10/12 meter vertical

[Radio75]

OK, it will be awhile before I can get my LP fixed and back on the tower so I am searching for a vertical I can put up there for now.

I would like something without ground radials, or something with shortened ground radials since there is a tree branch I have to get through to get the antenna the 60 foot level. (above the tree line)

Years ago I had an Antron 99 and was not very impressed with it.
I have read comments on the Imax 2000 and am considering that one, but I have no idea if it will work acceptably well on 12 meters. And about the Sirio antennas, I would rather stick with aluminum, but again, have no idea which models would be a good compromise for both 10 and 12 meters.

Anyone out there using one of these antennas for 10/12 care to enlighten me?

TIA
Greg

 

[longhaireddwb]

I use a W58 made by workman. It is just as good as the Imax-2000 but cost less. They can be had for around 75 bucks shipped! And if you look at a few sites that carry both antennas you will see that they both look the same. I have mine tuned to 10 meters, and its close enough for 11 meters with a transceiver switch to the 11 meter radio and then use a tuner for 12 threw 20. Yes I sad 20 meters. Does a pretty good job on 10 threw 20. Or 20 threw 10 is the right way to put it.

Good luck.

 

[Wire Weasel]

The Imax will be a very good choice for you. I use one and am very happy with it. They offer a separate ground plane kit for it but it is not necessary to use the thing at all. The Imax's will come out of the box center tuned for 11 meters but they are EASILY tuned all over 10 and down to 12. They will also tune down to 15 meters too. Any HF rig's internal tuner will work or any reasonable outboard tuner will do the job just fine. I'm using an MFJ 969 tuner - no problems.

Good luck!

 

[Radio75]

I use a W58 made by workman. It is just as good as the Imax-2000 but cost less.

Good luck.

Thanks, but I can't get that thing through the tree branches with those 9 foot ground radials. Can't trim the tree until spring either.
:headbang

 

[Radio75]

The Imax will be a very good choice for you. I use one and am very happy with it. They offer a separate ground plane kit for it but it is not necessary to use the thing at all. The Imax's will come out of the box center tuned for 11 meters but they are EASILY tuned all over 10 and down to 12. They will also tune down to 15 meters too. Any HF rig's internal tuner will work or any reasonable outboard tuner will do the job just fine. I'm using an MFJ 969 tuner - no problems.

Good luck!

Thanks Weasel, I was wondering about that. I have a FT-450AT, and a MFJ989D so getting the xmitter happy should be no problem. I was thinking the Imax 2K would be electrically long enough to be close to a quarter wavelength on 12.

 

[Wire Weasel]

Thanks Weasel, I was wondering about that. I have a FT-450AT, and a MFJ989D so getting the xmitter happy should be no problem. I was thinking the Imax 2K would be electrically long enough to be close to a quarter wavelength on 12.

Well it's going to be not far off from 5/8. It is 5/8 on 10 and 11 and 12 is just right down the road.

 

[wavrider]

Roughly 25 feet for a 5/8 wl on 12 meters give or take.

If you are going to tune it with an external tuner or the internal one on the rig.

23 feet of vertical tubing direct feed with a current balun, ugly choke at the feed point.

I am running that and can tune it from 20 through 10 with the atu in the rig.

Works ok on 20m nothing to brag about performance wise , works darn good on 15 through 10.

Your mast will act as a counterpoise to some effect. The vertical radiating element is isolated from ground , goes with out saying as no matching device or network is in this vertical.

 

[Radio75]

Roughly 25 feet for a 5/8 wl on 12 meters give or take.

23 feet of vertical tubing direct feed with a current balun, ugly choke at the feed point.

I am running that and can tune it from 20 through 10 with the atu in the rig.

1:1 current balun?

 

[wavrider]

Yes current is what I used. It is what I had in the shack at the time.

The goal was to keep CMC off of the coax.

The antenna is not a balanced antenna, no ground planes are, but the balun in theory is supposed to keep the coax from becoming part of the antenna.

An ugly choke or Rf choke will do the same thing,

 

[W5LZ]

What's your lowest band of interest? Use that antenna and a tuner for the higher bands, a very common way of doing it. Will it work well on those higher bands? I wouldn't say it would work 'well', but it'd certainly be as usable as a shorter antenna on a lower band and be 'easier' on that tuner (less inductance required).
- 'Doc

 

[Radio75]

What's your lowest band of interest? Use that antenna and a tuner for the higher bands, a very common way of doing it. Will it work well on those higher bands? I wouldn't say it would work 'well', but it'd certainly be as usable as a shorter antenna on a lower band and be 'easier' on that tuner (less inductance required).
- 'Doc

Ya Doc, I have a G5RV that works very well on the lower bands.
I am thinking of going even cheaper and getting a Workman Bandit II which is basically an A99 with a 2KW power handling capability. Or should I say, stated 2KW power handling. I only run about 700 watts, so should be OK.