Have a few general questions since it's been so long. I was really into CB from about 6th grade until 11th grade. I sold my traded off my SBE Console II and all my other gear. I had always missed that SBE so two nights ago I found a mint condition one and picked it up on out of the blue. So now I need to get an antenna, SWR meter, etc. I used to run a 5/8 wave GP antenna and a Starduster at one point. Not sure what the newest stuff is?? The radio will be here next week, am I correct that I should not power it on unless there is an antenna hooked up?? I just want to ensure it works. I think I am going to also pick up a 40 channel radio also. My old SBE came to me with a 10k slider and extra channels including 24-40. I had a Turner Super Sidekick mic, but I have a line on one of those too.
Anything else I need?
thanks!
Back into it after 25 yrs
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FAT KAT
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I wouldn't power that thing up w/out an antenna. If I was you, knowing what little I know, I would purchase an antenna from one of the forums sponsoring shops. I have found that they are all honest and very helpful!! Your product is only as good as the dealer that sells it!!!! Sparky, RadioActive, The CB Shop, all of these guys have countless reviews of praise! I'm sure that I have even overlooked some. (SORRY FELLAS)!! As you become more familiar w/ this site I believe that you will be happy that you purchased from one of these guys! Good luck and welcome back!! Fat Kat
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KI4MSJ
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Just turning the radio on won't hurt it, just don't key up the radio. As far as antennas go... The Imax-2000 is pretty hot and cheap at around $65.00-$85.00 it is a .65 wave antenna. You could spend some more money and go with a I-10K but, your looking at around $300.00. As far as meters go, it seems to be personnel preference. You will need to get some coax and coax jumpers. Good luck
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DaveinKC
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Pocono Redneck
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I second the IMAX 2000---(now called just MAX 2000) -- Get the Ground Plane Kit too and you won't need to worry about TVI and stuff according to my experience with it so far. It's worth the extra 40 bucks. Radioactiveradio.com offers them along with high quality coax. Michael and staff are quite helpful and easy to deal with.
Have Fun!
Have Fun!
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Tech307
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KI4MSJ
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KW KID
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Don't bother with the sigma 4. Its too ugly/heavy/long vs. gain. I did a test back to back vs. a 5/8 wave and it was only less than .25 S unit better. Even the A99 vs. 5/8 was only 2/3S unit difference.
An A99 10 feet higher than a sigma will make up the difference, because height above ground makes more of a difference than the antenna difference does.
An A99 without a ground plane is very nice astetically.
Where in So cal are you!! I'm in Orange county!
An A99 10 feet higher than a sigma will make up the difference, because height above ground makes more of a difference than the antenna difference does.
An A99 without a ground plane is very nice astetically.
Where in So cal are you!! I'm in Orange county!
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fireball894
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MOONSHINER
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KW KID
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I read up on the Imax, and it appears to be a pretty good antenna. Seems to be kinda long though (24 feet!), (A99 is about 17 feet). Here are some good articles to read..
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Antron ......................... average S-6
Imax 2000 .................... average S-8
Hy-Gain 500 Alum 5/8 ... average S-9 to S-9+3dB
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Antron ......................... average S-6
Imax 2000 .................... average S-8
Hy-Gain 500 Alum 5/8 ... average S-9 to S-9+3dB
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lonewolf
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Night Crawler
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JerryH
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I was doing a search and found a place online that was giving out the full specs to build a Mooraker. As I recall, that was one of the best directional antennas around ever (Yagi-based design).
Someone thats a HAM would have no troubles throwing it together in a pleasant afternoon. Now that would be something to do if you had a bit more than a passing interest in CB... otherwise, I would say about any base antenna will do the job for what you would need.
Someone thats a HAM would have no troubles throwing it together in a pleasant afternoon. Now that would be something to do if you had a bit more than a passing interest in CB... otherwise, I would say about any base antenna will do the job for what you would need.
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Shakedown101
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Without a Doubt Aluminum out Performs Fiberglass antennas , One of the best on the market is a Spectrum 1600titan wrote:Is **Sensored** store?
Groundplane ..Commonly referred to as a bicycle wheel antenna , These things hear unbeleivable and handle 2500 long winded watts . I can atest to that .. Dont fail to get the big coax , I prefer RG-213U Mil-Spec coax for the money
The loss of running long runs of the mini coax is too substantial , Go Big and Go Aluminum and You will Go Happy !
