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Message |
    
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 74
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 10:05 am: | 
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Hi! A friend wants to know weather to get a MAG mount or a bolt-on mount antenna for his son.He wants to get a magnet mount antenna because there easy to install but i think there more trouble then there worth.Should he go with the MAG or get a bolt-on? |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4517
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 10:29 am: |
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Is it a Car or Truck and what kind?
We have used the Wilson 1000 Mag Mount Antennas since they first came out and have had NO problems.
Personally we have never seen any reason to go with a bolt on antenna.
Now a question?
Why not have your friend sign up and join the Copper Forum and then he can ask his own questions. 
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 11:00 am: |
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If it's a question of which performs the best then there is no contest - it's a 102" whip installed with a hole mount in the middle of the roof. Hole mounts have the best ground, they're very strong, you can use many kinds of antennas, and you can change antennas fairly easily. Unfortunately most people aren't willing to do that to their vehicle so it's more of a question of what lesser alternative you are willing to choose.
Mag mounts are easy to install and place, and there is no drilling involved which are very big pluses. The biggest downside is the ground - it can vary widely on vehicles with different kinds and thicknesses of paint and moisture can change it too. You're pretty much limited to base loaded whips - which is the worst kind of shortened antenna to use.
Some general things to keep in mind:
Longer is better.
The higher the load coil above the ground plane, the better the antenna will work.
Larger diameter load coils are better.
Larger diameter wire for the load coil is better.
The first antenna I used on my car was a Wilson 1000 magnet mount. I thought it worked well until I drilled some holes and installed a ball mount and a 102" whip and spring. The difference was amazing to me. I tried both a 102" fiberglass whip and a 102" stainless steel whip and they worked about the same for me, but fewer people pointed and stared at the stainless steel whip so I went with that one. It's durable, reliable, and performs so much better than the Wilson 1000 I can't believe it. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2038
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 11:29 am: |
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NO contest i found a marked improvement going from mag to installed |
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 78
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 5:42 am: |
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he drives a small toyota and his dad who is making the equipment descions wants to get a "little wil" antenna but i think a wilson 5000 would better which i know is true but he thinks a 5000 is a little too big for such a small car.so what do you all think will the little wil do the job or should he get a 5000 and if so will the mag mount work ok? |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4523
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 9:27 am: |
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Bluegrass,
On a small toyota truck the bolt thru the roof or a mag mount 1000 would work great.
Unless he is planning on running a bunch of power the Wilson 1000 Mag Mount or Roof Mount will work great for him.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 83
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 4:45 am: |
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no it's a stock cobra 25 ltdwx classic.but if the magnet mount antenna slids out of the place where you tuned it the swr will be messed up won't it? and i heard that the wilson 1000 has a defective coax connector is that true? oh and it's a car not a truck. |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4529
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 10:22 am: |
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Bluegrass,
I would guess over the years I have sold around 3000 or more Wilson 1000 Mag Mount Antennas and have never had anyone mention / complain about a problem with the PL259 coax connector.
I use two pairs of channel locks to tighten the 2-piece PL259 together and have never had one work loose or come off.
I don't think I have ever read about a problem like this ever mentioned on the forum here either.
I also have never had a Wilson 1000 Mag Mount slide out of place unless I whacked it good on something hard and knocked it loose.
When Alagator CEF #115 and Runaway CEF #253 and Redman CEF #156, Homeboy CEF #159 and Red Lady CEF #255 were following us over to Walcott Ia, for the CEF Gathering last year, we took Shirley's Impala SS with the Wilson 1000 with a wash rag under it mounted dead center in the roof.
And since I felt it needed to be cleaned out from sitting so long I punched the pedel to the floor and at 150MPH+ the Wilson 1000 Mag Mount was still Firmly attached on the roof and never moved the slightest bit. 
On the plow trucks, I have never had a problem with the SWR Changing no matter if I have it in the Center of the roof or back or side of the roof or to the side of the Strobe lights.
I can hear the strobes on my end but others have said they hear nothing on the receiveing end.
The Wilson 1000 Mag Mount is Tough, Durable, Reliable and give's Excellent Performance.
I have even used them with 100' of coax running out thru the garage to our truck and and a Double female adapter on the CEF net's for a few weeks when my antennas were down and had GREAT Results.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 4:40 pm: |
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I only ever had my Wilson 1000 get knocked off my car a couple of times, and it was at the same place each time - a street sign that was hung much too low. I delivered pizza in a residential area where I drove down streets with low hanging branches, alleys where telephone and cable lines were hung too low, and a railroad underpass that was only 11'8". I hit lots of stuff with it, and the whip sounded cool grinding on the top of the underpass, but it only came off when the ball on the tip got caught on the street sign that was mounted too low. Since I snipped the tip off I haven't had that problem again.
