archer crosbow

[fly442]

any info on archer crosbow antenna. are they junk. i found a new one in the box.anybody using one

 

[albinoalligator]

I have one, I have used it on 11 meters, now I use it on 10, 15, 17, and 20 meteres with a tuner. It works, but it's nothing special. One word of advice though. Put a little dielectric grease on the threaded joint. I did not do it on mine, and now it is stuck together.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I thought the Crossbow was the three element beam.

 

[freecell]

" I thought the Crossbow was the three element beam."

yes. the Archer "Crossbow" was the name given to a 3 element gamma matched yagi marketed by radio shack. later the name was attached to a vertical antenna flying under the Archer brand name.

 

[Switch Kit]

any info on archer crosbow antenna. are they junk. i found a new one in the box.anybody using one

Is that a two section blue in color ? had one briefly in the 80s , if it's what I think it is , it was just OK , hence the "briefly"(nobody who had them ,lasted with them) it was right around the same time the Antron 99 came out and they seemed to perform much better. The Crossbow III was the beam .

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

" I thought the Crossbow was the three element beam."

yes. the Archer "Crossbow" was the name given to a 3 element gamma matched yagi marketed by radio shack. later the name was attached to a vertical antenna flying under the Archer brand name.

OK,I'm not crazy. I'm just older than I thought.

 

[fly442]

i think we all are getting older.thanks fly442

 

[Switch Kit]

Is this a two piece and what color is it ?

 

[fly442]

antenna

kind of green and it is 2 peice

 

[Switch Kit]

that should be it , just get it up as high as you can and it should work surprisingly well for you. Lord knows , I've used worse in my time. Peace

 

[senator215i]

i got one its in bits and i cant figure out how to put it together anyone got some pics or a pdf

 

[fly442]

if i can trade for it i will post picture's

 

[15minigrass]

How many watts will it handle???? Im guessing 300 watts?

 

[A.CADWELL]

does anyone have the schematics for this antenna?

 

[CDX-007]

does anyone have the schematics for this antenna?

If you're asking for schematics I would presume you may be referring to the 3 element Yagi? Those should be available from MFJ/Maco or on line.

The simple blue-green Archer Crossbow omni simply threaded together in the center (albeit a reverse thread, if I recall correctly) and mounted on a mast. It's basically a 100w pep 16' big stick. Why they decided to use a reverse thread at the center junction I'll never understand.

I gleaned one of the 96" blue fiberglass whips from a friend's Crossbow (which fell and splintered near the base) and rethreaded it for correct thread direction 3/8" x 24 and it makes a real nice mobile antenna on the 4-magnet mount.

It's a 100w antenna at best. It uses a small capacitor up inside to match the 72ohm center-fed dipole back down to 50ohms, and that capacitor tends to fry with any real power. - That's why you see so many of them not in use above homes, but in the landfill.

It's a center-fed dipole, and is basically a unity gain antenna. If you live in an area surrounded by hills or mountains, change out the 96" whip for a 7 foot Firestik, (which you'll have to rethread wackbirds) but it will help your signal to get up over and above the hills. I had success doing this in 1986 near Bodega Bay in the Ca coastal mountains and saw a marked improvement into town (Santa Rosa) using the 7' Firestik.

If it were me, I'd ebay it for as much as someone more nostalgic than knowledgeable (antenna-wise) will pay, then spend the cashola for a metal 5/8 like a Maco or equivalent.