Shakespeare "Super Big Stick Model #76SU" ??? Help

[Foxhunter]

Was trying to read old posts before posting here about this antenna.... I've seen many references to the Shakespeare "Super Big Stick" fiberglass antenna-----but there seem to be several different versions of these antennas.

Mine is an all-fiberglass exterior Model # 76SU. It is 16-FT in length-----not 18-FT like all the other posts I'd read. It would appear to be a two-section antenna. It is in two 8-FT sections totaling 16-FT. The lower/base section is 1-1/8 inches thick. It joins the upper/whip section (which is still fiberglass also) but is only 3/8 inch thick. I was concerned it was a marine/VHF antenna but another friend told me that if it were a marine antenna, it would have a small ground loop near it's base-----which it does not.

Would anyone care to tell me anything they might know about this antenna? Are they adjustable or tunable? No ground-plane or needs radials? Someone told me they are most-likely another suspended vertical dipole like the A-99 or Imax2K but it seems to be constructed similar to a large, over-sized mobile whip antenna. Bandwidth/frequency range, wattage handling, need for ground radials or not----anything would be appreciated. Thanks--------Foxhunter

[Bow]

I run a Shakespeare NBS-2010... it is 21' tall

Try calling Shakespeare and tell them you are looking for information on that antenna...

I did that 2 years ago and they put me in touch with the guy that designed it.

I found out that mine is actually a off-center dipole design...

[Foxhunter]

I run a Shakespeare NBS-2010... it is 21' tall

Try calling Shakespeare and tell them you are looking for information on that antenna...

I did that 2 years ago and they put me in touch with the guy that designed it.

I found out that mine is actually a off-center dipole design...

Maybe I will try and call them, to find out a little more about it's internal design as to it's type. I have other plans for other base antennas soon-----but will try this one for 11-M for now.

Thanks. I e-mailed Shakespeare Electronics yesterday and they sent me what they had (very little) on the discontinued antennas.

They sent a one-page sheet with a very small amount of information on each of their Big Stick versions. They told me via e-mail about mine that---"it was an antenna geared towards 27MHZ".

I'm hoping to post the PDF link here (unsure/doubt if it'll link) 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. The PDF only hints at: "exclusive folded coaxial sleeve and phasing network". What does that mean(?). I was thinking it could be a vertically-suspended center-fed dipole. But it doesn't look like either an A99 or Imax 2K so I have my doubts there also. I hoped to share what I did find, for anyone that may have a future question about any of these antennas. I hope the link below will be good.

376-GB, 176-GBS, 176-GBSU Catalog Sheet.PDF (208KB)

[syko toledo]

the top section should say wonderstick on the metal threaded part. the big stick bottom section was a fibreglas sheath around a piece of coax. i good friend of mine had 1 that lost match. found out the bottom section was full of water. i put the top on my car and had an absolute flat 1.0:1 match on all 40 channels.

they were great attenaes. were made b4 the antrons were designed. the designer of the 99 lives here in toledo and says he use parts of the big stick wen he formulated the 99design back in the day.

[alhefner]

I just got one of these today. Doing some research on it. Model super big stick 176-SU...only two sections. Patent # 4,097,870. Patent office docs Patent number search results

The patent in this case is for the bottom section that has the transmission line centered through it. The outer portion of the bottom section also contains a braid that forms a portion of the antenna. This forms one part of a 1/2 wave dipole. The fiberglass whip that screws into the top of the bottom section forms the other half of the 1/2 wave dipole.

There does not appear to be any method of actually tuning the antenna itself. The best that can be done is to provide a matching / tuning (impedance match) circuit if needed.

What "could" be done though is fabricating a new top section. The two sections are connected via a standard 3/8-24 stud so...a 1/4 wave tunable fiberglass whip should work as a replacement! That bottom section seems to hold the real key to the superior performance that others say this antenna has.

[Foxhunter]

Boy it seems like it's been a while since I posted asking about this antenna, what I've learned since and the station assembly to boot. Funny what we can learn if we're interested, and that's the key. With this antenna I was asking about, I found it hidden up in the basement rafters of a house I was visiting to inspect a radio tower. It's a good antenna. Do you have the "shortened" compact version, or the longer 2-section ? Great antenna manufacturer, high quality construction and components.

