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CB Base Antenna

X10 is a good correction factor for dollars then to now. More accurate than not.

$1 minimum wage then. $10 now?

Given that taxes, insurance (plus medical & education) cost far more today than inflation accounts alone, plus overhead increases like Internet access, etc, X10 is low in some instances.

Your wages against productivity have been cut in half since then as well.
Except if it were made today, it would be made in China. And still be 10x as much and a whole lot less quality to boot........
 
Funny coincidence: I had the Archer 1/2 wave first, too. It was adequate, but that .64 did circles around it. There were a few other CB antennas - including a Starduster, an Astro-Plane and an Archer 1/4 wave - in the neighborhood. None performed anywhere near as well, and the base of mine was only about 12' off of the ground.

When I got the .64, I went out and bought the stainless steel version of every bolt, nut, washer and screw the antenna's build called for and I had to install. All was good until my .64 got hit by lightning.

My antennas way back when:
Radio Shack Archer 1/2 wave
Hy-Gain CLR2
Antenna Specialists Super Scanner
Avanti Astroplane
Avanti Astrobeam

Those were the good ol' days. :)
 
My antennas way back when:
Radio Shack Archer 1/2 wave
Hy-Gain CLR2
Antenna Specialists Super Scanner
Avanti Astroplane
Avanti Astrobeam

Those were the good ol' days. :)

I'm impressed. That was some antenna farm. :)

From your list of antennas, which antenna do you feel was the best overall performer.
 
I have an original Avanti AstroPlane I bought from a man who's father in-law passed, who bought new in the 70s and never installed it. It was still in the unopened box. Got it for $150. I had it up at the old place took it down when I moved. Put up an imax at the new place. I like the AP better. Hoping to get it back in the air soon.
 
I'm impressed. That was some antenna farm. :)

From your list of antennas, which antenna do you feel was the best overall performer.

Only had one at a time. The Astrobeam was the best. Lightweight (but durable) and could be turned with an inexpensive TV rotor. Loved it. (y)
 
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https://www.w8ji.com/windom_off_center_fed.htm
https://sites.google.com/view/kn9b/guanella-current-balun
Curiously there is a very broad resonance between 27 and 28.4 MHz.
hairpin matched 5/8 vertical http://ehpes.com/n6mw/HairpinArticleFix.pdf
70cm, Collinear Antenna From Coax
http://www.rason.org/Projects/collant/collant.htm
This can be scaled up for 11m if you have tall trees.
4 1/4 wave whips. 1 vertical and three ground plane. This is fed with RG-11 (go figure)
Not many people have 300+ feet they can use for a broadside array but ... (PM for details)
The "smokestack" . A bit less than 9' on an insulator on a tin roof . 3-4" diameter gives you very wide bandwidth and the traditional cap/cover gives you a bit of capacitive hat.
 
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The posting I referenced was on 28 JAN 2009. Maybe the aluminum radial hubs on the current 2016 antennas have a coating to prevent the erosion. I do not understand the comment; "the hubs erode and the antennas go open circuit". The top of my I-MAX 2000 is 49 feet from the ground with 50' of RG213 coax and an SWR of 1.3 to 1.4. I'll stay with the I-MAX 2000 until I feel as though I need a better antenna, but I would like to stay clear of antennas with wound coils. When I was seventeen (1966), CB antennas were not as complicated as today. I had priorities and a small budget for hobbies.......lol...lol! Most guys had the standard $15.00 ground plane from Lafayette Radio in my home town.
Actually both the I Max and the Antron 99 have coils in the matching section in the bottom of the antenna, they are inside the fiberglass.
73
Jeff
 

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