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M400 STARDUSTER OWNERS: Poll & Info please.

I'm assuming I burned the coil in it. My SWR jumped to 3+ and I found nothing wrong with anything but the antenna as I am still using the same coax and all with the Imax. I never ran anything over 500 watts into it and the amp wasn't even connected when this happened but it had snowed 2-3 days earlier before this happened and snow was melting but no ice was visible on antenna.
 
Bob everything was and is the same except for antenna and the affected speakers where about 75 foot from base of tower. Marconi I have thought about the Gainmaster but I have a tree branch about 30 foot from my antenna and I'm thinking this will affect the GM? I will probably buy another S-2016.

I doubt that branch at 30' will have enough negative impact on the Gainmaster to cause it to perform to the level of the 2016, not that the 2016 isn't a decent antenna.
Even mildly affected by surroundings I would take the Gainmaster over most all others, now that I have been able to try it out for several months.
But I would also be surprised if your 2016 isn't repairable by just taking it down to basic parts, cleaning everything then carefully re-assembling it, making certain to upgrade & modify anything not well designed. I recall reading about that antenna many months ago and they had some problem with some part losing contact with the coil or radiator or something like that.
In a situation with stuff all around I'd go with the Penetrator, if I can't have full 1/4 wave radials I'd go with the Gainmaster.
If both then I guess it's the 2016, but there will be a sacrifice in performance, or an Imax if you can stand the sizzle and static noise.
 
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Bamm Bamm, thank you. I'd love to have that kind of space and a tower of your height to mess with.

Good luck with your situation, I'm sure you'll get it worked out.



Bob everything was and is the same except for antenna and the affected speakers where about 75 foot from base of tower. Marconi I have thought about the Gainmaster but I have a tree branch about 30 foot from my antenna and I'm thinking this will affect the GM? I will probably buy another S-2016.
 
this post about the 827 might help with your 2016 problems

" .... there is a problem with them which nobody on cb forums in the uk ever talks about but virtually everybody local to me has issues with and that is the hubs erode and the antennas go open circuit, they also use dissimilar metals which is a terrible idea, copper coil direct to mickeymouse aluminum hubs ...... "


http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/32232-sirio-vs-imax.html#post129337
 
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My tower used to be my parents tv antenna tower that I took down and refinished it put it up here. Booty Thank you so much for the info I will be taking my 2016 apart in the morning to see what I can find. What do I have to lose? As far as having area to put up my antennas I did have a battle with the HOA when I lived in Illinois and it is why I chose to live where I do now.:whistle:
 
you may want to PM bob85 about your antenna , he may have some tips on doing the job ;)
 
I FIXED IT!!!!!! Although I have no clue as to what I did? I took it apart cleaned everything and very lightly sanded all connections then reassembled and tried it on a piece of pole about 10 foot long with it propped against my porch I had 1.7 on ch #1 and 1.6 on ch #40 I then put a coat of turtle wax on antenna and mounted it back on tower and with 2 trips up tower I have 1.1-1.2 across all 40 channels!(y) Booty thanks again for that post just the pics really helped me out. The Imax has been boxed back up and put under my bed in case it's needed again.
 

Hey all,

Now up until a short time ago, I wouldn't give two thoughts about
a Starduster CB Antenna. In the 70's I laughed and cursed when I saw one of them on someone's house. Well, I was only 13 or 14 years old, what did I know.

I knew they were only 1/4 wave & for years I wouldn't give you a dime for one.
Now, and just like the Astroplane, There are re-issues of these old antennas of yesteryear for sale again claiming 1/2 wave for both with the M400 Starduster coming in at around $48.00 and the Astroplane at about $136.00 or so.

What I would like to know is; how many of you out there have a M400 Starduster CB Re-issue antenna? How does it perform for you? Do you use it for 10 meters? Are you satisfied with it? How far have you talked on it? etc.....

I'm curious and might buy one of these for fun.
I know my thoughts and ideas have changed quite a bit since I was 13 but it seems even more odd to be cursing and laughing at antenna's at 13?
 
BUMP i know its old but i find this thread very interesting .would the moderater
consider putting this in the top part of the antenna section is .by the gain master threads
bob701 are you still using your m-400
 
Both the Original AstroPlane & Merlin 99.9db gain antennas teach us that the top 1/4 wave radiator of a vertical dipole need not be the full 1/4 wave tall in the vertical plane to get reasonably good performance.

If you find you live in one of those CC&R neighborhoods where the most they'll allow is a 12' tall TV only antenna, I have an idea for you.

