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Bleedsticks

Lazybones1222

Lazybones1222

W9WDX Amateur Radio Club Member
Apr 6, 2005
948
28
28
Tampa Bay Florida
Just wondering:
I often read about the A99 being a "bleedstick". Is this because of the propensity for the A99's matching device to cause common mode currents down the coax shield? If so, would a balun help? A coil of coax at the base of the antenna? Thoughts?
 

Would it help with CMC? Sure! Would it also affect the operation of the antenna? It sure could.

This would be a simple test if you have a A99. Make a balun or buy one, install it and do a before and after test and let us know what the results were.

Test SWR, bandwidth, and have someone further away watch and record. Time to get out of that LazyBoy! ;)

Will all of this stop it from getting into your neighbors? I don't think so! Crap in, crap out. An antenna only radiates the energy put into it. Depending on the design of the antenna, it can be throwing that energy right into your neighbor's house which may or may not cause any interference.

Your best bet is to clean up the signal before it gets to the antenna!

I undertand the A99 wants to use your coax as a counterpoise. Remember, its just an end fed 1/2 wave with a funky matching device. What about an electrical quarter wave piece of coax below the feedpoint and then the balun. Who knows?
 
Actually I do not have a TVI problem. My station is tuned clean. Just pondering why that antenna is maligned as a bleed stick so much. Does the Imax 2000 have the same issues or is the matching device better on that antenna?
 
Lazybones1222 said:
Actually I do not have a TVI problem. My station is tuned clean. Just pondering why that antenna is maligned as a bleed stick so much. Does the Imax 2000 have the same issues or is the matching device better on that antenna?
Click to expand...

MC was correct in the rational that it uses a quarter wave below the antenna of the coax.

If you would like to see the antenna perform the <<best>> I think it can, use a balun type device the ARRL manual has in it, comprising of a piece of electrical pipe (metal) with the coaxial cable going into it, and it being shorted to the sheild 0NLY at the bottom portion.

This is a sleeve choke, and works ok, but it will help the Antron work a bit better. About as much as the radial kit, and we all know how well it works :)

Performs the same function, honestly. It's just a bit better.

--Toll_Free
 
if you combine the radial kit with a 1:1 choke balun. then you will get the results your looking for.

with the kit alone you will still have CMC. by adding the choke balun that will force all the curent into the main radiator and the ground plane.

got my balun from DX engineering. :)
 
Coax , now this stuff is totally out of my league )-: BUT !! crap in ,crap out !! IM not real up on the IMAX 2000 , but many Antron 99s over the years , Bleed Sticks ? more yes then no with my limited experience with them , but I have also found that top of the line coax like a 9913 will help eliminate a lot of TVI compared to using bottom of the line coax. I've seen the changes. Like I said , no expert here , but 9913 can and will make a differance as far as IM concerned. Why ? I'll just have to leave that to the experts,Experience is one thing Knowledge is another....ever heard of getting lucky once in a while ? (-: ....oh (the cheap stuff ,in a tree and just draped every which way but loose , a long wire comes to mind.)
 
Lazybones1222 said:
FL Native said:
DXE-FCC050-H05-P
Click to expand...

Checked that out. But if you need to run a ground braid to ground would that not just radiate as much as the coax shield if you are 55 ft up in a pine tree?
Click to expand...

when you use it at the feed point or there recomended 4.3 feet you dont ground it.

only if you use it at ground level do you ground the balun.

oh ya also if your gona do this you also need to use a piece of wood or fibrglass to isolate the antenna from the mast. :beer
 
What do you mean by the 4.3 feet?

BTW - the mast is a piece of home depot slotted angle steel lag bolted into a tree about 55 ft to the bottom of the antenna, the angle is about three feet long. Think it would still need isolated?

Also - check this out FL:

home made ugly balun
 
ya that's an air balun. works but not as good. if your mount is way up there and only 3 feet its ok but will still be part of your ground plane.

ya DXengineering said to put the balun 4.3 feet down or somewere between 12-14 feet, or at ground level.

something about not being at the hot spot, like might tell you to put it 9 feet down. i just put it at the feedpoint.

havent heard from nieghbors since. :) allready ahd the groundplane so i added the balun and a fibrglass shovel handle.
i call it the shovel mod. LOL tehres a few theads somewere talking all about this.
 
Lazybones1222 said:
Actually I do not have a TVI problem. My station is tuned clean. Just pondering why that antenna is maligned as a bleed stick so much. Does the Imax 2000 have the same issues or is the matching device better on that antenna?
Click to expand...

From what I have gathered some of the TVI was due to faulty construction (bad solder joints, poor internal assembly). The IMAX 2000 seems to be much better on the internal construction and soldering. I used to have both the A99 and the IMAX 2000 articles on my website. I will have to check to make sure I still have them. The pictures are worth a thousand word$

Note these are PDF files so a reader is needed.

Update...

A99 exposed

IMAX 2000 exposed
 

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