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Hi All, I hope all is well and was hoping to get some feedback from the forum for a new antenna project I am working on. I've been attempting to learn all I can about vertical collinear antennas and the various methods of loading and phasing them. I want to avoid a jpole design due to the...

Alright folks...got some updates for you all! I was really inspired by the various comments and was compelled to hook up the receiver (25LTD Classic) output into the line-in jack of my laptop and take some actual measurements of the audio spectrum in real-time under varying scenarios...

Thanks for all of the prompt replies to the thread thus far. I'm under no illusions about the fact that hardware bottlenecks are in play with this setup. I realize true broadcast grade audio is a pipe dream with this radio. However, there is certainly a significant room for improvement from...

Hi All! I've been an avid Audio/Video junkie for decades now. The last time I was into the radio hobby, I was a middle-schooler without any type of discerning ear as far as audio quality is concerned. Heck, back then I naively assumed that one can judge the quality of an audio system based...

Hi All, A couple of updates for everyone on this thread. I was able to trim the dipoles to resonance. To broaden the bandwidth a bit while maintaining low SWR, I recently acquired a MFJ-941e antenna tuner and put it inline. The results are excellent. I can tune it to a perfect 1:1 match...

Hi Everyone! I never could have predicted just how great the responses have been to this particular thread. Thanks so much for all of the valuable insights on the topic. I wanted to share an update with you all that is part of another thread I recently posted with some relevance to this...

Well I couldn't quite wait, so I went ahead and gave it a go. There appears to be no negative interaction between the two antennas despite their proximity. I suppose if they were actually co-phased, it would be another story (and likely a disaster). The only problem is, I cut the dipoles to...

Awesome! The experimenter in me simply has to find out. I think I will lower the mast this weekend and hook up the inverted V. You're correct in that ultimately trying things out is the only proper way to address the question at-hand. Thanks for the input.

I wanted to get some thoughts as to a proposal. I built a 2-element fan-dipole with one element tuned for 11-meter use and the other for 10-meter use. While my 1/2 wave vertical (A99) works quite well for both local and dx contacts on both bands, I would like to have the option available to...

What I wonder about that BigHair colinear 5/8 over 5/8 antenna is how the hell can that thing be self supporting? Just dealing with an 18' A99, I see the fiberglass elements flapping all around and transferring that energy down the mast. I can't imagine a 50' tall stacked 5/8 CB antenna that...

As a follow up to my previous post, I think "Big Hair" of BigHairAntennas.com is onto something with his custom built "half-wave over quarter wave" antenna. He suggests it is superior to a standard A99 because it actually has a quarter wave section on the bottom (in the form of radials it would...

I wonder if you were to cut open the A99 and uncoil the matching coil if it would equal 1/4 wavelength with the short coax stub factored in. In essence, the A99 would be like an improved jpole, where it uses a 1/4 wave tuning "stub" of sorts to drive the 1/2 wave element, but that 1/4 wave stub...

While doing research prior to my recent post, I inadvertently came across the original patent for the variable mutual transductance tuning system that forms the heart of the A99. Interesting read and quite a bit of detail present. I can't quite interpret everything present with my...

Good insights HomerBB. This leads me to another thought process on this antenna altogether... I keep thinking about the description of the A99 in marketing literature, which refers to it as a "half-wave over quarter-wave variable mutual transductance tuned antenna". We've already...

Hi All! I haven't replied to my original topic in some time, so I figured it was about time for an update. There are some new developments in my obsessive-compulsive pursuits of antenna perfection with the A99. First, I couldn't help myself...I had to implement some of the concepts that...

Awesome! That looks quite sturdy to me. Is that from the actual GPK-1 ground plane kit or is that from another manufacturer?

Great feedback, thank you! I based my 8-turn 8" diameter choke on the "8-8" rule described here: RF Choke Coil - K3DAV - Amateur Radio Operator However, choke dimensions for 11-meter seem to be one of the most disputed topics out there (much like the A99 and a ground plane). I read so many...

Hi Lil'Yeshua, I would love to put an MRJ-259 on there and see what is going on. If only I owned one! I am such an OCD-freak though when it comes to constantly tweaking the antenna, the feedline, the mast, the radio, the amp, etc. that an MRJ-259 would be a dangerous investment lol...

I don't particularly like it, but no need to be sorry :wink:. I don't like that explanation because it simply doesn't adequately describe the situation. The fact is, feed-line isolation should have already been addressed. Prior to even going down the "radial road", I already had an 8-turn...

My knowledge of antenna theory is just fine. Your knowledge of the topic at-hand is clearly challenged. What do cross-polarization losses have to do with anything remotely relevant to this discussion? I'm talking about the effects of adding radials to the Solarcon A99. The base antenna is...