Sidebar Sidebar
  • You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

Base station help

Double nasty said:
So I have a cobra 200 for a base with a Wilson 5000 magnetic mounted on my window seal. I can hear people way out in the distance but no one can hear me. Do I need to ground my antenna? Or do I need to be higher I'm currently about 20-25 ft off the ground (2nd story)

Also I'm using a car battery with a battery charger for now till I can get a power supply.

What can I do to hear and talk locally?


Sent from your moms phone....
Click to expand...

Assuming that the radio and antenna would otherwise function properly then what you need to do to get the Wilson antenna to work better where you now have it mounted is to add a 'counterpoise device.'
In this case the counterpoise device is just gonna be a wire about 8.5 feet long.
You are gonna attach it to the shield side or grounded part of the anennas magnet mount.
The wire is then gonna just hang down from the antenna to which it is electically attached.
I am including a link to a website that has a picture of the magnet mount in an exploded view and I will attempt to indicate a place of attachment to the magnet mount with the 8.5 foot long wire> (or maybe if someone else on the forum wants to get involved that is more familiar with the Wilson magnet mount then that would be appreciated)
Once you get this 8.5 foot long wire attached to the magnet mount in the proper place and let it hangdown along side the house the antenna then should start to function much better.

Here is the link to the picture of the exploded view of the magnet mount:
http://www.bellscb.com/products/antennas/wilson/images/parts/magmnt.gif
The following are possible points of attachment of the counterpoise wire:
Hexbolt: #900513
Eyelet: #500105
If anyone else on the forum that is more familiar with the mechanics of the magnet mount and is agreeable with this method and wants to off thier assistance then by all means please jump in.

RadiooMan
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Lil'Yeshua said:
I agree. Don't radials have to be pointed down at a 45 to 60 degree angle?
Click to expand...

Depends on the particular installation. That's why I encourage everybody to experiment and see for themselves what difference it makes. What improves things for you might not change anything for me.

I also encourage not trying to get the lowest SWR possible. Within reason, yes, but don't obsess over getting that last decimal place..."SWR(s?) is 1.0000004:1 on my new Dosy! What can I do???"
 
"Doing some dipole experimentation now, side by side with an IMAX 2000 - very disappointing oriented horizontally in an attic about 40 feet off grade. The mag mount on the filing cabinet works better."
The biggest difference between the two would be the polarization. That can make a really big difference. Hang that dipole from one end and I think the results would be just the opposite. (Or one leg up/down the other horizontal, that'd work too.)
It's a matter of what you have to work with...
- 'Doc
 
Ok so with the Wilson 5000 attach a ground I.e coax down the building as a ground correct?

And I I do a dipole will it work inside a building I.e corner of a room or hang it vertical from the building?

So many people are counter docking each other it's crazy. Also I am buying a 25 watt power supply this week so the battery will be gone


Sent from your moms phone....
 
Double nasty said:
Ok so with the Wilson 5000 attach a ground I.e coax down the building as a ground correct?

And I I do a dipole will it work inside a building I.e corner of a room or hang it vertical from the building?

So many people are counter docking each other it's crazy. Also I am buying a 25 watt power supply this week so the battery will be gone


Sent from your moms phone....
Click to expand...

It's simple, it's cheap, and it's worth a try.
Attach the 8.5 foot wire and let it hand down.
Don't attach it to nothing else at the lower end, just let it hang and see what happens.
Maybe the antenna will start to work better.
 
Just connect a 9 foot piece of wire off the ground side of the antenna and strecth it out where you can. This will act as a counter poise. There is a few companys that make what they call a ham stick bracket.they allows for 2 fiberglass antennas to be mounted to it.One side will act as the radiator,while the second one will be the acting counter poise. I had one of these up for 6 meters awhile back and worked all over the country with it when the band was open.Not sure how well it will work indoors, but I'm sure much better then how your running now.Good luck...DAVE(y)..P.S..Use 2.. 3 foot firestiks on the ham stick bracet.They are about the best fiberglass antennas out there.Plus, with the tunable tips it makes tuning a snap.
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.


      Top Bottom
      Back