| Author |
Message |
    
Zman
New member
Username: Zman
Post Number: 6
Registered: 4-2009
| | Posted on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 12:03 pm: | 
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I have an Avanti Astrobeam i am fooling around with but i cannot get the SWRs below a 2.1. I have tried different coax, different coax lenths, jumper coaxes of a different type, checked the ends, moved the antenna away from metal, adjusted the driver stinger, moved the antenna higher from the ground, ect ect. But no matter what i do the SWRS never change. One thing i noticed was the beam didnt come with the dual RG-59U matching pigtail. |
Tech291
Moderator
Username: Tech291
Post Number: 533
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 8:33 pm: |
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"One thing i noticed was the beam didnt come with the dual RG-59U matching pigtail."
The Astro-Beam originally came with an RG-62 matching stub.The length is in the Astro-Beam assembly booklet.
tech291
cef291/cvc6
kc8zpj |
Marconi
Advanced Member
Username: Marconi
Post Number: 808
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 10:16 am: |
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Zman, I have never owned an AstroBeam, but I know the AP itself can be very tempermental with how close you get the bottom hoop to any conductive objects, and maybe even non-conductive stuff. I have heard from some owners that the phasing harness has some particular use and I don't think it has to do with CB. Just connect it directly.
The manual also gives a routine for checking the continuity in the constructed beam, and has a number of small parts that are there for conductive reasons and some that are not. I have looked the manual over and it is very particular regarding which parts and areas of the boom are to be conductive and those that are not.
You need to follow the manual closely. |
Zman
Junior Member
Username: Zman
Post Number: 11
Registered: 4-2009
| | Posted on Sunday, June 14, 2009 - 3:38 pm: |
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Ok it says the matching line is 6' that helps me some. Were do i find RG 62 coax though? I had a NIB astrobeam once and it had a 6' piece of RG 83 coax and i also had a used Astrobeam that had a dual 59u matching section. |
Zman
Junior Member
Username: Zman
Post Number: 13
Registered: 4-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 12:47 pm: |
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Well i FINALLY got it match in. It now resonates at 27.205 instead of 26.505. Why, I had a reflector element slide down inside of itself due to a clamp not tightened all the way. ARGH! No wonder I had issues. I had i up ouside and it looked like one of the reflector elements was too short. I took it down and meaured it and yes it was definetly short. |
Press_man
Junior Member
Username: Press_man
Post Number: 32
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 8:46 pm: |
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Zman
Where did you find an Astro Beam? I had one up after a storm took my stacked PDL II's back in 1978. Talk about rejection, 40db on the back.
You are talking about the design based on the Astro Plane right?
Wally kc4zwm |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 5115
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 7:36 am: |
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40DB ??????
How many elements did you use to get that ???
On 6 since 66
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Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1716
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 - 11:11 am: |
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Bruce, The Astro Beam had tremendous F/B ratio. 40 dB is stretching it a little, more like 26 dB. But, it probably SEEMED like 40 dB as well as they work. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 5116
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 - 11:32 am: |
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26 db vers 40 is over 20 to one .... a big stretch ......
On 6 since 66
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Mrclean
Intermediate Member
Username: Mrclean
Post Number: 127
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 08, 2009 - 7:57 pm: |
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I have a Astro Beam that has never been put together still in the box but was opened and the outer element insulators are the only thing missing.Will most likely never use it. |
Press_man
Junior Member
Username: Press_man
Post Number: 43
Registered: 5-2008
| | Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 - 9:20 pm: |
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Bruce:
40db is what Avanti rated them at. They worked great. I saw a significant drop in noise off the back. Better than any other 3 element I tested. In fact they were better than a single PDL2 and almost as good as my stacked PDLs. The only complaint I had against them was the load placed on the rotor.
Wally/kc4zwm |
