| Author |
Message |
    
BT
| | Posted on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 12:13 pm: | 
|
Thought some of you would find this interesting. A couple buddies and I did an experiment a while back on antennas and I thught I'd share it with all. We wanted to compare the old with the new school antennas. Basically we compared an Antron 99 with a Super Penetrator 500 and the results were rather shocking. One of my buddies traveled to a smaller town around 12-15 miles away (this was in the evening of course - no skip, etc.) and we hooked my Cobra 2000 up to each of the antennas (both at the same height). The mast height was around 30 ft. Anyway first we did the Antron and it tapped him at just a tad over 1 su. Then we tried the Penetrator and to my astonishment he remarked that the signal strength had jumped to nearly 3!! Another noteworthy observation was that on the Antron we could barely make him out - the Penetrator received him loud and clear. Anyway just thought I'd share - a good observation for those who talk groundwave - the Penetrator may love the lightning, but it kicks ass on the ground!!
Ben |
Bullseye
| | Posted on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 10:16 pm: |
|
Not to be a wise a$$ but put apples with apples. To the best of my knowledge an aluminum antenna will usually outperform a fiberglass one. If you can, compare a Penetrator to a MacoV58 and I think you may be surprised at how evenly they perform. |
bullet/151 southern Indiana
| | Posted on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:18 am: |
|
alot of guy's on the radio do wonder about fiberglass vs aluminum antennas. i hear it all the time.
i know what your saying bullseye, but remember some guys might not have the experiance that some others may have.
i wonder why the s unit readings are only 1-3 for
12-15 miles? (barefoot radio im sure) but that seems fairly low to me.seems like it should be dubble that(must be terrain.) |
Bullseye
| | Posted on Monday, April 29, 2002 - 4:08 pm: |
|
Not really surprising to me. I've seen times when talking across the street was difficult.Terrain weather lots of variables to contend with. |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 10:03 am: |
|
intresting if both antennas were working right they should have been with in 1db or about 1/6 of 1 s unit .... dont say much for that a99 does it. |
Taz
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 9:59 pm: |
|
That site is my antenna recource.
Been that way for years. |
409
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 4:26 am: |
|
If my A99 wouldn't get out over 12 to 15 miles I would surely take it down and trash it !! I'm aware the Antron is not the best thing going, but it's not completely junk either. I have used many antennas....ground plains and beams alike and really think the A99 does pretty well . For years I ran the old Super Magnum from Antenna Specialist and the Antron runs all over it and it was an all metal antenna. I don't know about the true gain of the A99.....but I can talk half-way across the state (Tenn)with no more than 4-watts when the skip is out. If you can't get out more than this short distance, then you definitely must be in a bad location. |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 11:34 am: |
|
As for the old super mag MOST of the antennas today are the same as that old workhorse. You can package and run your adds but push come to shove it will work the same ... your A99 should have worked about the same .... unless that old mag was wore out. As for metal/glass no diffrence ... both should work the same |
409
| | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 3:35 am: |
|
Really.....the A99 beats the Magnum. I bought the Mag new and as for coverage, the Antron wins hands down. Many of the guys around here kinda give the A99 a bad rep, but as far as ground planes go, they do a pretty good job. You would be hard pressed to find another that would do better aside from on a piece of paper !!! |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 10:13 pm: |
|
409 You say it wins " hands down" interesting both are 1/2 wave i shure would love to see a antenna range test under NBS standards the mags ive used proformed exactly as a 1/2 wave should. Gain and e/h patterns should be almost idenical.
If you can show me some data i'd realy like to see it.
bruce |
409
| | Posted on Friday, May 03, 2002 - 3:59 am: |
|
Don't have anything except reports from stations around the area. All reported a substantial increase in signal and it was also noted that the range increased also. Over time, it was observed that the A99 did a much better job for whatever reason, be it angle of radiation , or some other reason. The two antennas were mounted at the same height and location at different times. The stations on the receiving end were the same. Both antennas were new and un-modified. Same radio and coax. Standing wave measurements were almost identical. |
bruce
| | Posted on Friday, May 03, 2002 - 7:31 pm: |
|
409 good start nothing like what you are doing to use logic in a antenna case... see in your case it wins but the problem i would have is if say i told YOU that the A99 wins hands down and you put it up and its 5 "S" units worst what say a mag you going to think im out of my mind... well maby . Good point on angle of radiation strangly LOCATION will cause that to change drastly. Last rule of antenna gain is simple .... the bigger the better a 5/8 will do better than a 1/2 wave and a 4 elm beam has more gain than a 2 elm beam but everything has set limits too ..... like 10 DBI on a 4 elm beam is the upper limit of real gain no mater who makes it or how much it costs. Last decouplung coax always helps look at a ringo range 2 meter antena the bottom is decoupled with a balum and a ground plane too.... yes even on 2 meters got to kill the returning energy too.
bruce |
