Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » Archived Messages 02/01/2002 to 04/31/2002 » Blew up my antron 99 today!! « Previous Next »

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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Tuesday, January 22, 2002 - 10:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well guys its finally happened . i ran enuff power to blow up my antron 99. it lasted faithfully for 10 years but it went. not sure what part did but it only stays at 1.2 swr for 7 seconds with my box on til all of a sudden it jumps to full scale swr!!!! like its dead shorted. i was only using my small box glad i wasnt running my bigger one!! so tomarrow gotta pull it down in the snow up here and check it out. even though i gotta bring down 70 foot of pole and that 18 foot antenna. its chainlink fence pole the heavy stuff!!! then end up waiting for 2 weeks til get my ....well have 2 choices either i get a abs 1600 or the imax 2000. which one guys should i get?? was gonna get a beam but looks like a stick antenna for now. well to everyone that normally i talk to in florida , and texas and minesota ill catch you when the antenna is back up :<
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Bigbob
Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 10:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Honkytonkman593; check out product review on I-MAX 2000,should answer your question,BIGBOB.
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Bigbob
Posted on Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 11:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I MADE A MISTAKE PROD. REV. IN SUBSCRIBER PREVIEW BIGBOB
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Thursday, January 24, 2002 - 10:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

said the imax can only handle a peak power of 1500 watts max even then itll burn out according to tech 833 i think it was. man i need a real 1500 watt dead key antenna. though the imax looks good. later
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Bigbob
Posted on Friday, January 25, 2002 - 6:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

