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Finding the Francis Amazer

How does this antenna beat a 102" stainless?

Stainless is a poor conductor, and when your driving down the road its bending back almost at a 90 deg angle.

Francis has a copper conductor in the middle of the fiberglass, is also more ridged when you driving down the road. There also dark gray so they don't stick out like a sore thumb!

I have ran a Francis Amazer for 12 years now and i love them! Francis is still making antenna but they discontinued the Amazer a long time ago :cry:
 
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Stainless is a poor conductor, and when your driving down the road its bending back almost at a 90 deg angle.

Francis has a copper conductor in the middle of the fiberglass, is also more ridged when you driving down the road. There also dark gray so they don't stick out like a sore thumb!

I have ran a Francis Amazer for 12 years now and i love them! Francis is still making antenna but they discontinued the Amazer a long time ago :cry:


I think calling stainless a poor conductor is inaccurate. Do you have some data to back that up?

Thanks
 
hey joe , welcome to the forum :) . are you the same joedirt from mojo's forum ?

keep in mind were talking about the efficency of RF being transmitted on our metal antennas , not their AC or DC voltage abilities . copper , SS and aluminium do have different conductivity values , but not enough to make any diference in the real world when RF is concerned .

if i recall .... doesnt the amazer actually have 3 copper conductors in it ?

stainless steel is great for stingers/whips on antennas because its able to survive impacts and dragging much much more than copper or aluminium . its also much more flexable so it doesnt snap from impact when moving .

if you want an all copper antenna Gator makes them ...
gatorstk.jpg

gatorstx2.jpg

well , except for the stinger , were back to SS again .

or go to your local hardware plumbing supply store and buy the parts to build your own .
good luck with keeping it from turning green ;)
 
Booty, do you remember the place...Something Music, back east somewhere??? I ordered 2 of them from that place. and it was one of the few that still had them in stock.
Yes they are described as a "Triple Quarter wave" 3 copper conductors, 1/4 wave long in a fiberglass shell. They are a good quarter wave . Stiff, copper is a good conductor, and (imho) they pick up less wind static noise that a bare ss antenna. Shakespeare also made a quarter wave that was a very good fiberglass antenna.....many years ago.

73
Jeff
 
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i think youre talking about mobile music . the place we talked about last year ?
804-275-0545 is the phone # if anyone is interested .

im not quite understanding your windnoise comment . are you saying they make less noise in the wind ? or if your saying they convert less wind noise into noise we hear on the radio ? ive never herd of that , but since the actuall antenna isnt in contact with the wind (its inside the fiberglass) that has me scratching my head too .
 
I think calling stainless a poor conductor is inaccurate. Do you have some data to back that up?

Thanks

Ok.... its a poor conductor compared to copper! How is it Inaccurate? Google it!









hey joe , welcome to the forum :) . are you the same joedirt from mojo's forum ?

keep in mind were talking about the efficency of RF being transmitted on our metal antennas , not their AC or DC voltage abilities . copper , SS and aluminium do have different conductivity values , but not enough to make any diference in the real world when RF is concerned .

if i recall .... doesnt the amazer actually have 3 copper conductors in it ?

stainless steel is great for stingers/whips on antennas because its able to survive impacts and dragging much much more than copper or aluminium . its also much more flexable so it doesnt snap from impact when moving .

if you want an all copper antenna Gator makes them ...
gatorstk.jpg

gatorstx2.jpg

well , except for the stinger , were back to SS again .

or go to your local hardware plumbing supply store and buy the parts to build your own .
good luck with keeping it from turning green ;)

Yep im the same one!

The amazer has 3 wires twisted together!

That copper antenna looks cool, I would be afraid to hit something with it coppers pretty soft!
 
the amazer has 3 parallel linear conductors precisely spaced, when the fiberglass is taper ground you end up with 3 different length conductors, they may be different diameters too,
the net result is wider bandwidth and more control over feedpoint impedance at resonance than you get with a single conductor as used in the shaki wondershaft and avanti fiberglass whips,

i would love to try one.
 
