| Author |
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Red Bird
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2003 - 12:38 am: | 
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Anyone use one of these antennas? I got one and it is the 5 footer. Ive always been told the top loaded antennas are the best to use.. |
de
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2003 - 8:20 am: |
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RE RB....
OK here is the full scoop on loading coils. The efficiency of the antenna that is coil loaded increases as the length of the antenna BEFORE the coil increases. You see the coil is nothing more than an antenna matching device. The longer the antenna before the coil the better the antenna will be.
Now base loaded antennas work very well as well.
The difference between the base loaded antenna and the top and or center loaded antenna is so small as to not make you lose any sleep.
I would suggest one thing though, if possible use a 102 ' stainless whip if at all possible or a 102 fiberglass whip if the stainless is unavailable. Both will be a much better choice over a shortened tuned antenna.
PS do not forget the heavy duty spring.
DE |
Phineas
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 11:21 am: |
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Red Bird
The SilverLoad is an excellent antenna for what it is. The longer one you get the better(4ft+). Except for a few solarcons, it out performed almost every other antenna of that type. Will it out perform a 109" whip? No. For several reasons.
Phineas |
Phineas
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 11:44 am: |
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DE
As far as the difference in a base loaded and a top loaded antenna, I tend to disagree. A top loaded antenna is a more efficient radiator than a bottom load. There are also difference in the radiation angle also. Let us not also forget that we are dealing with an RLC circuit. It does make a difference where you put the L. The Wilson Silverload has an LC(Coil+Capacitor) at the top of it which which allows the radio to put the maximum power to the bottom part of the antenna which is the part that is less wound and the radiating part of the antenna. A bottom load does the same thing, cept the stinger on top of the coil becomes the capacitor. This makes a bottom load antenna a less efficient radiator.
Another problem with coil antennas are the band width. Also the higher the power you run through a tuner, the higher the relative loss. Top load antennas are also have better reception if they are built right. A lot less noisy than a whip. I think this is mainly due to the higher Q factor.
Silverloads work great for me, espeically in weak signal work on SSB. The longer the better. I ran a 4ft and a 5ft which both worked about the same.
Phineas |
Red Bird
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 1:12 pm: |
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i hzve 2 102s in the garage but they are too big and heavy for my trunk mount i use for the silverload. Yeah i know some of you will say thats a no no(the trunk mount that is) and it will fail but i used to run a 102 on the trunk of my car with a big spring and had no problems i just dont like to see it to flop all over the place.. might hit somone and put an eye out! |
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