Aluminum ground plane

[Sonwatcher]

My aluminum groundplane seems to have a problem in the loading coil. I'm guessing a loose solder joint. The problem is that it is surrounded by a plastic tube. Has anyone ever had to get into one ? If so how did you salvage it after cutting into the enclosure ? My antenna is an A/S ASPB-350 . It has a loading coil similar to the A/S Super Magnum-

 

[MisterFatty]

Quite honestly, They always ended up in the parts heap, I know they were repairable, I had a few friends that successfully cut them up, redid, and used a few more years.

I unfortunately never bothered, was always much easier to spend the $45 bucks on a new Penetrator, or Sigma.

I would suggest just tear it apart in the least destructive manner possible. Once it is apart, salvage what you can, and improvise the rest, you have much better selection of materials now to repair it with.

Perhaps someone with direct experience on that antenna will step up..

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

you could also scrap the coil tuning but stil use the verticle and ground elements with a tuning ring similar to a maco .

http://home.att.net/~wizardoz/cbmw/antenna_fabri.html#vert

 

[regencycb]

ASP350 repair

My aluminum groundplane seems to have a problem in the loading coil. I'm guessing a loose solder joint. The problem is that it is surrounded by a plastic tube. Has anyone ever had to get into one ? If so how did you salvage it after cutting into the enclosure ? My antenna is an A/S ASPB-350 . It has a loading coil similar to the A/S Super Magnum-


Take the antenna of of its mounting pole /pipe. Take the mounting bracket off from the coil/element. There are two u bolts and possibly two bolts that hold the two halves of the mounting bracket together. The nut on the so 239 connector also should be removed be careful not to strip it. after you have taken these steps , you can slide the insulator and plastic cover upward to expose the coil inside some of these have glue on the inside. The other method is to break the plastic tube out a piece at a time.

After you repair the connection tape with scotch 88 tape and seal with scotchkote electrical coating. The common failure point is either where the tap on the coil is soldered to a roll pin . Or at the bottom od the coil at grounded end press fit in to the base assy.

Have repaired a many M-117/ASPB 350


If the connection to the so239 is the problem just mount your new one external at the base.

POST SOME PICS so others can see the results.

73 RCB

OK

 

[Sonwatcher]

Thanks !

 

[Sonwatcher]

Well, I broke it apart and it's shot. What's amazing is I put up a dipole vertically and am talking to some guys on 10m around 30+ miles. They said I am coming in great. One guy about 50 miles away told the others he heard me. Just using the bare radio. Might get a Maco V/58 tomorrow. Are they hard to tune ?

 

[W5LZ]

Good luck with that 'V/58'. Just don't throw that dipole away.
- 'Doc

 

[Sonwatcher]

Good luck with that 'V/58'. Just don't throw that dipole away.
- 'Doc

Doc, do you not recommend the Maco ? Or are they trouble for tuning ? I heard they can be a problem to tune .

I thought about an Imax but I've read several people post about splatter problems. I have the dipole about 25 ft. at the top. The funny thing was I had it on my roof and the swr went real high. It was about 50ft at the top end then. But being lower I have good swr but not getting the distance I had with the other antenna.

 

[Lazybones1222]

I had a v-58 and I was up that ladder 30 times before I got it acceptable. I sold it when I got into ham and only use wire now. ymmv

 

[DXman]

A couple years ago, I put a Maco 5/8 up, it tuned great the first time, that's checking it with a 259b. So I would think, the V 5/8 should tune just as easily.

 

[Sonwatcher]

Well, I got'er done ! Took me about 3 hours from start to finish and up on the tower. Tuned nice. I really enjoyed doing it though it did seem overwhelming at first by myself. Definitely something new for me. The receive is awesome ! I don't have the amount of noise I had before. The length measurements supplied by the company for the different bands helped a lot. Thanks everyone for your input !

Ron

 

[Sonwatcher]

I just got my first signal reports and I'm just amazed. I am talking to a guy barefoot that couldn't hear me before with my amp on. I am giving 3 S units to people 40-50 miles away barefoot. There are mountains between us. They said it was equal to what I was giving them when I used the amp on the other antenna. I have it on a tower. The top of the antenna is at about 50ft. I am very pleased with this antenna.

 

[Eastside]

My aluminum groundplane seems to have a problem in the loading coil. I'm guessing a loose solder joint. The problem is that it is surrounded by a plastic tube. Has anyone ever had to get into one ? If so how did you salvage it after cutting into the enclosure ? My antenna is an A/S ASPB-350 . It has a loading coil similar to the A/S Super Magnum-

The Super Mag was my first base antenna....I gave a cb buddy $20 for it back in 1978 and carried it all the way across town home....sure would like to have another one.

 

[HomerBB]

Yep. Another coil on that Super mag, tapped in the right spot, and it would be back on the air. Too much aluminum to sit unused!

 

[VA3ES]

Back around 45 years ago, everyone ran a "Super-Mag", or a CLR-2. Then Hy-gain came out with the Penetrator. I still use my Penetrator and swear by it. BTW - Hy-gain is bringing back the Penetrator and has slated release somewhere around September or October, 2011.