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Solid State amplifiers have many advantages, and yes, the PEP figures for both transistors and tubes alike, can be 4-5 times higher than the RMS figures quoted by manufacture specs. They don't recommend or warrant them beyond those levels is all. The reason Hams use tube amplifiers is because...

This may seem like an obvious solution, but often the external speaker jacks can short out, which would cause the internal speaker to disable. You may want to see what happens when you connect an external speaker, and try playing with the jack.

Doctor master is correct. The 468/F formula you quoted is always going to be 5-10% too short, because it's a formula for making a halfwave dipole with a 50 ohm impedance. The true half wave resonance is more like 473/F, and a full sized dipole would have closer to a 70 ohm impedance. The...

Yes, a full wave element can be better only if you stack two half wave antennas on top (.64 elements is best though) on top of each other, or if you shorten its vertical/horizontal size, by forming a quad or loop shaped design. A full wave vertical antenna, would have less gain than a 5/8th wave...

Give up on the quarter wave concept.. Get you a larger antenna from Jay or Mr. Coily. There is very few situations when a quarter wave will have better signal than a 5/8th wave to .64 wavelength antenna.

Are you planning on stacking them vertically (one on top of another) or side by side? There is pattern differences between each. I would say vertical stacking would be the easiest, as you would need a very strong horizontal mast to keep the seperation length right.

If you add the radials (or ground plane kit) to an IMAX 2000, that would be your best bet for under $150.00. Solarcon does skimp on their part quality, but the truth is, if you have an IMAX 2000 next to a Maco 5/8th wave, what little difference you see, is in the IMAX 2000 favor. A gamma match...

Big Hair doesn't make antennas anymore, unfortunately. I know a few who had them, and they kicked @ass!!! There is a few guys in Ohio and Indiana that has some, and a guy in New York that beats up the superbowl with one. At one time, he was making them for free or charged for the parts only. I...

Have you ever tried erecting and installing the Laser 500? Now imagine that difficulty times 3! Stacking creates a lot of extra windload, and chances are you'll also have to upgrade your tower setup to hold it.

Why use either, with the newer transistor replacements out today.. There is kits to mod them to even older radio models, and I've seen cobra 29LTDs with 35 watts plus swing with them!!!

You can't deny one thing, Dave was a great innovator of higher performance boxes and antennas.. I have never seen vacuum capacitors used on a mobile antenna before, which is something very different. Vacuum capacitors have a higher efficiency and handle much more power. I would of just made...

Moleculo, yes that's a good example at an affordable price. There is many makers for them though.. If one is cheap, than should at least coil the coax to create at least a coax choke.

This was mentioned on another thread, but Big Hair Antennas are the only antennas I have seen that has made a "true" collinear. Meaning, a 5/8th wave over a 1/4wave isn't what I would call a collinear at all, but more for marketing. Even Antron claims it's a 1/2 wave over a quarter wave...

A coax choke is far better than not using any choke (or un-un) at all. Most CB antennas don't use any type of balun whatsoever, and is a culprit of much or our TVI and other forms of radio interference exist today. If you have the money, using a real choke with "toroids" or beads with the right...

The Quad or "Loop" is a full wave, however it isn't a vertically linear full wave, but rather a "closed" circuit design, so it's a little different than having a full wave antenna that is straight vertical. Both sides of the coax are terminated into this antenna. Meaning, Half of the full wave's...

If you are trying to get over a mountain, your Vertical "E-plane" is the problem, not the H-plane. Although the beam may intensify your signal in one direction, it sounds like you would be better off raising the antenna higher off the ground. Hopefully you're at a distant far enough from the...

5/8wave over a quarter wave isn't what I call a true Collinear! Actually, any 5/8th wave with quarter wave radials can call itself a collinear, if that's the case.. Antron claims a half wave over a quarter wave, which is even more silly. A true collinear, meaning 2 x 5/8 waves stacked! Big...

Davemade came up with some high quality designs, but those that have taken over his designs, often know only how to replicate them, and very little about actuall radio theory and principals. I will state though, Xforce, Fatboy, and Davemade alike, still build the best amplifiers around, so you...

This can give you more "pep" or swing, if you keep the dead key low. Meaning the dead key would need to draw less amperage, to give the alternate enough room to charge the capacitor while keyed, then when you modulate, t he capacitor would store enough, to maintain higher voltage.. How...

Can you open a window, and hang an antenna out of it at least? There is a ham antenna setup, where it clamps on a window seal. You would have to retune it to 11 meters, but I believe it comes with instructions on how to tune it for 10 meters (which is very close).