| Author |
Message |
    
Hillbilly_Hippy
| | Posted on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 10:42 am: | 
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Recently purchased two Pathcom Patriot 12 Base antenna's.A Friend stuck his up,and almost disappered from the band.No signal,and just a bit of modulation.Very high,and erradict swr,and any tuning made it worse.Out of the box goes the second one,same problem.Tried different coax,no help.Used two meters a Dosy TC 4002,and a Wawasee black cat model.SWR was still whacked.Called Pathcom and they didn't even want to talk about it,said had to contact where it was purchased.So I did,and they said they would replace.Same problem.These antenna's were installed in two different locales to see if that was it.Same thing,JUNK.The two stations were only 8 miles apart and no signal.Be fore warned these are JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Hillbilly_Hippy
| | Posted on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 7:30 pm: |
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I decided to not give up so quickly on this antenna,so I tried a few more things to it.After putting this thing back together,and sticking it up twenty foot the SWR was a 5,as you went up it got worse.Started at 26.000 mhz had a 2.5,and as we went up it got worse.Like 5.0 at 27.405.Put on the thinking cap.Played with the tuning ring somemore,no difference.I thought the antenna is to long,so out came the cutters,and snip,snip we went.After two and a half hours we got the SWR down to a 1.1 on 26.785( as well as lower,26.000)I went back to the instructions,which aren't really any help.if you are thinking the CB band in America.This antenna is an import,no matter that Pathcom claims to be an American Company.The instructions say it is tuned to the center of the CB band,which where this antenna comes from would be some where lower than 27.205.Way lower.So I trimmed it until I acheived 1.1 on the meter at 26.785(our operating freq.)and got a radio check,it was a good one.2 DB lower than my old antenna,but it is also 30 feet lower at the moment.For a half wave ground plane it does alright.But do we want to go through all of this agravation to get a antenna to work right?With No Manufacture support?Spend the extra ten bucks and get the A-99,or the extra 20 and get the Maco v 5/8.This antenna is still junk no matter how you look at it.My radio does 40 watts on AM,and 120 on SSB (RMS)and I still only have 4 pounds at my friends house 12 miles away.I doubt it will do much better at a higher altitude.The a-99 I had was 7 pounds barefoot at the same locale.Spend the money and get a good antenna,after all it is the most important thing. |
Don123
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 3:14 am: |
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Hi Hillbilly Hippy:
Yes you are right that later statement....the antenna means everything..it does all the work!! Remember one thing though.....a dummyload is 1:1 swr but does it put out a signal? Don't get caught up in too much of the manufactures claims..if it is too good to be true it is most likely too good to be true! A 1/2 wave antenna is 18 feet...what is the lenght of this antenna you are talking about? Remember the theory behind the antenna and also remember that swr does not always mean that someting will not radiate a siganl! Have fun and I hope other will read you post so they do not waste there money if you have verified coax, and radio proper operation.
Have fun
Don123 |
Highlander
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 5:23 am: |
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Glad to hear you got straightened out, and thanks for the info! |
Hillbilly_Hippy
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 12:22 pm: |
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Just one more thing on this thing.I took the thing down and went out and got an M400 Starduster no more problems,and I am happy again.First QSO was to Australia on 27.405,with no power!!!! |
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