How about a MACO V-5/8 I think thats all aluminum ain't it.It should handle the POWER!!!!!!!!!
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Vernonott
Posted on Friday, January 25, 2002 - 8:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Honkytonkman593:You are the only person I know running 1500 watts dead key.Even my old time competition friends don't run that kind of dead key.I've been swinging 1100 into the old A99 for four years with no ill effects.
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Friday, January 25, 2002 - 11:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well i just got this new toy and i wanted to see what it would do at max dead key. all i know it the antron faithfully served me for 10 years before i killed it!!
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 10:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Honkytonk, If you plan to run your new "toy" at max dead key, on the Citizens Band, I would say the 50 dollar antenna would be the least of your worries. For starters, your toy want stand max dead key very long, and if you have neighbors, CB'ers or otherwise, with the amount of tvi and other interference you're gonna create, I would be worried about the guys with the Gold Badges knocking on my door. The neighbors might not even complain to you, but a few calls by them to the might get results. Unless your talking on a "competition" channel, I can't see ever needing a dead key anywere near that level, certainly not for local talking, or DX. But, everybody to his own thing is my motto.. BTW, this ain't from a dudly-do-righter, I've been a die-hard cb'er since the late 1960s, and probably have never ran a "legal" radio since then, even the Kenwoods, icoms, alincos, and other ham rigs I've owned couldn't be called 'legal', as they had extended coverage. Not that I don't like nice 'toys', had a bunch of them over the years, i've got a Henry 2K classic out in my shop I've owned several years, but it gets 'looked' at more than used, and i've never even considered running it at max key up. Oh yeah, something else, my Henry and your toy would just make good drivers for some mobile rigs out there at the big shootouts. scrapiron
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RCI2990
Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 5:16 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I cant see running that much either but some of those boys on the superbowl run as much as 75,000 to 100,000 watts swing!!!!!!!!!! But if he needs a good base antenna to run some heat then i suggest looking for a good used Penetrator 500 groundplane. They can handle as much as he wants to throw at it becasue it has no loads!!! Another goodie is the venerable Starduster...
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Taz
Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 9:20 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Try the astroplane, it will take 10,000 watts. The imax 2000, not the antron will take 5000.
I can back that up. Took it to a buddies house and ran 4900 into it for about a half an hour. No problems.
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Bigbob
Posted on Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 9:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Not to put an additional wet blanket on this subject but MR RF is correct 30 megs. is the res. frec. for the human body,27 megs. is very close.100 watts is enough to fry your retinas from 6'over time.Anybody have to have eye surgery after many field strength tests or adjusting mobile ant.with a friend.I wonder?Up until I got my first boot I got new glasses once every 3 yrs.Now once a year,hmmmmmm.
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 10:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yeah well we all die sometime anyway if we even have to get on that subject which this post was not supposed to be about!!!!! i thank the helpful people that did give real answers to my questions! by the way if it matters i dont have neighbors!!!! i have no problem with them in the town 12 miles away and i only use my box when shooting skip on 26.915. my dead key is 1500 on medium if your curious at max it is more i just was curious what my antron would hold. obviously not 2... anyway TECH 833 said that the imax 2000 will NOT HANBLE 1500 DEAD KEY FOR VERY LONG BEFORE IT DIES!!!!no none of my neighbors have died again i have no neighbors to bother!!! mr. rf what the heck are you talking about!! ps i have recently moved my antenna it is at 100 ft!!! so im sure that only minimal radiation is comming back anyway. MR. RF WHAT ABOUT THE RADIO STATIONS THAT RUN IN ACCESS OF 1 MILLION WATTS IM SURE THAT WE DONT ABSORB ANYOF THAT RIGHT...YEAH RIGHT. this post was not to get radiation level reports just a antenna answer. thank you for letting me rant and rave. this are only my opinions you can take em or leave em.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 12:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey you old lowlife CB'ers out there runnin' them ol illegal lin-yars, pay attention here, we've had some good information laid on us. I've surly learned a bunch, just to show'ya how I was mixed up, at my advanced age, I soon will be 67, you would not believe the friends and others that i've seen die in the last few years, and lots of them at younger ages than I. Many of them were radio nuts too, but I had thought their early demise, mostly from lung cancer or other cancers, had something to do with their heavy tobacco use, smoking and otherwise. That was one habit I failed to acquire, which was very unusual in my age group. But how I know it was these dat-gum 27 mHz radio waves that ate them up.
Also, it seems just the 27 mhz radio waves fit our body parts, I guess we don't have to worry about the hundreds, if not thousands of other frequencies shooting thru us, such as those cellphones stuck in everyones ear's these days. No need to worry anymore about these 100,000 watt AM commercial radio stations, whose signals will even penetrate heavy metal or underground buildings. Also the mega-volts transmission lines many people have in their back yards, no worry. Another oddity, i'm typing this without glasses, man I've been lucky.
However, I do have an idea about this, I've always been kinda 'different', I bet my friggin' body is off frequency, therefore the 27 mhz signals are not eatin' me up. I know for a fact that my main Male radiating antenna more likly would fit in the 1/4 wave 800-1000 mhz length, and the two little orbital radials are even more of a mismatch, so hell, thats it.
Since you all now know of the dangers of those big amps, my email is below, and I'll buy about anything, except stuff that runs on 3-phase, I don't have that avaiable here.
One more thing before I quit rambling, anyone that belives this bull, i've got some beautiful ocean front property right down off the side of this mountain I live on in Arkansas, and man, I'll make you a deal, and even take amps on trade, also except Copper gift certificates or food stamps.
scrapiron
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RCI2990
Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 2:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well i guess ill stay a mudduck for all times sake! There too much of a risk at hand to run all that RF!
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RCI2990
Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 3:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I also read in a health magazine once that had a article on RF enegry that excessive RF also has caused reproductive harm in males and has been linked to prostrate cancer and shrinkage.. :-( Another reason not to run excessive power!!!!!!
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Bigbob
Posted on Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 10:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I guess if you need to you could fabricate an ant. in the design of a star duster using 1/2" copper ground rods or even 1" aluminum tubing,quite bulky but should handle 5000 or 10000 watts dead key.When you get out of normal parameters then fabrication is the only option.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 9:17 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Honkytonk, what time of the day do you shoot skip, and what do you go by. I don't talk a lot of skip, but I'd like to hear your rig. I talk on 26.885 quite a bit, I'll listen for you, might even hook ol Henry up for a while, maybe Mr RF might like to hear some good stations, no wait, he's legal, just 40 channels I suppose, besides we might give him cancer.
BTW, it looks like you don't mind spending a few bucks on equipment, and you said your antenna is at 100 ft, have you ever considered a beam. It would not need to be near that high, but higher is better. Even a small Maco 3 element has many times the gain of those fiberglass sticks, or any groundplane, and the stock gamma match will take 5000 watts without any problem, also, Copper sells the 10,000 watt gamma match, which really improves the antenna, power and broadbanding wise. The little M103 is very directional, you would be surprised if you've never tried one, that's the purpose, put most of your signal in the direction you are talking, instead of splattering it all over. Everyone to his own thing, but it's always amazed me the amount of money people will put in radio equipment, and nothing in an antenna, and that's the most important part.
That's my humble opinion. scrapiron
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Radiodude
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 11:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Is he bragging about blowing up his 99 or complaing/(lol). I made a wire beam and use no more that 150watts and have talked all around the world, from Antatrica to Moscow and Japan and other points. Power is not where it is at modilation is. 2000 watts when you cant understand what the person is saying no good. Good clean mod at 150watts is far better, but that is just one mans view.
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 11:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hello scrapiron.. yeah im currently looking at a jogunn beam 3+3 star, here come the put downs for the jogun now youll se... anyway i want to put one up and actually some of my friends do to. i normally run 26.915 on am side as HONKY TONK MAN 593 OUTTA NY. i just gotta get that new antenna up . a beam probably is the way to go just more expensive but with some of the stuff i got now i should really get a antenna that will do it more justice then an antron. regular channel around here is chan. 16 am side. soon as i can get something in the air again ill be in business. till then my tubes are cold and people are LIVING CANCER FREE EVERYWHERE!! LOL later
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 7:23 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well man get that antenna up, skip is running from the east coast everyday to arkansas. I talked to some mobiles in NY today about noon on 26.915, loud and clear. There are some strong mobiles otta NY. You'll like that Jo gunn, they are really heavy built, kinda expensive also. I'll listen for the Honkytonkman when you get on the air again. I like your handle, I much prefer the old CB handles, mine's been scrapiron for over 30 years. My old buddy that died last year was Rock & Roll about that long. The WorldWide, Rock & Roll. I sure miss him, he and several more of us old farts still run the old Browning Golden Eagles at times, especially on skip. No, he didn't have cancer, he worked in construction, slipped and fell off a roof. Scrapiron
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Bigbob
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 7:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

