The old super penetrator antennas ?..

[Oatmeal]

Got a couple questions...

What length is the wire that runs off the SO-239 over to the bolt that's inside the black plastic cap need to be ?..

And would the length of this wire have anything to do with the swr..

Seems like best I recall these antennas was rated to handle 1500 watts, is this what it will handle ?...

 

[222DBFL]

Yes the length of this wire will affect the VSWR reading as it is part of the total length of the antenna. Some have top load sections with a small whip that was tunable and some like the one you asking about you remove the top cap and cut 1/8-1/4" at at time depending on your swr reading. Don't know the exact length of wire that is wound in them though, sorry I cannot answer that, but I am positive someone will shortly. God bless.

 

[Road Squawker]

gee, I dunno 'bout 222's post, perhaps I'm the one confused,...

you are refering to a penetrator 500 cb antenna, aren't you?

go here: http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/34419-save-penetrator-500-antenna.html?highlight=spt+500

 

[Oatmeal]

10-4, from the pic that small wire looks to be maybe a inch, or inch and half long...this is what's bad in the antenna I have....all the aluminum is all good...

The black plastic insulators looks ok, will have to replace one of the black plastic spacers on the gamma match on mine, the gamma match, and the other wire are all good, will have to replace all the hardware in mine...


But the hold up has been that dang wire that's soldered on the SO-239, it has seen better days and or maybe has had a lot of power ran through it at one time, something because it is not connected to the 239 in this one...

As far as a coil, there is nothing inside this antenna to burn out, except for this wire....on top of the black plastic insulator this one has a stub on the inside of it..there's no coil or anything else that can be burnt out in it...

If I went with a 16ga wire, would it allow it to handle anymore power than the 1500 watts they did new ?..


Turning the swr in one of these antennas, I have never had to cut anything on these antennas, have always adjusted it out at the first section or used the top section of the antenna usually don't have to move it much to get it fine tuned.....been awhile since I've did that but that's how I'm going to do this one.....

 

[binrat]

It might not be true now, but up to last year you could order any parts you needed for that antenna from the manufacturer.

 

[Oatmeal]

10-4, I don't no for sure what year this one was built, but mine has 2 bolts in each of the 4 radials that's on the bottom...found a manual on mine its a 75 model, but don't show the SO-239 in it...

I'll call this Jim Dent and see what he tells me about the parts I need....

School will be out in a few weeks and then should have time to get something else on the air, I'm ready to ditch this Imax 2k....