| Author |
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Lowpowerhal
| | Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 1:56 pm: | 
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Im thinking of buying a Maco m-103 from coppers, A few ??? Can you run this on flat side, In other words is it made to run horizontal? Also like to hear comments from owners of this antenna.And do they hold up to normal wind and ice? I need a good 11 meter antenna for the cef net.Thank you for any information you give me on this. 73's |
Dx431
| | Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 2:44 pm: |
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Lowpowerhal,
The M103C is a good little beam. I have one on a 10' mast for now till I can get it on my tower, and Im using it on the flatside with an antron 99 mounted about 6" above it.I have a flat SWR on all 40 channels. This combination seems to work fine. If you are going to use it alone, I suggest mounting it vericle.
I have only had the beam for a about a month. I can tell you this,tho, the man I got it from is a ham and used it on 10 meters on the flat side on a 40' tower and he stated it worked very well.It held up well during the snow and ice storms we had a few years back. He baught it new in 1996 and it shows no signs of corossion.
Oh, and 1 more thing, he also stated that running the beam flat with 100w, he had no problems getting through in a "pile up". |
Scrapiron63
| | Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 3:08 pm: |
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You can use the m-103 ver or hoz, it works great either way, and assembles the same except the gamma match might adjust a little different. I've got one up now on vertical, but am planning on laying it flat and mounting my i-max 2000 over it soon. I've ran all kinda beams up to a 32 laser 400, but the little 103 really impressed me, and i've got a shooting star in the barn right now, but I just get too much wind and ice on this mountain where I live for the big antennas. Last winter I had so much ice on this 3 element, and I was so scared it was gonna break the elements, that I shot some of it off with a shotgun. I used the old hygain and mosley 3 elements back in the 1970s, but the m-103 is much better, it has completly different spacing than the others, actually looks like it's pointing the wrong way, but it works great. Mine has held up well, although it is heavier built than the factory 103 as I made it from a larger antennna with a bigger boom. scrapiron |
Pig040
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 10:30 am: |
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Hal,
Where you are if you are going to go with the 103 I suggest you take maco's advice, and put some nylon rope inside of the beams to make them stronger. I had one up and had trouble keeping it together, I dont care for those hose clamps. For talking skip I think horizontal is the way to go. |
Scrapiron63
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 11:23 am: |
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That rope really helps on the bigger maco beams, like the 5, 6, 7 and 8 element. It acts to dampen the vibrations of the elements, the vibrations cause the aluminum to harden, then they break very easy. I've seen the big beams start dropping elements after a couple years or so. I've never seen that problem in the ones smaller than 5 elements, but i'm sure it could over a period of time. Those clamps will loosen sometimes and let the elements slid in or out. I always drill and install stainless sheet metal screws in the elements at the connections, that takes care of the problem. Over tighting those big clamps on the boom can really damage it also. scrapiron |
Lowpowerhal
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 5:23 pm: |
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Boy its shur nice to to have a forum like this, just ask a ? you get answers.Also making a whole bunch of new freinds.Only problem i can see is i cant reach out and shake your hands.But maybe if i put the maco up, Might be a better chance to have a good qso. Skip will get better as fall comes around. And i want to be all set to go.Maybe i should ask this on different post now i got another problem i got a wilson rotor & control box (WILSON 500) missing the male plug for the rotor 8 prong plug. Looked on the internet no luck. Thank you all for info. 73's |
392
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2003 - 9:51 pm: |
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Get some wooden rods from hardware store and hammer it into the large section on the elements. Just leave enogh space for the ends. This will really strengthen the antenna, much more than rope and adds very little weight.
My 103's been kickin for 3 years, it's great and a good value for the money.
392 |
applejack
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2003 - 10:13 pm: |
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somewhere on here i read that there are no dumb questions, but i bet i've got one. i have an a99 mounted about 1 foot above my tv antenna on 4 sections of tower with 20' of mast pipe IN the tower. would it be IGNORANT to shove the mast pipe up and mount my 104c flatside on it, under the tv antenna and a99? side note: when it was up before it was vertical with rope inside. |
Slim1
| | Posted on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 1:20 pm: |
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the only problem w/adding wooden dowels inside
the elements is,SWELLING from condensation! we
all know the tubing sweats/condensates and therefore the tubing will split/crack from the swelling over time.this is just my opinion,tho!
slim cdx285 |
Crafter
| | Posted on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 3:46 pm: |
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Slim's right not to tight with the dowels if your winters are really cold. I silicone the top end of each element also and leave bottom open if horizontal leave them open. I like the dowels over the rope idea myself in horizontal, but I never minded my beam singing to me so only tryed the rope on one. |
Fdirsh
| | Posted on Friday, September 05, 2003 - 7:09 am: |
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I have one on a 32 foot tower my M-103 is angeled at 45 degrees and is on a 4 element boom. It is awesome. |
392
| | Posted on Friday, September 05, 2003 - 10:36 pm: |
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Mine hasn't split yet and it's had rods in it for 3 years. Before the rods, the pidgeons used to bend the elements. 2 or 3 of them add quite a bit of weight and I kept lowering it to straighten them out. So I added the dowel rod, got a pellet rifle and now the elements are sraight! And no splits.
392 |
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