| Author |
Message |
    
Foxhunter
Junior Member
Username: Foxhunter
Post Number: 46
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008 - 3:29 pm: | 
|
Hi (again) I need help from those more knowledgable than I regarding an antenna that a very nice lady gave me today. She only knows that a former Ham Operator lived at her house and she wanted it gone.
It is a Shakespeare Super Big Stick Model # 76-SU and I can't find anything online about this particular antenna. It is a 16-FT fiberglass antenna. It has a thicker lower section (1-1/8 inches thick) that is 8-FT long then (under a rubber coupler) it is reduced to another 8-FT section that is 3/8 inch thick. To my untrained eye it looks an awful lot like a marine-type antenna. I've seen many references here on the Forum to Shakespeare's "Big Stick" or "Army Big Stick"-----but what of this "Super Big Stick 76-SU" ?? Can anyone help me out as far as what it is designed for (HF or VHF?) or what is it's frequency range or bandwidth? Can it be tuned? Anything would be very helpful |
Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 783
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008 - 6:33 pm: |
|
I think it was just a Big Stick that was able to handle a bit more power, but don't know how much. At those measurements it is probably a center fed half wave dipole ran an 8' section of RG-8 coax or RG-8x between the hub with the boot at the top and the SO-239 coax connector at the bottom and fed the center of thru a conductive tube in the fiberglass of the base, making a coaxial dipole of sorts. If it is as I describe then it should show an open when OHM's checked.
It was probably for 11 meters. If it was a marine antenna it would likely have had a loop of wire sealed in shrink tubing coming from the bottom of the antenna and serving as a ground loop. This was then connected to the feed line and the radio. |
Foxhunter
Junior Member
Username: Foxhunter
Post Number: 47
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008 - 9:03 pm: |
|
Thanks Marconi for your same-day response. It's appreciated and that is a start. There isn't a loop as you described would most-likely be there, if it were a marine antenna.
The wattage handling capability would something I'd still like to know, and if you, or anyone else reading this, ever come across any information on this particular antenna please let me know---I'd most certainly appreciate it.
If it is a center-fed, vertically suspended dipole----then ground-radials wouldn't be absolutely necessary, correct? Anything else anyone might have would be very useful. |
Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 784
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 1:24 am: |
|
If I'm right about construction then no ground plane radials are necessary even though it looks like and end fed dipole, it is actually center fed. The coax inside the base is actually inside the bottom element of this dipole and it is not affected by the RF. This allows the AT to be installed vertically without concerns for the feed line. The black rubber boot in the middle is about 7" long and is cone shaped and heavy.
All I remember about power is that the Super BS version allowed more power than the BS. I saw in an old Copper catalog that the Army BS was a off center fed 5/8 wave and was good for 4000 watts and another for a Jr. BS that said it was good for 1000 watts.
Good luck. |
Foxhunter
Junior Member
Username: Foxhunter
Post Number: 49
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 10:09 pm: |
|
Thank you again I owe you. Thanks. I e-mailed Shakespeare Electronics yesterday and they sent me what they had on the discontinued antennas.
They sent a one-page sheet with a very small amount of information on each of their versions. They told me via e-mail that---"it was an antenna geared towards 27MHZ".
I'm hoping to post the PDF link here (unsure if it'll take) for the data sheet for their "Big Stick" models. There were 3 versions. Mine (176SU) was the smallest (16-FT) version----to conform to UPS shipping requirements at the time.
The other two were both 18-FT. The 176-GBS was a 2 section, and the 376-GB was a 3 section. All three were factory-rated at 1000W PEP.
I'm unsure of their internal construction except of what you suggested above Marconi. The PDF only hints at "exclusive folded coaxial sleeve and phasing network". What does that mean(?) I hoped to share what I did find, for anyone that may have a future question about these antennas. I hope the link below will be good.
376-GB, 176-GBS, 176-GBSU Catalog Sheet.PDF (208KB) |
Mrclean
Intermediate Member
Username: Mrclean
Post Number: 103
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 1:46 pm: |
|
I use a Pogo stick from the same company. Its a 10 meter antenna and it works real well. The top half of mine is aluminum and the bottom is fiberglass. |
Foxhunter
Member
Username: Foxhunter
Post Number: 58
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 7:08 pm: |
|
Hmmmm....Haven't heard of that one, "The Pogo". I know Shakespeare is mainly into marine and Military production these days. So that was one of their 10M antenna's ? Did it work well? I have a question about 10M useage at the end of this post.