Now from memory alone I can't recall and thought I posted the exact model number of the antenna I had. But I do see in the sheet I was given it is listed (unless it's a very similar model) as a "Shakespeare Big Stick Model 176-GBSU". Next time I'm up by the antenna rack I'll pull it down and re-check it against the sheet here.

Here's something I wrote in the past week to someone else in another thread, about substituting the top section similar to what you also mentioned:

But, they also made a slightly more compact shorter version of the same antenna, totalling only 16-ft in length with two 8-ft sections. It would appear (at the time) UPS wouldn't allow affordable shipping for a package longer than 8-ft, so Shakespeare made this one smaller version so it could be shipped reasonably (that's what the info sheet Shakespeare sent me says).

It sounds then like you have the shorter version (as do I). That is, unless someone already replaced the top section once with a smaller top. I'd measure each section. They should be either both 8-ft or both 9-ft.

I'm not sure where the center of resonance will be exactly by adding a SS 102-inch whip to the top of the shorter 16-foot version, but it wouldn't be drastically different than what it would be if you were doing this to the full-size 18-ft version. But still, the one version is 2-ft longer than the other! Like I said, I'm going to try a SS102-whip top section on it and use it as a station monitor and for a secondary testing TX/RX antenna, just for curiousity to see what it does.

At some point in the near future I'm going to post some additional information I have on the Shakespeare Big Stick / Super Big Stick as well as a sheet that was sent to me with all three models pictured and listed. I'll convert the PDF to an image and post it, these antennas are still popular and I think some guys could find it useful. A good point brought up before is that many of these antennas were in fact "23 channel CB antennas" and cut/pre-tuned for a 23-channel spread. So if you go to the upper channels 24-40 (or beyond) you might encounter a quicker rise in SWR faster than you might with a modern "40 channel" CB antenna. Nothing earthshaking but still something to consider.



Foxhunter 351 NJ



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Here's another post I made exactly one year ago yesterday, where I was trying to provide some useful information and help another member:



I exchanged e-mails with Shakespeare to get technical details on the antenna previously. There were three "CB" antenna versions at least, at one time, before Shakespeare Electronic's shift towards military & marine applications. The "Big Stick" was my first ever base station antenna and a good one.

I have the "UPS Shippable" (could be sent by UPS Delivery) 16-FT version listed first, but also there were two others.


The Shakespeare 176-GBSU Big Stick Gold Band 2-sectioned Fiberglass 16-FT Base Station Antenna (UPS shippable version)
1000W PEP

The Shakespeare 176-GBS Big Stick Gold Band 2-sectioned Fiberglass 18-FT Base Station Antenna
1000W PEP

The Shakespeare 376-GB Big Stick Gold Band 3-sectioned Fiberglass 18-FT Base Station Antenna
1000 RMS (note this last one is RMS)

They will safely handle the wattage ratings as listed above.

I think products from Shakespeare Electronics are of high quality with workmanship and materials being used and feel they are better than the A99 in that regard. It is also a different type of antenna than the A99, though outwardly it may appear similar.

Oh-----the reasons for the boot are:

One-----as an extra measure to seal out moisture at the point where the two sections join.

Second-----Shakespeare told me that the boot primarily was used as a safety feature to help protect us guys from being electrocuted when installing their antenna, by electrically insulating the two sections from eachother along the surface. Just in case you should accidentally touch the tip against a power line! Good thinking. Any help ?

[alhefner]

I got the 16' two section. Just wanted to post the info I found via a patent search so others might have it handy.

[Some guy]

Hi there! Is the "376-GB, 176-GBS, 176-GBSU Catalog Sheet.pdf" still available?

[Bozo]

Hi there! Is the "376-GB, 176-GBS, 176-GBSU Catalog Sheet.pdf" still available?

I found this one...

Download-link

176-GBSU

[Some guy]

Thanks Bozo, but this is all about the Marine Version...