Hello with questions :)

Post by **Papalazarou** » 24 Jul 2007, 21:47

A quick msg to say hi to all and to introduce myself
I'm Tim and I live in deepest Derbyshire and have just bought a modded Grant from Pantenman (hope I spelt that right)
The question I would like to ask the forum is which is the best Antenna for DX-ing?
I've looked at Yagis, Beams & Quads but they all seem a huge.
A bit of Googling seems to suggest and Antron 99 on a 15M pole would be the easiest way?

Thoughts anyone?

-Tim
26TM888

Post by **fez** » 25 Jul 2007, 10:22

any mast will be ok but it's better for it to be over 18ft+ also pretty much any vertical 11m 1/2 wave antenna will work great. The a99 is a nice strong antenna but supposidly doesnt perform as well as other verticals but it would be hard to notice it. I know people On here who use it and get great DX.
If you live in a area where it can get very windy or you want a antenna that you want to put up and leave it without worries the a99 is for you.

If not your budget is the only thing that can really hold you back.

Post by **Panteneman** » 25 Jul 2007, 11:23

Greetings,

An A99 will be fine for the job. A likeable quality about this antenna is its wide bandwidth for working well beyond the usual 80 UKFM channels were supposed to be using. Easy to alter the SWR too, with the "SWR rings" at the bottom of the antenna. As opposed to adjusting the segments of the antenna like the Silver Rod type.

Callum on here blasts out with his A99, but, there again he does live in the middle of nowhere near to the atlantic sea.

Mine is sitting in the garage awaiting installation, but, that's another story

Yagi's and Quads are directional antenna's. Meaning that you would need an aerial rotator, or to move the antenna to a different direction yourself, like a TV aerial. The downside is that it can be obliterated in high winds if you live somewhere with chronic, harsh weather (with chunks of it sent pinging off into neighbours gardens). Great for working long distance, but can be seen with Google Earth if you had one on your roof

FoulOleRon · Post by **FoulOleRon** » 25 Jul 2007, 15:08

"Atlantic SEA"???? It's an OCEAN! (it's a class thing, I think).

I have a basic 1/2 wave GPA (less than 20 quid from most CB shops) and that does what it says on the tin. As has been said tho, the antron has a better rep for withstanding high winds (i.e. on the north atlantic coast of Scotland, like callum). It's all down to how much you want to spend, really. Many swear by the Sirio 827, others the A99, others build their own wire antennae (which is good fun, actually). Lots of options await you

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 25 Jul 2007, 17:09

I love my sirio tornado

Fantastic perfromance and much cheaper than the 827

YouTube · Post by **Transmission1** » 25 Jul 2007, 19:58

379 wrote:I love my sirio tornado
Fantastic perfromance and much cheaper than the 827

And even more importantly the Sirio Tornado is much lighter weight than the 827 with similar performance.

Post by **ScotchEgg** » 25 Jul 2007, 22:01

Hey, I think any of the above mentioned verticals are good, but more often the 2 main categories are cheap n good performance or dearer much the same performance but will withstand the weather. There are variations on most 1/2 and 5/8th wave vertcals but the most popular are the silver rod with unbeatable value for the performance or the A99 similar performance but twice the price but if in a windy place will last years more. If the wind isnt an issue you have a wide choice of verticals to choose from. Height is relative for groundwave contacts or line of sight the higher the better for DX its about the angle to the horizon..
http://home.planet.nl/~poelm348/HEIGHT% ... ANGLE.html

Post by **Papalazarou** » 26 Jul 2007, 00:19

The talk about antenna may go on but how much power do people put out?

A CB enthusiast I know explains " 300-600W boots are standard if you want to get out because everyone is using them", but an old Ham Radio guy I treated today says you can work the world on a wire with 2 watts

I've just (before this) got a 150W AM/SSB off Ebay

Do I use it?

Tim
-26TM888

Post by **ScotchEgg** » 26 Jul 2007, 00:55

Play it by ear, I have run 400w + over the winter but for the past 3 mnths I have been no more than 30w pep and have QSO'd USA, CANADA etc on 15-20w. Run the radio power and if you need the amp turn it on. Its handy to have but not a MUST have. hope that helps?

Post by **Panteneman** » 26 Jul 2007, 09:17

Yep,

Pretty much what Cal said.

I have used just 12W SSB last year and got into 13div. with a signal of 5/5 at his end. It can make life easier but it's more of a challenge to just run the straight power out of the rig. Panteneman Snr was worked 13div on mids FM with just 4watts, and Shetland on the same power.

In my experience, the first 100W works the best. I have run between 100-150W SSB static mobile on my hill. Anything more doesn't make much more difference. It can be useful in packed conditions. Ensure your antenna is working to the best of its ability with a low SWR and no buggered coax or connections.

Ultimately, if you have loads of power at your disposal and the band is dead with no skip occuring you are completely wasting your time. If the skips not going to happen, it ain't going to happen. Just forget it. If there is, enjoy the party...

Hello with questions :)

Hello with questions :)

What about Boots?

RE: What about Boots?