-------------------------------------------------
I really hope he doesn't mind, but one of our members "Phoenix" shared this information with me about the "Shakespeare Super Big Stick" antenna, in the TRUE spirit of "Elmering" which is something I'm very thankful for from so many of our members. It's truly amazing the helpfulness found here......
QUOTE: "They did make quite a few "variations" of the Shakespeare "Big Stick/Super Big Stick" 1/2 wave dipole.
Some of the later versions even had 3 sections vs two. Got mine in the late 70's new(ahhh...the good ol' days...!)Mine is model # 176-S "Super Big Stick", two section, thick bottom half, 102" whip radiator/top half, all white fiberglass with a black rubber sleeve to cover where the two halves screw together. Pre-tuned for 11 meters, and can handle 1000 watts PEP (500 watts RMS), gain is 3db. I think these specs apply to the one you have too, if I remember correctly...but with slightly less gain...nothing that noticeable though.
I think it's an all around great antenna, and have had friends say the same. Naturally, it doesn't have the "gain" of a 5/8 wave, but unless it burns up or blow up...it stays up!
It's a "1/2-wave center-fed dipole," or a "coaxial" antenna. And although it looks like it's "end fed", the coax actually runs up inside the bottom sleeve (an aluminum tube wrapped in fiberglass) to feed at the middle point. There's also a "coaxial transformer" inside the bottom tube, to change the ohms from around 72 to about 50 at the bottom connector.
The one in the 16 footer is a little bit different from the one in the 18' because it's a bit longer. I never used a ground plane kit on mine, because it's not needed (as per people more qualified than I!), and the few I know that had rigged up a "kit" said it didn't make a noticeable difference, and was a headache(SWR's).
Imax 2000 (5/8-wave)is the way to fly nowadays, but I like being different. I was going to "move up" a while back to the "Army Big Stick"...I think it was like 22', but Shakespeare stopped making them before I could get one, and everywhere I tried...they were sold out!
Radio Shack also used to make a 16' version of it called the "Crossbow #21-967"
-------------------------------------------------
"THANKS" PHOENIX----Foxhunter
-------------------------------------------------
PS:---Would anyone reading this answer another question or two about the Big Stick?
Is it suitable for 11M SSB? Has anyone tried it on 10M either AM or SSB? I'd appreciate it greatly-------Foxhunter |
Mrclean
Intermediate Member
Username: Mrclean
Post Number: 104
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 11:38 am: |
|
I still use the Pogo stick and it works very well |
Dave1
Intermediate Member
Username: Dave1
Post Number: 136
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, December 04, 2014 - 8:54 pm: |
|
the Super Bigstick was big back in the70s and 80s a real nice 11 meter antenna |
Keithinatlanta
Senior Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 1026
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2014 - 6:12 am: |
|
Ok guys, now you have my curiosity up. Does anyone remember when?  Back in the 70's, Cushcraft made a cb antenna that was a straight vertical called the "ringo". It had a circle at the bottom. Does anyone remember this or ever used one? If so, I am curious how well it performed. I always wanted to get one, but never did. Thanks.
Keith in Atlanta
CEF 150 |
Tinker91
New member
Username: Tinker91
Post Number: 9
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 22, 2014 - 4:07 pm: |
|
I have 2 Super big sticks.1 is a 3 section and the top section is 102 in tall and tuned for 27 mhz with 0 swr on ch 20. if you use an ohm meter it will show a dead short. a friend gave me a 2 section be cause it had very high swr and showed a dead short. i hooked it up to my ic-730 and it tuned to 10 meters and is 19 ft tall with and the top is 96 in tall. this is all the info i have |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 2312
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - 1:24 pm: |
|
"Ok guys, now you have my curiosity up. Does anyone remember when? :-) Back in the 70's, Cushcraft made a cb antenna that was a straight vertical called the "ringo"."
Hi Keith.
Yes, that antenna is still being made. It is the Cushcraft AR-10. Although, they now market the antenna for the 10m ham band, it is the same antenna. Just lengthen it slightly when assembling it, and you have a "real" Ringo.
FYI- The Imax 2000 outperforms the Ringo and costs less.
Your radio 'Mythbuster' since 1998
|
Mikefromms
Senior Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 1149
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - 6:56 pm: |
|
The Big Stick and Super Big stick were good plug and play antennas, but I put a Star Duster up on the same pole right after taking big stick down and the Star Duster receive so much better. The Astroplane is a fine antenna too. |