The Wilson 1000 and Wilson 5000 have the same size magnets and whips, the only difference is the coil. I'd always buy the 1000 over the 5000 because it's not worth the extra money if you don't run huge amounts of power. |
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 85
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 8:13 pm: |
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well i guess i was misinformed.thanks for all the help and if any one else has something to say about the wilson 1000/5000 let me know.73's from Bluegrass KCD-40219/CEF#446 in Louisville,KY. |
Wrk3
Junior Member
Username: Wrk3
Post Number: 36
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 12:17 pm: |
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don't understand what you"ve been misinformed about. just people answering your question in their own opinion-------i'd go with a {MAG.} |
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 88
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 1:29 pm: |
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i was misinformed from local cb'ers who said that mag mounts slid out of place alot causing high swr and didn't perform as well as bolt on mounts |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 1:59 pm: |
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Bluegrass - some mag mounts may slide around, but the VSWR shouldn't change very much unless it moves closer to a piece of metal taller than the horizontal surface the antenna is stuck on - which detunes the antenna.
I've yet to meet the person who can pull a Wilson 1000 mag mount off of a vehicle by pulling it straight up. They have VERY strong magnets and don't move around unless you hit something quite low or quite hard.
Hole mounts are better than mag mounts if they're in the same place, but most people don't want to drill holes in the roof of their cars. A magnet mount Wilson 1000 will work better on the roof than a trunk mount Wilson 1000 on the trunk or engine hood. Why? Because the mag mount will be higher, and higher is better. It'll also have a more uniform pattern which is nice too. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2083
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 2:51 pm: |
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Bluegrass
Maby its me but i cant remember a mag mount that out did a bolted mount. Remember all you have at the antenna end is the XC of the magnetic cup / car body while a bolted mount has a XC = to almost ZERO OHMS. Not that you cannot design a antenna to work with the XC as its counterpoise.
Sorry but if it is my choice its going to have a HARD GROUND not a small value cap.
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Waverider
Junior Member
Username: Waverider
Post Number: 45
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 9:45 am: |
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Gotta agree with Bruce. Have had a lot of antennas over the last 30 years and while the Wilson mag mount is a good one my bolt on works better. I currently am running a Wilson 5000 bolted to the roof of my pick up and am very pleased with it.
Barry
CEF335 |
Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 89
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 10:34 am: |
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well he decided to go with the little wil antenna so i would like to know how it performs.is it a good antenna? |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 12:55 pm: |
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I'm sure that it's a good antenna for what it is, but it's too short for me to ever consider using. Longer is better. The Wilson 1000 is my minimum mobile antenna.
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Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 93
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 10:09 am: |
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yeah i know longer is better but his son dosen't want a big antenna on his car.so is there a better antenna then the little wil that's 4 feet tall or less? |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 4550
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 10:33 am: |
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Bluegrass,
Click on the Link below for a comparison of the Lil Wil against the, K-30 / Cobra AT-70 / Hustler RQM antennas.
This will allow you to be the Judge.
http://www.wilsonantenna.com/lilwil.htm
**************************************************
Wilson "Little Wil" Specifications
300 Watt power handling capability (ICAS)
Made with high impact Thermoplastic
Heavy duty coil uses 14 gauge copper wire
Exclusive low loss coil design (Patent #4,882,591) - Same as Wilson 1000
36" 17-7 PH stainless steel whip
Frequency range 26 MHz to 30 MHz
1 Year Warranty
The Little Wil is the perfect choice if you need a short antenna
with maximum performance.
WHY THE WILSON "Little Wil" PERFORMS BETTER
The "Little Wil" uses Wilson’s exclusive low loss coil design and is patterned after the proven performance of the Wilson 1000 and 500. The "Little Wil" out performs all similar types of small base loaded antennas. It was designed specifically for users who want a high performance antenna with a short whip, at a low price. The Wilson tradition of designing an antenna that offers maximum efficiency for the cost is continued with the "Little Wil".
The Large 10 oz. Magnet used in the "Little Wil" is the first indication of the attention to detail, engineering, quality and design that makes the antenna perform so well. The strength and holding power of the larger magnet will prove itself the first time extra speed is needed to pass the auto ahead, or on those rough and bumpy roads. The "Little Wil" hangs on long after other small antennas have fallen off and become lost and wasted money.
Wilson uses 14 gauge wire to provide the maximum power handling for a small antenna. When combined with Wilson’s exclusive coil winding method that allows air to flow completely around the wire, its maximum power handling is approximately 300 watts.
With it’s total height of only 38", when mounted on the trunk lid of most automobiles, you can safely drive into your garage without damaging the antenna or the car from the overhead door. When driving into those multi-level parking garages, at the office or shopping center, you no longer must remove the antenna.
If your looking for a low cost, high quality antenna with a low profile design, the "Little Wil" is your solution.
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN
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Bluegrass
Member
Username: Bluegrass
Post Number: 95
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2005 - 4:55 pm: |
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Thanks Lon i'll tell him what you think a guy here in town has one he said he'ed sell him for $10.00. |
