for the money you just can't beat this: The Workman w58, it's identical to the MACO v 5/8 but cost around $60-$70
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Today is the day.....
- Thread starter Sniper308
- Start date
for the money you just can't beat this: The Workman w58, it's identical to the MACO v 5/8 but cost around $60-$70
Yes, you are right. For just CB use, that is true.
But this is a 10-11-12m radio. He can use the Imax on all of those bands w/o a lick of retuning needed for the antenna. He won't need to take it down and retune for each band used like he would for the Workman. That is, provided he has aspirations to get his Tech license for 10m and his General license for 12m use.
He might even build his first horizontal dipole antenna or even a loop antenna for 11m out of scrap wire; then adding another piece of coax to an antenna switch to make that all happen.
I like his setup. Although I would dig through my garage or a flea market to find a 2-way speaker system (a cabinet that has both a midrange and tweeter speaker - and a x-over) and use that. That would be a major improvement from that little speaker he is now using. He will find sounds and clarity that he didn't even know he had while at the same time de-emphasizing static 'scratch' . . .
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I've never had any IMAX or Antron allow me to make excursions into 10 or 12 meters without the use of an tuner. Especially, when in its factory tuned state. I could work a decent part of 10 meters, but not 12 without matching.
Both antennas are still better suited than the Workman for wider bandwidth reasons.
Both antennas are still better suited than the Workman for wider bandwidth reasons.
I have several small 2 way speakers around the house. Im not sure though what impedence this radio is made for as far as the speaker goes. My bookshelf speakers are 8 ohm. I would need to solder a 1/8" stereo plug on to the speaker wire since that is the connection type on the rear of the radio. I dont want to blow anything out on the radio.
If an antenna can cover 10m-12m without retuning and still maintain an acceptable SWR then it is not an efficient radiator. You have to decide for yourself whether you want wide bandwidth or a more effective antenna. When i say it is not efficient i do not mean it will not work but rather that there are losses that are contributing to the wide bandwidth and that a more efficient antenna can certainly be found.
Nice station! 
However, Ditch the Imax 2000. Really. Trust me.
Get the MacoV58/WorkmanW58, or even better, the Hy gain SPT-500 Super Perpetrator. Unless you're a ham, it'll cover all the frequencies you intend to operate on. If you get your Tech ticket, you'll need a tuner anyway (I use the MFJ-945E)
Trust me on this.
However, Ditch the Imax 2000. Really. Trust me. Get the MacoV58/WorkmanW58, or even better, the Hy gain SPT-500 Super Perpetrator. Unless you're a ham, it'll cover all the frequencies you intend to operate on. If you get your Tech ticket, you'll need a tuner anyway (I use the MFJ-945E)
Trust me on this.
All of the info I read on the Hy-Gain says that it is for 10 and 12 meter. Will that antenna work well for 11 meter as well? Also, I see that it has 8ft. radials at the bottom of it. One of the other reasons I went with the I-max with no ground plane kit was to try and stay on the down low as far as my neighbors/homeowners association. Im not sure if there is a rule against 30ft antennas sticking up out of my back yard or not but to be honest, I don't really care at this point either. So many people around here are breaking the homeowner association rules in so many ways, I DARE them to say anything to me.
I would like the most efficient antenna I can get. I understand in radio much like in rifles, the antenna is the most important part of the system. You can have a $20,000 radio but if you run it through a crappy $5 antenna, you basically have a $5 radio. The same applies to rifles. A $20,000 rifle is only as good or as accurate as the optic you mount to it. I generally suggest to people looking for good long range accuracy to expect to pay 3 times the amount for optics as the rifle they are mounted on.
So anyway, back on topic here....Somehow I always find a way to relate stuff back to guns lol. Guess its the SNIPER in me. If that hy-gain antenna works on 11 meter and you guys think it would be a big improvement over what Im running now, I may try one. I really have enjoyed the suggestions from this thread. Keep the ideas coming, so far so good. My base is getting better every day.