Simply use a cut-down or small TV antenna to finish the top of a Starduster type center fed vertical dipole made from 12' of gray primer painted PVC in order to look like metal mast supporting the small TV antenna on top.

Use a set of three to four 1/4 wave long "guy wires" ;) soldered to the shield of the coax (running up inside the PVC "mast") about 1/2-2/3 of the way up the painted-to-look-like-metal PVC mast, coming out from inside through small holes drilled in the PVC and coming down at a diagonal angle to form the bottom 1/4 waves (9' on 11m) attached to insulators or tied to Dacron line to the roof guy points.

Now run a wire from the center of the coax up inside the PVC all the way to the top for about 4'-6' of the 9' 1/4 wave you need, connecting to the smallish TV antenna on top to act as a capacitance hat, finishing the top 1/4wl.
-Tune for flat SWR by shortening the top wire length or size of the TV antenna capacitance top hat.

I bet the grid of a "Digital TV" Bow-tie antenna would work great to finish the top of a 5'-6' long wire for the top of an 11m vertical dipole.

Remember, only four 20" long horizontal top hat radials of 1/8" rod replace ~56" of vertical tubing on the top of the original Astroplane.

A full 1/2 of your power is radiating from only the center 1/3 of a Starduster/dipole. 70% of your power from only the first 1/2 of a dipole.

-Should make a decent performing, 'under-the-radar' stealthy 10m, 11m, or 12m antenna, while appearing to be keeping in line with CC&Rs or mobile home park restrictions.

You might also want to run a length of inexpensive 3/8" diameter black plastic tubing down the outside of the fake mast to look like 75ohm TV coax, to fool even those with sharp eyes and suspicious minds. :sneaky2:

You might also want to make some sort of ring at the point where the 1/4 wave radial "Guy wires" exit through the PVC, to look like it's a real guy wire ring around the (PVC) mast. It would be OK to use a metal ring at that point, even joining all 3-4 1/4 wave radial "guy wires" together at that point.

And you can always claim it's just a TV antenna, and that "It can't be MY VOICE you're hearing on your toaster oven, I don't even HAVE a CB antenna!" ;)
 
Both the Original AstroPlane & Merlin 99.9db gain antennas teach us that the top 1/4 wave radiator of a vertical dipole need not be the full 1/4 wave tall in the vertical plane to get reasonably good performance.

If you find you live in one of those CC&R neighborhoods where the most they'll allow is a 12' tall TV only antenna, I have an idea for you.

Simply use a cut-down or small TV antenna to finish the top of a Starduster type center fed vertical dipole made from 12' of gray primer painted PVC in order to look like metal mast supporting the small TV antenna on top.

Use a set of three to four 1/4 wave long "guy wires" ;) soldered to the shield of the coax (running up inside the PVC "mast") about 1/2-2/3 of the way up the painted-to-look-like-metal PVC mast, coming out from inside through small holes drilled in the PVC and coming down at a diagonal angle to form the bottom 1/4 waves (9' on 11m) attached to insulators or tied to Dacron line to the roof guy points.

Now run a wire from the center of the coax up inside the PVC all the way to the top for about 4'-6' of the 9' 1/4 wave you need, connecting to the smallish TV antenna on top to act as a capacitance hat, finishing the top 1/4wl.
-Tune for flat SWR by shortening the top wire length or size of the TV antenna capacitance top hat.

I bet the grid of a "Digital TV" Bow-tie antenna would work great to finish the top of a 5'-6' long wire for the top of an 11m vertical dipole.

Remember, only four 20" long horizontal top hat radials of 1/8" rod replace ~56" of vertical tubing on the top of the original Astroplane.

A full 1/2 of your power is radiating from only the center 1/3 of a Starduster/dipole. 70% of your power from only the first 1/2 of a dipole.

-Should make a decent performing, 'under-the-radar' stealthy 10m, 11m, or 12m antenna, while appearing to be keeping in line with CC&Rs or mobile home park restrictions.

You might also want to run a length of inexpensive 3/8" diameter black plastic tubing down the outside of the fake mast to look like 75ohm TV coax, to fool even those with sharp eyes and suspicious minds. :sneaky2:

You might also want to make some sort of ring at the point where the 1/4 wave radial "Guy wires" exit through the PVC, to look like it's a real guy wire ring around the (PVC) mast. It would be OK to use a metal ring at that point, even joining all 3-4 1/4 wave radial "guy wires" together at that point.

And you can always claim it's just a TV antenna, and that "It can't be MY VOICE you're hearing on your toaster oven, I don't even HAVE a CB antenna!" ;)
lol
 

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