rod too.
Ground your radio to your power supply using braided wire - if your power supply has a grounded plug that is. Unplug all gear and coax when a storm approaches and toss the end of the coax out the window/out of the house. That should do it.
2 things ive never tried but read work to improve a99 performance.
1 replace the top section of a99 with a 102 inch steel whip
2 replace the top with a 7 foot firestick
they both wrote they had to retune with the rings and both claimed a increase in poerformance.
i dont know if either one works because i havent tried it.
1 replace the top section of a99 with a 102 inch steel whip
2 replace the top with a 7 foot firestick
they both wrote they had to retune with the rings and both claimed a increase in poerformance.
i dont know if either one works because i havent tried it.
NB, that idea does not make sense to me. Considering the top element of the A99, an 11 meter antenna, is non-resonant, how could either the 102" whip or the 7' FS be use as replacements without some modification to their length...assuming they are both stock as designed and near resonant 11 meter radiators?
I can't say how it works, however it does address the problem I noted above to NB about the non-resonant nature of the top element on the A99.
Fire-Up 99 Antenna
RatsoW8
Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
Sure...ground it and make it a prime target for lightning. Lightning loves the path of least resistance to ground.
'Doc is right, the idea is silly to think that will make the A99 into a .625 wl radiator.