I would like the most efficient antenna I can get. I understand in radio much like in rifles, the antenna is the most important part of the system. You can have a $20,000 radio but if you run it through a crappy $5 antenna, you basically have a $5 radio. The same applies to rifles. A $20,000 rifle is only as good or as accurate as the optic you mount to it. I generally suggest to people looking for good long range accuracy to expect to pay 3 times the amount for optics as the rifle they are mounted on.
So anyway, back on topic here....Somehow I always find a way to relate stuff back to guns lol. Guess its the SNIPER in me. If that hy-gain antenna works on 11 meter and you guys think it would be a big improvement over what Im running now, I may try one. I really have enjoyed the suggestions from this thread. Keep the ideas coming, so far so good. My base is getting better every day.
Im psyched now. I was scanning the channels between 27.415 and 27.655 and found some strong talk. I made contact with someone in Sicily. I could not understand him but I'm pretty sure he was receiving me as he kept calling me gringo and repeating United States after attempting to contact him. He announced his location as Sicily Italy. Funny but Italian sound a lot like Spanish to me. Go figure I make my first and best DX contact yet and neither of us can understand anything the other is talking about. lol.
Still looking for ExitThirteen. I'll try you back later tonight. Maybe we can hook up.
Also, Thanks Robb for the suggestion on the larger speaker. It sounds much better.
Still looking for ExitThirteen. I'll try you back later tonight. Maybe we can hook up.
Also, Thanks Robb for the suggestion on the larger speaker. It sounds much better.
Good deal.
Yes, Spanish and Italian are similar languages. If you speak either languages, you can usually communicate with little difficulty.
Yes, Spanish and Italian are similar languages. If you speak either languages, you can usually communicate with little difficulty.
I should be home by about 3-3:30 this afternoon central time. I'll fire up the Madison and the X-Force and see if I can get ahold of ya.
~Cheers~
~Cheers~
For legal reasons, (aluminum antennas may not be marketed to CB'ers) they only specify 10 and 12M. These antennas are based on the original 11M Penetrators, and are virtually identical to the originals. The radials are tubular sectional and can be any length.
There are known issues with the IMAX without ground radials. One of them is common mode currents flowing down the coax and poor radiation pattern. The Imax 2000 EXPOSED!Sniper308 said:
The Imax that I have/use (shouldn't be any different from any other Imax) does 10-11-12m w/o the need of a tuner - with the exception of the 10m repeater portion. It will also do 15m w/o needing a tuner. 17m will also work, but it does need a skoash of tuning to bring it back into tolerance. Doesn't work so hot on 17m; but it works 15m just fine. Some local hams I know that use this antenna have identical reports.
Not saying that it is really efficient on 10 and 12m; but it is efficient enough to work w/o any fuss. It does work TX/RX very well on those bands straight out of the box and assembled w/o modifications. That is still more than one can say for the Workman antenna in the comparison I made.
If I was to get an 11m only aluminum antenna, I wouldn't even bother with the Workman. I'd get the Sirio Vector 4000; that is about $50 more than the Workman but has a lot more on the ball.
Just saying - is all . . .
Not saying that it is really efficient on 10 and 12m; but it is efficient enough to work w/o any fuss. It does work TX/RX very well on those bands straight out of the box and assembled w/o modifications. That is still more than one can say for the Workman antenna in the comparison I made.
If I was to get an 11m only aluminum antenna, I wouldn't even bother with the Workman. I'd get the Sirio Vector 4000; that is about $50 more than the Workman but has a lot more on the ball.
Just saying - is all . . .
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Yes, the Maco, Workman (same antenna) and the Hygain are all highly efficient but much more narrow bandwidth than the Imax. This is well known. My Hygain is virtually flat at 28.800 MHZ, but exhibits a 4.5:1 VSWR on 11M. I use a tuner there. I've also used it on 12M, with the tuner.
very neat antenna, but it's like $140, where as the workman w58 can be had for as little as $70 new