You guys crack me up.Oh no!! I feel a radiowave acuttin throo me AAAAAAAH!!!#@%*
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Monday, January 28, 2002 - 8:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Oh my god, Bigbob, did it get you good. What'ya think it was, an AM or SSB that got'ch. Am makes a pretty clean cut, SSb is jagged, ragged type cut, it hurts worst. lol
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Bigbob
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 5:20 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

SSB.....SSB...OMIGOD IT HURTS!!!
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 6:23 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well ill be back in bussiness hopefully saturday have a imax comming ill just run the amp lower like 500 watts and that should get me thru the skip. youd be surprised how clean my amp sounds at 1500 not like some of those other mobile units you hear all garbly. youll like this sound scrap iron i use my rci 2980 and my amp they work very well together. hoping antenna comes friday so saturday i can get it in the air. yes still going to get that jogun but short on cash right now but by summer i hope to have that too.
i can just feeeeeel that ssb ouch ouch it hurts!!
ill try on saturday pending antenna comming on 26.885 and 26.915. ok later
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Bigbob
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 8:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Honkytonkman593,is your amp tube or solid state?What are the amount of the pills/tubes and numeral designators if known? Bigbob
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Vernonott
Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - 8:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Honkytonkman593:Do you have any idea how long a set of tubes will last at 1500 watts deadkey.About two ratchet jaw sessions.I don't know about yours but my tubes used to cost me $38.00 each.Well it's only money.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 9:23 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Vern, it just depends on the tube man, there are some that will take 10,000 watts, or more, continuous 'keydown', like those in commercial radio stations. They are expensive, the 3CX10000 tube costs about 3300 bucks. My old Henry runs a pair of 3-500Z's, they just cost 150 bucks each. With normal use, they will last forever, these came in mine, about 15 years old now. However, no more than I use it, it may not have a hundred hours of 'keydown time'. Your right, no amplifier should be run near it's maximum output very long. Even the tunable tube types don't need to be tuned at full output. Drop the input watts to a minimum, the lowest that will key the amp, and tune it to peak. The amp will be tuned the same as if your were using maximum input wattage. Next, drop, or roll over the load at least 20%, then you can increase your input for more keyup if you like. the amp will sound great, and you will not damage the tubes in tune-up or transmission. That's this ol poor-boys opinion.
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 5:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

