Is This real Or Is It Memorex?

[PhazLockLoop]

Seven large for a 2.1 db gain 25-30 MHz antenna that looks like an IMAX2000 on steroids, is this really worth it? Antennafarm or Commander Technologies won't even tell me if it's a 5/8ths or 1/2 wave antenna. Am I missing something here?

Commander-technologies model #1142 low band base station antenna $699.00 plus an extra $100.00 if you want to receive anything between 25 to 30 MHz.

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Tried to post the link & an image but it's not working.

[MDYoungblood]

Seems to me to be an awful lot of money for a "Big Stick" antenna. Shakespeare listed the "Big Stick" as a commercial antenna for less than half that price but the length made the shipping by truck.

3's

Greg

[PhazLockLoop]

Thanks MDYoungblood, I guess I kinda forgot that Commander builds commercial grade antennas but just how different could the quality of construction & fabrication differ from the IMAX considering the physics of RF technology follow the same principals? I read that fiberglass coating is not durable especially in extreme climates & actually injects noise into the received signal. Since I'm in a subdivision that frowns upon anything larger then the proverbial KU band satellite dishes real metal CB antennas with serious gain are completely off the record. A beam would probably get me 5 to 10 in Supermax. I heard about this Workman Saturn B100 39" antenna but I read that it needs a minimum of 50' of coax to effect a proper ground plane. This all started because we were electrocuting ourselves putting up metal CB antennas near power lines but in 2009 an entire family (Mom, dad & 15 year old son) in Palm Bay Florida got wiped out putting up a metal ham antenna, what? No legislation on the docket addressing that? Okay, moving on, maybe I'll go the concealed flagpole route, thanks for listening.

[MDYoungblood]

If you read up on that antenna it is built for a specific frequency and is probably not very wide banded, that is what you are paying for, the lifespan is only 5 years. I think the same material is used in the Solarcon and Antron antennas, mass producing makes them cheaper.
The Saturn antenna is no more than a 3ft NGP FireStik inside a big tube, very narrow banded, there are posts about them in the forum. There are several all aluminum antennas with little or no ground planes, you could look through the forum's sponsors, DNJ for one carries the Sirio brand.
Yes I remember the reason fiberglass antennas became the CB thing, 50+ people a year getting fired but not all were installing CB antennas.

3's

Greg

[The DB]

I read that fiberglass coating is not durable especially in extreme climates & actually injects noise into the received signal.

Some fiberglass CB antennas are up for a decade or more before maintenance/checking on them.

Also, it isn't actually the fiberglass that is increasing the receive noise. Yes, a lot of fiberglass CB antennas, namely the highly popular a99 and imax antennas have this problem, however, most of that noise isn't actually caused by the predence of the fiberglass itself but a weakness elsewhere in the antenna. It just so happens that these two antennas have the same weakness and fiberglass.

I heard about this Workman Saturn B100 39" antenna but I read that it needs a minimum of 50' of coax to effect a proper ground plane.

This antenna is flawed on every level. They are trying to use coax to compensate for lack of proper antenna design. Essentially, they are using losses in coax to make a very bad match appear better to the radio than it really is. Avoid it like the plague.


The DB

[PhazLockLoop]

Thanks loads guys for the info, I like the Sirio Gainmaster, ugly as sin but no radials. Now if I could fit that into an RF transparent PVC tube & tie a flag to the top my life would be complete.

[milkman21218]

Put a A-99 or I-Max into the PVC tube. Attach a Flag. And get on the air. You may want to add Bury-Flex type of coax if it comes in contact with the soil.

[pabxone]

If you can hold off for a few months these new antenna's should be available in the USA this year .
http://www.president-electron ... EF=AFFM316

Most likely thru https://president-electronics.us/

[PhazLockLoop]

Sorry guys it took so long to respond, flagpoles are not allowed where I'm moving but the HOA manager said a 38" Ku band sat dish is okay & one AM/FM/TV OTA antenna no higher then 10' above the roofline is okay so any CB vertical stick a/k/a FM vertical base antenna is good to go as long as I mount it on a mast mounted in the ground, I've done that stuff before so I'm good. President Electronics is in Naples so maybe one day I'll drive down there & check those antennas out. I wish A/S still made that Super Scanner Antenna. I'd even DIY one if the plans were around. Everybody have a happy weekend.