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there were three 8 foot Francis antennas that I recall .Amazer (Gray) . Wheeler Dealer (black) / Red Rooster (red) (I think it was) ...it's been a little while since I ran these , but I ran the Amazer and the Wheeler Dealer ,

I do recall the 3 copper wires in the Amazer but if memory serves me , the Wheeler Dealer had 4 copper wires from top to bottom. 25 years in this hobby and I just never had any luck with 102 inch SS's (may have just been my vehicles at the time)

I think they got it right by Calling it the Amazer because I found it to be a amazing antenna for what it was. The Amazer and WD's worked for me where the 102's wouldn't. Being 8 foot and not much more then a fishing pole of sorts , you really need to take some care with these antennas , they really can't take to many serious wacks before they will bust open on you.

The first thing to go would be the red cap on top and then they just start splintering the more you beat them up. Like I said, for me , and others , where 102 didn't match out as well , the 8 foot Francis seemed to get the job done.

I did installs some 20 years ago , and it was kind of the same with Wilson 1000s at the time (basically the new kid on the block) (auh yes ! the antenna you thought would never miss) but it would and when this would happen we would go with the good old reliable K-40 antenna , and sure enough , they would always match out where the Wilson 1000s would give us a problem.

Although , you don't want to give the K-40 over 300 watts or so to be on the safe side. This is kind of where the Newer Wilson 1000's put the good old K-40's in the backseat so to speak. Well , still made today and still a damned good antenna. The K-40 can still hold it's own when run correctly and not over powered. :)
 
you really need to take some care with these antennas , they really can't take to many serious wacks before they will bust open on you.

Hmm, I found it exactly opposite, the Francis line of antennas always amazed me at the punishment they would take... When I got new antennas in the first thing I did was tie them in a knot literally, If they broke I didn't sell them.....

Wilson's never held up, I never broke a Francis, Even slapping trees out in the woods @30 Below zero... And I did run them regularly back then...

Not really debating the issue, or saying your wrong, but it just wasn't my experience with them....


I always liked the Wilson's as an install, we basically bottomed the Stinger, raised it about 1/4 inch, and they were typically ready to go... 1000/5000, never liked the Lil'Wil....

Sold alot of Wilson't back when they used to give Dealers better Deals then the Distribs... Before Barjan.....

K40, never wasted my time, they just wouldn't take any power.....

LOL, kind of funny to, with the 102 SS... I never had an issue with one, only thing that comes to mind is a Rat Shack 102 that separated from the Stud....
 
Anyone with any information on where to find the 8' Francis amazer please post here MANY people are looking for them, me included.
I'll take a few Amazers as well!!!
Anyone know of any left to be had?
If we got enough orders together could we have original Francis Amazers manufactured?
ala"Bama" 351 Colorado
 
Hmm, I found it exactly opposite, the Francis line of antennas always amazed me at the punishment they would take... When I got new antennas in the first thing I did was tie them in a knot literally, If they broke I didn't sell them.....

Wilson's never held up, I never broke a Francis, Even slapping trees out in the woods @30 Below zero... And I did run them regularly back then...

Not really debating the issue, or saying your wrong, but it just wasn't my experience with them....


I always liked the Wilson's as an install, we basically bottomed the Stinger, raised it about 1/4 inch, and they were typically ready to go... 1000/5000, never liked the Lil'Wil....

Sold alot of Wilson't back when they used to give Dealers better Deals then the Distribs... Before Barjan.....

K40, never wasted my time, they just wouldn't take any power.....

LOL, kind of funny to, with the 102 SS... I never had an issue with one, only thing that comes to mind is a Rat Shack 102 that separated from the Stud....
I am a ss 102" fan but the Francis Amazer is the best antenna I ever had. Would Love a few again if anyone knows of some still to be had.
ala"Bama" 351 Colorado
 
i think youre talking about mobile music . the place we talked about last year ?
804-275-0545 is the phone # if anyone is interested .

im not quite understanding your windnoise comment . are you saying they make less noise in the wind ? or if your saying they convert less wind noise into noise we hear on the radio ? ive never herd of that , but since the actuall antenna isnt in contact with the wind (its inside the fiberglass) that has me scratching my head too .
I had less static or a lower "noise" level with the Amazer over the ss 102". Which made it sound like I had better receives and maybe I did. I want another Amazer.
ala"Bama" 351 Colorado
 

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