Better Base Antenna... A99 or PT99, or similar?

[RonCalCity]

Getting back into this after 40+ years. Building up my radio room. Which antenna? I seem to feel the A99 is better. Or is there another(s)?
I live in the desert, no antenna restrictions, but I also trying to budget a little as I'm retired now.

 

[c316buckeye]

if budget, pt99. works good. check craigslist or that facebook for people selling complete packages or giving away towers.

 

[kopcicle]

Post in thread 'A99 question'

Sep 14, 2017

[disclaimer]
I provide the following link and it's content for information purposes for those that are in any way curious. That my experience with the A99/Imax2k and their clones mirrors that of W8JI, Tom Rauch is coincidental, or not ...
[/disclaimer]

https://www.w8ji.com/end-fed_vertical.htm#IMAX

[opinion]
Anyone interested in furthering their education in radio communication should bookmark his pages. The answers to many questions regularly asked here are within Tom's pages.
[/opinion]

"
Most of the radiation is up in the sky at a high angle. The angle is...

• kopcicle

• 

 

[kopcicle]

 

[kopcicle]

@RonCalCity Joo Havs Mail

 

[kopcicle]

@AudioShockwav , Jeff you do know I'm not going to bash the A99 without helping ....

 

[AudioShockwav]

W

@AudioShockwav , Jeff you do know I'm not going to bash the A99 without helping ....

I know we can count on you.

73
Jeff

 

[kopcicle]

He's now well on his way if not confused by W8JI's OCFD page.

 

[Eldorado828]

Getting back into this after 40+ years. Building up my radio room. Which antenna? I seem to feel the A99 is better. Or is there another(s)?
I live in the desert, no antenna restrictions, but I also trying to budget a little as I'm retired now.

A sirio 2008, sirio 2016, maco v58, workman w58 are all 5/8 wave ground planes that will give you an improvement over your choices mentioned. There are more but these should get you ballpark to the price range you're looking at.

 

[dave457]

Sirio Gain master

 

[Eldorado828]

Sirio Gain master

The gainmaster is solid too but with that one you'll have some power restrictions. If i recall it handles about 500 watts.

 

[sp5it]

Sirio 2016

 

[G-Golly Wally]

Getting back into this after 40+ years. Building up my radio room. Which antenna? I seem to feel the A99 is better. Or is there another(s)?
I live in the desert, no antenna restrictions, but I also trying to budget a little as I'm retired now.

I had an A99 years ago, I was happy with it. But if you go home brew the co phased ground plan in my opinion talks and receives circles around my old A99, I don't know about the other antennas mentioned ive never owned one of those. You can get plans from Mower Junkie on U Tube, and go as cheap or expensive as you want. But if you go SS 102 whips for antenna and ground radials it's not cheap, but i promise you won't regret it.

 

[Brother DXer]

The gainmaster is solid too but with that one you'll have some power restrictions. If i recall it handles about 500 watts.

I agree. The Sirio Gainmaster 5/8 is a great antenna and this is what I use when running my 200 watt RCI 99N2 and my 60/70 watt radios. Excelent antenna, and I can't say enough good things about it.

But.... I can't use it with my new setup. I believe it would melt. I've been using the a99 that I've had for several years, but yesterday I ordered a Sirio 2016 to replace it with.

And I should add: The 2016 was 150ish and the Gainmaster is close to two bills.

 

[RonCalCity]

I had an A99 years ago, I was happy with it. But if you go home brew the co phased ground plan in my opinion talks and receives circles around my old A99, I don't know about the other antennas mentioned ive never owned one of those. You can get plans from Mower Junkie on U Tube, and go as cheap or expensive as you want. But if you go SS 102 whips for antenna and ground radials it's not cheap, but i promise you won't regret it.