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CB dipoles

B

Bearcat

Active Member
Oct 25, 2015
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what can I expect with one? And why does everyone say "dipoles keep an honest man honest" lol
 

Bearcat said:
what can I expect with one? And why does everyone say "dipoles keep an honest man honest" lol
Click to expand...

Good for DX, no good for local. Wants to be at least 16ft from the ground and they're directional broadside to the antenna so if the wires are running north/south the antenna hears most from east/west.
 
Yep - 16 feet high is the bare minimum for 11 meters, and more is definitely better. Clear of obstructions, especially metallic ones. Dipoles aren't magic, though. If no one's there, chances are they won't be there if you had a multi-element yagi at the same height, either.
 
Beetle said:
Yep - 16 feet high is the bare minimum for 11 meters, and more is definitely better. Clear of obstructions, especially metallic ones. Dipoles aren't magic, though. If no one's there, chances are they won't be there if you had a multi-element yagi at the same height, either.
Click to expand...

Beetle are you saying if I can hear them I can probably work them?
 
Bearcat said:
what can I expect with one? And why does everyone say "dipoles keep an honest man honest" lol
Click to expand...
You can expect it to give you 2.3dbi of gain.
You can expect it to cost almost nothing to build.
You can expect it to work better when placed 16 ft or higher from the nearest metal object below it.
You can expect it to work better @ 33ft.
You can expect it to work poorly when below 16ft.
You can expect it to preform well with stations over 1000 miles away or more - even when using low power; but this will depend largely on how the incoming signal is polarized
You can expect it to be quieter/less man made noise interference than a vertical antenna.
You can expect it to work local stations poorly if they are using vertical antennas.
You can expect it to work best on its sides rather than the ends.
You can expect it to behave more like a vertical antenna if the dipole wires are at a 45 degree down angle ('inverted V') on both sides with a SWR closer to 1.1:1; although you lose the advantages of a horizontal dipole.
You can expect it to have a SWR of 1.5:1 when flat/horizontal; nothing at all wrong with a 1.5 SWR if it is a horizontal dipole - that is how they normally work.

Never, ever heard anything about a dipole keeping honest men honest.
 
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Robb said:
You can expect it to give you 2.3dbi of gain.
You can expect it to cost almost nothing to build it.
You can expect it to work better when placed 16 ft or higher from the nearest metal object below it.
You can expect it to work better @ 33ft.
You can expect it to work poorly when below 16ft.
You can expect it to preform well with stations over 1000 miles away or more - even when using low power.
You can expect it to be quieter than a vertical antenna.
You can expect it to work local stations poorly if they are using vertical antennas.
You can expect it to work best on its sides rather than the ends.
You can expect it to behave more like a vertical antenna if the dipole wires are at a 45 degree down angle on both sides with a SWR closer to 1:1; although you lose the advantages of a horizontal dipole.
You can expect it to have a SWR of 1.5:1 when flat/horizontal.

Never, ever heard anything about a dipole keeping honest men honest.
Click to expand...

Thank u for the info!!!
 
Robb said:
You can expect it to give you 2.3dbi of gain.
You can expect it to cost almost nothing to build.
You can expect it to work better when placed 16 ft or higher from the nearest metal object below it.
You can expect it to work better @ 33ft.
You can expect it to work poorly when below 16ft.
You can expect it to preform well with stations over 1000 miles away or more - even when using low power; but this will depend largely on how the incoming signal is polarized
You can expect it to be quieter/less man made noise interference than a vertical antenna.
You can expect it to work local stations poorly if they are using vertical antennas.
You can expect it to work best on its sides rather than the ends.
You can expect it to behave more like a vertical antenna if the dipole wires are at a 45 degree down angle ('inverted V') on both sides with a SWR closer to 1.1:1; although you lose the advantages of a horizontal dipole.
You can expect it to have a SWR of 1.5:1 when flat/horizontal; nothing at all wrong with a 1.5 SWR if it is a horizontal dipole - that is how they normally work.

Never, ever heard anything about a dipole keeping honest men honest.
Click to expand...
Excellent info!!!!!
 
Here's some advise. Instead of getting yourself all twisted up over a dipole, keep it simple!!! Build a basic dipole antenna, run whatever length of coax you need to the radio, check the swr and trim or lengthen the antenna (better to cut it a little long to begin with) needed for lowest swr on your desired center freq and start making contacts. Then you can start experimenting with other wire antennas.
 
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