11 meter is very quiet?

[Brother DXer]

Wow! You are WAY out there, my friend! I'll tune in when I get home and listen for you.

Edit:
Well, unfortunately I didn't hear anyone on USB 40 this afternoon. I did call out several times, within a 2 hour period.

 

[Eldorado828]

Came home this evening with a childish excitement to work some dx through the new antenna and conditions are zilch. Oh well, we'll try again tomorrow.

 

[TM86]

Had to drive today, so I turned on the radio. This morning was a contact with 010 in Wyoming. This evening was WRO-317 in Missouri. Heard a lot of others, and may have one or two more try to come back to me, but the conditions were in and out at best.

 

[unit_399]

Where did you drive to and back ??

 

[TM86]

Where did you drive to and back ??

From Payson to Chandler, AZ. Takes about 90 minutes one way.

 

[FlyBoy50]

Radio was crap yesterday and looks like that today. Thank god for projects. Looks like next week is antenna adjust time along with Cobalt body work time. Never a dull moment around here.

 

[unit_399]

Never a dull moment here too, FB.
I will be on the air around 11AM EST today on 37LSB. DX has picked up a lot the past two days, and I hope it continues to get stronger. If you WDX guys want to try and hook up Call for me on 27.445 LSB. I'll monitor that freq. 73

- J.J. 399

 

[Eldorado828]

was that 2016 heavy? my 2008 is heavy ruggedly built too

It's built well, especially the bottom section and by that I meaning the mounting plate, coil and bottom tube. From there up It's a typical aluminum antenna. I modified mine to rid of those cheesy plastic sleeves with screws and cut slits to cinch it up with clamps. As far as the aluminum tubing, I don’t see it as any thicker or heavier than the sigma silver rod it replaced. As a whole, the sigma failed on the bottom section where the 2016 is beefier so when the windy season comes it will prove itself out.

I still have a maco v58 stored in the attic and so far the aluminum tubing on it has been noticeably thicker walled and heavier than anything imported I've bought.

Fyi, the v58 broke on the bottom right above the insulator where one wouldn't expect. At that time (Circa 2009) the man at maco was so surprised that he had me ship it to him so he could investigate and shipped me back a new bottom section. I have yet to ever put that antenna back up so it's a backup for some other day.
Maco is definitely top shelf to deal with, excellent customer service back then, and probably still today.

 

[Recon]

Same here. I've made contacts all over the world with the a99. We have a local who had a qso with a guy in NY while using a handheld. It's all about conditions.
Local is different, but I still easily get 20 miles with the a99, 36 feet up, and our elevation around 2000 ft. Local depends more on your terrain.

Short skip again today. I'll take it! lol...

Almost daily between 0430 and 0800, I've been talking with a nice group of guys on Ch. 30 AM in Orlando, Daytona Beach, Tampa Bay and a few other cities and towns. One person has a A-99 and he installed the Ground Plane Kit after using the stock antenna for a month or two and he has noticed an improvement in the receive.

 

[Brother DXer]

Almost daily between 0430 and 0800, I've been talking with a nice group of guys on Ch. 30 AM in Orlando, Daytona Beach, Tampa Bay and a few other cities and towns. One person has a A-99 and he installed the Ground Plane Kit after using the stock antenna for a month or two and he has noticed an improvement in the receive.

I have the GP kit and use it. I figure it's going to help, or not. What it's NOT going to do is hurt.

After having two up in the air at the same time, one with and one without, I do believe it helps. IMHO
73

 

[Recon]

I have the GP kit and use it. I figure it's going to help, or not. What it's NOT going to do is hurt.

After having two up in the air at the same time, one with and one without, I do believe it helps. IMHO
73

Receive and Transmit?

 

[Brother DXer]

Receive and Transmit?

Yes Sir.

Edit: I will say I've never noticed a difference in the receive. I've never had a problem with the receive with this antenna. The difference I noticed was in TX.

But, if there's such a minimal difference, does it really mater? Just thinking out loud.....

 

[Recon]

Yes Sir.

Edit: I will say I've never noticed a difference in the receive. I've never had a problem with the receive with this antenna. The difference I noticed was in TX.

But, if there's such a minimal difference, does it really mater? Just thinking out loud.....

My friend / 14-mile away neighbor has an "old but goody" A-99 and he has been considering adding the kit.

 

[Brother DXer]

My friend / 14-mile away neighbor has an "old but goody" A-99 and he has been considering adding the kit.

That's like a coin-toss there. My GP kit came with the antenna, so I had nothing to lose, regardless of the opinion I have now.

 

[Rwb]

It's built well, especially the bottom section and by that I meaning the mounting plate, coil and bottom tube. From there up It's a typical aluminum antenna. I modified mine to rid of those cheesy plastic sleeves with screws and cut slits to cinch it up with clamps. As far as the aluminum tubing, I don’t see it as any thicker or heavier than the sigma silver rod it replaced. As a whole, the sigma failed on the bottom section where the 2016 is beefier so when the windy season comes it will prove itself out.

I still have a maco v58 stored in the attic and so far the aluminum tubing on it has been noticeably thicker walled and heavier than anything imported I've bought.

Fyi, the v58 broke on the bottom right above the insulator where one wouldn't expect. At that time (Circa 2009) the man at maco was so surprised that he had me ship it to him so he could investigate and shipped me back a new bottom section. I have yet to ever put that antenna back up so it's a backup for some other day.
Maco is definitely top shelf to deal with, excellent customer service back then, and probably still today.

i had

It's built well, especially the bottom section and by that I meaning the mounting plate, coil and bottom tube. From there up It's a typical aluminum antenna. I modified mine to rid of those cheesy plastic sleeves with screws and cut slits to cinch it up with clamps. As far as the aluminum tubing, I don’t see it as any thicker or heavier than the sigma silver rod it replaced. As a whole, the sigma failed on the bottom section where the 2016 is beefier so when the windy season comes it will prove itself out.

I still have a maco v58 stored in the attic and so far the aluminum tubing on it has been noticeably thicker walled and heavier than anything imported I've bought.

Fyi, the v58 broke on the bottom right above the insulator where one wouldn't expect. At that time (Circa 2009) the man at maco was so surprised that he had me ship it to him so he could investigate and shipped me back a new bottom section. I have yet to ever put that antenna back up so it's a backup for some other day.
Maco is definitely top shelf to deal with, excellent customer service back then, and probably still today.

i had a tree limb break and hit my 2008 at first sleeve . it did repairable damage. its fixed back up working fine.
from that limb any woulda broke. but they are darn decent antennas recieve and tx