WorldwideDX Amateur Radio Forums

Hi Simon,

How about adding a few links to those explanatory Gainmaster videos?

ShackPix - Shacks, Rigs, Antennas, QSL Cards, Audio and Video, 11M and HAM Bands

ShackPix - Shacks, Rigs, Antennas, QSL Cards, Audio and Video, 11M and HAM Bands

Here are the links to the photos the guy posted

73s Simon

http://shortwaves11.webs.com/myantennas.htm

And another video the guy made with SWR shown. I emailed him now 2 times about the antenna and ZERO reply

73s Simon

Simon, I notice this station is testing RX in sideband mode and according to most of my critics...this makes all results invalid. I don't have any problem seeing and understanding the differences I see on his radio, even if I don't see such differences using my GM compared to some other antennas I have.
For the last year I've had the GM up to compare against my Starduster that is about 8' feet lower to the tip, and they do me about the same...with first one then the other typically showing an insignificant difference in signal.

Do you have any idea about how the height of his GMx vs. the 827 compared in this test?

Thanks for the post and good luck.

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Hey Eddie,

Much to my chagrin, a local guy Jack (625) erected a new Gainmaster in place of his Imax2000 on a 36' push-up mast in his field and with non-metallic guy line and has seen no difference in performance.

Perhaps there are bad heights for the balanced design of the Gainmaster? Or perhaps he lives in a relative hole where he does not benefit from the lower TOA?

It sure was a disappointment to those of us who expected improvement, which he does have considering the superior strength of construction of the Gainmaster, and lack of bending to a 90 degree Imax angle in the wind!

Interesting the differences in comparative performance relative to each Gainmaster installation.

Without stating what would seem to be the obvious unless I'm missing something, a 5/8 wavelength antenna would show no more advantage over a similar antenna when the TOA is the only thing of issue with each one. As I understand it, the maximum advantage would be in the far field contacts of many miles out, and/or for DX, and we know DX is a fickle mistress where testing is concerned.
For consistently measurable nearer contacts even a 1/4 wavelength antenna has long been at the advantage locally due to its higher TOA. One should not be surprised if a drop in meter readings was reported locally when a longer antenna with lower TOA is put up. . .
I think being able to consistently report measurable advantages of one over the other beyond modeling differences will never happen. All of the reasons we use longer wavelength antennas are because of our quest for greater gain to the horizon that gives us better contacts (hopefully) into distances where conditions are simply uncontrollable: between us and the distances we are aiming at with very low TOA are too many variables to think of.
It's been said before better than I just did . . .
Nevertheless, I am awaiting the results of this poor man's GM anxiously.

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But such was NOT the case here. When I compared it to my Imax I saw well over an S unit of gain to a local station only about 9 miles away, as well as a db or so over the 22 1/2 foot metal 5/8 and we have higher ground by at least 100' between us.
They were mounted at 1/8 wave length higher than Jack's 36', at about 41'.

I wonder what height Marconi's Gainmaster is?

i don't subscribe to the (a 5/8 is a 5/8) idea, thats not what our none scientific tests and everyday use at multiple locations show,
the gainmaster on a 14ft pole eats the imax on the same pole to some stations in the area,
similar differences are seen comparing say imax to i-10k,
some folk report their gainmaster beats their full size 5/8, some even say it equals the vector and others see the vector ahead,
for me the gm is almost as good as the i-10k but behind the vector hybrid,
the vector current maxima has a 6ft or so height advantage over any of the 5/8waves and that for sure goes some way towards its advantage.

i don't believe for a minute that the differences experienced are purely down to the antennas, the pole/feedline and surroundings are in the equation.

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tom bearden taught me that quantum entanglement allows thought to travell faster than the speed of light, this explains why at first you can think somebody is smart but if you wait a while you will see they are not very bright at all.