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Antenna Specialist StarDuster II M 800

whiteastro

Sr. Member
Feb 22, 2019
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I never heard anything about this version before, has anybody ever owned one of these or know someone who had one? If so how were they rated? They claim they were made for 11 meter & FM also.
 

This one?

I can not find any info on a M-800 maybe @Marconi. Knows of this model?
Made for the UK market possibly?
They used FM just below 10 meters.
Bob85 might know.

73
Jeff
 
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Looks like it is tuned for 27Mhz and 88 to 108Mhz from reading the box. Looks like Australia and New Zealand use the upper end


 
PYC5ocG.jpg
 
I have never seen this version of starduster.
It would be interesting to see a assembly manual for this.
Not so much for the FM receive but the dimensions of the antenna its self
I ran a starduster for many years and it was a good antenna , sturdy , simple to put together easy to put up.
It still says the factory specs of 5 db gain so it would be fun to see what's up with the phasing coil in the middle of the vertical.
I wonder if there was a splitter of some type to allow FM rx , the manual would be a good read .
Thanks for posting the picture.

73
Jeff
 
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I have never seen this version of starduster.
It would be interesting to see a assembly manual for this.
Not so much for the FM receive but the dimensions of the antenna its self
I ran a starduster for many years and it was a good antenna , sturdy , simple to put together easy to put up.
It still says the factory specs of 5 db gain so it would be fun to see what's up with the phasing coil in the middle of the vertical.
I wonder if there was a splitter of some type to allow FM rx , the manual would be a good read .
Thanks for posting the picture.

73
Jeff
I've never seen or heard of it before, that is what peaked my interest. The M-400 Workman Star Duster is the First base antenna I got back into CB with because I remember hearing of the Star Duster from back in the day and it was cheap enough to get started. I'm still running a Sirio Star Duster today with good luck. Enjoy the history ! Your Welcome
 
what's up with the phasing coil in the middle of the vertical.

That looks to me like a phasing stub, not a coil like on the radials. Those are typically used when making collinear antennas, to keep adjacent electrical 1/2 wavelength sections in phase, and are thus electrically 1/2 wavelength themselves.

I'm not sure that is what it is doing here though, as the add above said the antenna is 5.25 pounds, which would be difficult if this version of the antenna was so long as to need such stubs, in this case we are talking three times the size of the M-400 Starduster... So I'm thinking the stub is doing something other than being a 1/2 wavelength phasing stub that I am familiar with.

Perhaps it is acting like some sort of trap? I have seen stubs used as traps before, but never like this. But if it is, this would explain why it also works on FM broadcast frequencies... Those loading coils on the radials might also play a part in tuning both bands and keeping impedance levels at manageable levels...

If this second idea is true, then this antenna design would be smaller than the M-400 Starduster design, which would also match with the 5.25 pound weight of the antenna, so that also fits. But until more information comes out it is just a conjecture...


The DB
 
That looks to me like a phasing stub, not a coil like on the radials. Those are typically used when making collinear antennas, to keep adjacent electrical 1/2 wavelength sections in phase, and are thus electrically 1/2 wavelength themselves.

I'm not sure that is what it is doing here though, as the add above said the antenna is 5.25 pounds, which would be difficult if this version of the antenna was so long as to need such stubs, in this case we are talking three times the size of the M-400 Starduster... So I'm thinking the stub is doing something other than being a 1/2 wavelength phasing stub that I am familiar with.

Perhaps it is acting like some sort of trap? I have seen stubs used as traps before, but never like this. But if it is, this would explain why it also works on FM broadcast frequencies... Those loading coils on the radials might also play a part in tuning both bands and keeping impedance levels at manageable levels...

If this second idea is true, then this antenna design would be smaller than the M-400 Starduster design, which would also match with the 5.25 pound weight of the antenna, so that also fits. But until more information comes out it is just a conjecture...


The DB
It would be great to find the paperwork , if someone buys it post up the dimensions.
Wonder if a patent search might find something.....

73
Jeff
 
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well my 2cents,,, if i remember right the antenna specialist m 400 starduster could be used on 2 meters also,, 144mhz to 148mhz,,, been so long ago,,,
Never heard of that. Could always be checked on an Analyzer and see what happens. Made me think of trying it on 6 meters just to see as it comes close or within on the 2X wavelength. Sure enough mine is 2:1 SWR at 52.5 mhz and tuned right up with the tuner. However was too far out of resonance for the tuner to match it at 50.125 for SSB use. Almost got lucky there. The Wavelength Progression goes 27,54,81,108,135
.
Now mine is tuned for 29mhz for use on 10M AM. The progression then becomes 29,58,81,116 and then ..... 145 !! Right in 2 meters. Have an Icom 746 with VHF & radio reads SWR on VHF.
1:5:1 SWR @ 15 watts @ 143.000mhz
Also was showing 1:5:1 going down to 5 watts between 145-146mhz. The 746's tuner doesn't do VHF but there are VHF outboard tuners on the market. MFJ makes one. Briefly keyed up a few local repeaters.
 
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