Thanks Shakedown 27.025
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KW KID
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I would think then to go with simply the alpha v 5/8 or this antenna, but has anyone compared this one against the alpha V? Do they have the same performance? 7db is optimistic. I think 5/8 is 5/8 and will have the same gain, regardless, which is around 3dbd, or 5-6dbi. That I'm sure, will be the reality of it.Shakedown101 wrote:Without a Doubt Aluminum out Performs Fiberglass antennas , One of the best on the market is a Spectrum 1600titan wrote:Is **Sensored** store?
Groundplane ..Commonly referred to as a bicycle wheel antenna , These things hear unbeleivable and handle 2500 long winded watts . I can atest to that .. Dont fail to get the big coax , I prefer RG-213U Mil-Spec coax for the money
The loss of running long runs of the mini coax is too substantial , Go Big and Go Aluminum and You will Go Happy !
Thanks Shakedown 27.025
In regards to coax, its based on distance, in reality, even at 100ft. loss is still quite low, even with the crappy coaxes...
[Please login or register to view this link] 30 mhz is very low and the advantage is very little loss.
The math says even 100ft of rg58 and using only a 1/2wave antron, vs. a 5/8 + rg213 would be less than 3db difference. Seems not much to worry about, but 3db is equivelent to 1/2 power loss. In other words if you run 100 watts with the good set up, you'll need 200 watts to equal it (tx), not to mention the better receive (max distance which cannot be recovered by any power etc.)
I used to have tons of rg213, and gave it away!! Now I'm on this site, I'll try to hook up members next batch I get!
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Sheriff Bart
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Of course any aluminum antenna will perform better than a fiberglass antenna. The element in the A-99 and Imax 2000 is a 16 ga. stranded c-o-p-p-e-r wire. The elements on an aluminum antenna are 1/2 inch or wider
here's a quote from a link forum member BootyMonster posted in another thread:
So what is the TRUE gain of the Imax 2000? Assuming a .64 wave shunt fed dipole in free space, minus the losses associated with the series capacitance and inductance, and minus the necessary counterpoise, according to my math, the Imax 2000 has 2.9 dBi gain. That is to say, the Imax 2000 has 2.9 dB gain on the horizon over an isotropic radiator. Referenced to a center fed 1/2 wave dipole, which is the industry standard, the Imax 2000 has a gain of 0.8 dB. This could also be stated as 0.8 dBd gain. Although adding the Antron GPK-1 ground plane kit will not add much gain to the Antron 99, the ground plane kit would add significant gain on the horizon for the Imax 2000. A .64 wavelength radiator is much more efficient and will have a much lower angle of radiation (keep the signal down on the horizon instead if wasting it up in the sky) with a proper counterpoise system. Adding the GPK-1 to the Imax 2000 (according to my math and previous .64 wavelength test range plots) will result in a 0.3 dB gain improvement. This will bring the Imax 2000's actual gain up to 3.2 dBi (or 1.1 dBd).
73's
here's a quote from a link forum member BootyMonster posted in another thread:
So what is the TRUE gain of the Imax 2000? Assuming a .64 wave shunt fed dipole in free space, minus the losses associated with the series capacitance and inductance, and minus the necessary counterpoise, according to my math, the Imax 2000 has 2.9 dBi gain. That is to say, the Imax 2000 has 2.9 dB gain on the horizon over an isotropic radiator. Referenced to a center fed 1/2 wave dipole, which is the industry standard, the Imax 2000 has a gain of 0.8 dB. This could also be stated as 0.8 dBd gain. Although adding the Antron GPK-1 ground plane kit will not add much gain to the Antron 99, the ground plane kit would add significant gain on the horizon for the Imax 2000. A .64 wavelength radiator is much more efficient and will have a much lower angle of radiation (keep the signal down on the horizon instead if wasting it up in the sky) with a proper counterpoise system. Adding the GPK-1 to the Imax 2000 (according to my math and previous .64 wavelength test range plots) will result in a 0.3 dB gain improvement. This will bring the Imax 2000's actual gain up to 3.2 dBi (or 1.1 dBd).
73's