got a 10 tube golden falcon/ x force 16 pill the falcon is an easy 1000 not sure what tubes are in her afraid to look and x force 16 pill has all 2789s in her.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 9:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Some of the smaller golden falcons used 8950s, I've seen 20LF6s in some of the large ones. Either tube is good for 100 watts, so it should have no problem doing 1000, with a lower key, probably swing 1500. I bet that 16 pill will do 2K. It takes some juice to run that sucker.
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Bigbob
Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 5:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

YOU'S GUYS ARE KEWL!!!!
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 7:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

got my imax 2000 today so saturday ill get it up pending this icy and snow we got now. the imax looks like it is better made already. top seems more flexible then my antrons was. got my heavy duty coax and i even got my radio back from the tech at copper!! all came the same time. i ordered from copper on tues day at 230 pm and got it here in ny at 12 noon thursday (today)! now thats fast service!!! really love how copper is always fast sending the merchandice that i order. they dont take 2 months to get it there like some other places!! scrapiron ill be calling for you . what state were you in again i forgot sorry.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 9:03 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey man, your in business again, that was fastass service. Those IMax are built better, I have one, but its not up right now, just using the beam. A true cb'er ain't gonna let a little ice and snow stop him, get that thing in the air. I was helping a friend a few years ago, pulling his tower up with the wench on my pick-up, he set his beer can on the bumper, and it froze to it, ha, now that's wanting to talk. The skip has been running like crazy, its still strong at 8 PM right now. I'm in north Arkansas, i'll be listening for ya, fo-ten
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 7:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i called out for you today on 26.885 but didnt find you. ill try again tomarrow . what times are you on roughly?? weekends are my real freetime to play on my base. mobile durring week from 5-6 am then again 430 pm til 6 pm working traveling hours. i really think this imax is cool. the only thing that is weird is that the top mast is very flexible and moves around alot.
yeah the weather is right to put up an antenna, just ask any ham radio operator or cber. yeah copper has always been good to me especially when shipping stuff here to ny!! fastest service youll ever find. oh the imax is up and ready to talk!! i tested the swr down at 25.615 at 1.5 with 200 watts dead key and i got a response of where are you in datona florida...i said im in ny the 2 gentlemen couldnt belive it i hit them with 10+ it was cool and the local reception is a lot better then my antron ever was!! i max is one hell of an antenna. catch ya later
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 8:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I didn't think about you being on today, I wasn't in my shop but for just a few minutes, had some running to do. I'll be out there tomorrow, how about 11:00 am your time, the skip should be rolling by then, yeah your gonna like that imax, they are flexable on top, but tough, I saw one last winter coated with ice almost bent double, but didn't break.
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 10:18 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

didnt get to see this til now sorry gonna try tomarrow sunday should be on from 11 am til? gonna try to make 50-100 contacts in my logbook before i stop. thank god my imax stayed up it was so windy here last night limbs fell off the trees and stuff. imax still there though. ill be on 26.915 and around there. ok man later.
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Scrapiron63
Posted on Sunday, February 03, 2002 - 9:10 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey, we'll hook up one of these days, I had a hell've time anyway, must have talked to 25 NY'ers on .885 in about 30 minutes, then I went to .915, and those dudes were having a shoot-out, some strong-ass good sounding stations, had me in the 'strawberry patch', ha, love it. later
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Honkytonkman593
Posted on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 7:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yeah i didnt even compare to those stations sat or sunday. to much hash n trash. i did talk to some one in arkansas but not you. ok man one of these day we will .
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BLACKSMITH663
Posted on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - 2:14 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

WOW! ANYBODY GOING TO MENTION A GROUND CABLE?
BAD BAD BAAAADDDDD MUD DUCKS....QUACK,QUACK,QUACK!!!!!!
BLACKSMITH663