Sometimes life is just not fair (Astroplanes for sale)

[loosecannon]

i just can't help myself in searching ebay for old avanti products, and as any of you who do the same surely know; it is a mostly fruitless effort.

every once in a while though, a result pops up that seems to defy our modern age 'thow it away' culture.

Take for example this auction: https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-NOS-Avan...529161?hash=item2ae9867389:g:5r8AAOSw-5pezVCd

not one, but four of them, and at a price right now that people have paid for one.
yes, shipping would be a nightmare, but i'll tell you right now that if i wasn't laid off from work i don't think i could have kept my finger away from the bidding button.

To any of you who want to go for it, it ends tomorrow morning.
LC

 

[Marconi]

Loosecannon, I have recently seen several eBay ads similar to this one and as best I recall, they were all coming from the Netherlands. I remember one ad for 1 A/P that was close to $200 and that included the shipping. These are very high priced and for sure with the shipping.

I remember a few years ago a story about a warehouse in the Netherlands that was loaded with old Avanti products, and they were all going on sale cheap back then. There may be some posts on this forum about this old treasure find.

I only know of one person that got 2 AstroPlane antennas and they were apparently the real original products.

 

[Tokin]

Ive been watching those since they came up. The same person recently sold others too. Wanna pitch in buy and split them?

 

[loosecannon]

i'll bet it's the people who got all those antennas from the warehouse that are selling them now LOL.

I hoped you'd reply to my thread, because i wanted to let you know that i am FINALLY installing the CTE top one astroplane copy up on top of a fiberglass telescoping mast, and choked off with ferrite at 9 feet below the hoop.

im doing it this weekend, just waiting on coax and the mast to get here.
also this weekend is probably the last 'antenna weather' we are going to have here in the SW desert for quite a while.

top of the antenna with the horizontal radials will sit right about 38 feet off the ground.
im planning on running the coax (lmr240) down inside the mast for UV protection and fingers crossed that doesn't make too much of a difference as compared to running it down the side.
i don't think it will.

thanks for all the work you put in to help me with this!
i'll be sure to take some pics.
LC

 

[loosecannon]

honestly Tokin i would totally go for that, but i just pretty much blew the whole radio fun budget on my current antenna install.
hence the life is not fair title LOL.
LC

 

[Tokin]

I know, ive been buying shit too. That's why I dont have enough to make an FU they're mine bid and walk away...

 

[Tokin]

I could probably borrow $700 right now but I dont know if thats enough. Shipping is $150 and I dont know about customs fees.

 

[dave457]

i'll bet it's the people who got all those antennas from the warehouse that are selling them now LOL.

I hoped you'd reply to my thread, because i wanted to let you know that i am FINALLY installing the CTE top one astroplane copy up on top of a fiberglass telescoping mast, and choked off with ferrite at 9 feet below the hoop.

im doing it this weekend, just waiting on coax and the mast to get here.
also this weekend is probably the last 'antenna weather' we are going to have here in the SW desert for quite a while.

top of the antenna with the horizontal radials will sit right about 38 feet off the ground.
im planning on running the coax (lmr240) down inside the mast for UV protection and fingers crossed that doesn't make too much of a difference as compared to running it down the side.
i don't think it will.

thanks for all the work you put in to help me with this!
i'll be sure to take some pics.
LC

I thought I read somewhere that type of antenna needs a metal mast to work properly.... I maybe wrong

 

[loosecannon]

you are not wrong Dave.

it does need some sort of metal tube that runs down the middle of the antenna straight down to at least 9 feet below the hoop.

in the absence of a metal mast, the coax shield takes over that duty.

that's why im choking it with ferrite at that point. the idea is to keep all the RF current in the antenna and not let any of it run back down the coax into the shack.
marconi has been gracious enough to run some models for me with a 1/4" diameter "mast" and at least the models show that this will work ok.
LC

 

[Mudfoot]

Superhawk wet dream

 

[Mark Malcomb]

Well Matt I hear Vegas will open again soon. I sure hope you can get back to work.
I hate to see all your talent go to waste. God bless you buddy!

 

[loosecannon]

Thanks Mark!

being in live entertainment, i know we are going to be the very last thing to open.

i mean, do any of you want to go sit shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of strangers from all over the world right now?
LC

 

[Mark Malcomb]

Actually not ever. Lol. Not much of a crowd person.

 

[Tokin]

This seems new, at least new to me
https://www.ebay.es/itm/174049979397

 

[CDX8412]

Those Tagra antennas are currently produced.
https://www.tagra.net/en/index

I am running a Tagra 1/4 wave ground plane that I bought back in the early 1990’s, from a CB shop in the N.E. suburbs of Philadelphia. I have never seen any other Tagra antenna offered in the states, but this GP antenna is well made. I don’t know if the latest models are as well made, but you might look into them.