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Firestik Fire-Up 99 Has anyone tried one.?

Antron A99 Fire-up upgrade
These blokes seem to like the GRK8 ground plane,how it it gives a better radiation pattern.
Workman Ground Plane Kit
Fire-Up 99 Antenna
Maybe worth a second look and as long as you treat it like a low power tuner and not run too many watts through it so that it won't arc/burn holes in it's winding.
I ordered a Firestik Fire up FS 99 from Wally World online(hopefully they'll have it in stock) because I want to se for myself how it performs on a A 99. I'll be running low power so that won't be a problem like someone did with their FS99.

The A99 antenna base is 1 1/4" dia.
Probably an 1 1/4" sleeve 1/8" thick walls could be made from rigid aluminum tubing for a zero clearance fit.


Disclaimer: I know that ground wave propagation is impossible at CB freqs.
 
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Lil'Yeshua said:
But does the Fireup lower the TOA?
Click to expand...

Love this fascination with TOA's... Some people's beliefs in the benefits of a low TOA borders on fanaticism.

Anyway, first off, does the Fireup 99 make the antenna physically longer? If it doesn't then your take off angle will not be lower. Unless they achieved the shortening via a top hat, which it clearly states in the advertising that they didn't.

Further, even if it did extend the overall length to a full 5/8 wavelength, I think the difference in take off angle from such a gain is much smaller then you seem to think. Most of this is actually dependent on ground quality of the earth underneath the antenna and height above said earth.


The DB
 
The DB said:
Love this fascination with TOA's... Some people's beliefs in the benefits of a low TOA borders on fanaticism.

Anyway, first off, does the Fireup 99 make the antenna physically longer? If it doesn't then your take off angle will not be lower. Unless they achieved the shortening via a top hat, which it clearly states in the advertising that they didn't.

Further, even if it did extend the overall length to a full 5/8 wavelength, I think the difference in take off angle from such a gain is much smaller then you seem to think. Most of this is actually dependent on ground quality of the earth underneath the antenna and height above said earth.


The DB
Click to expand...

Well,yeah. I thought TOA is important. That's my goal with this antenna. Get it to radiate as low as it can go.
Their claim about the FS99 is that their product turns the A99 into a top loaded antenna along with fine tuning on top. The Firestik FS99 has two double 19 ga. Wires wound on it and is 5' instead of 5'9". The advertizing says that the FS99 makes it a 5/8's wave(electrically)with the wound wires on it. I've been reading up on the importance of grounding the A99 and am considering doing so. I've already ordered a Firestik fire up and the Solarcon GPK-1 for it. Since I run a four watt radio with this I want to extract as much performance as I can. A upgrade to a quality low loss coax would help also.
I still want concrete evidence instead of speculation. As I've already said,I've been doing research on end fed antennas. If the FS99 doesn't meet my expectations then I can always put the original top section back on. I will find out soon with radio reports from the locals up to 30+ miles away.
 
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Chinese knock-off??? read the item description:

Item Description

High quality components, Many designs available match your personal style, Designed to suit any budget, Satisfaction ensured, Able to quickly and easily update your home, Huge selection to choose from SKU: DAS12591


or did Firestik sell out to DAS ??? notice the SKU
 
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IMD262 said:
Chinese knock-off??? read the item description:

Item Description

High quality components, Many designs available match your personal style, Designed to suit any budget, Satisfaction ensured, Able to quickly and easily update your home, Huge selection to choose from SKU: DAS12591


or did Firestik sell out to DAS ??? notice the SKU
Click to expand...
You got me on that one.
It's coming from www.unbeatablesales.com in New Jersey via UPS ground. How long has it been since Firestik discontinued the FS99 Fire Up?
Item description search name on walmart full site. ::FireStik FS-99 A99 5 ft. CB BASE RADIATOR UPGRADE
It's from unbeatablesale.com in N.J. and Is sold though walmart.
About UnbeatableSale.com. Inc.
2 Way Radio Accessories
 
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some have even tried a 102 whip cut down to tune,and they say its a thicker stinger and it hears better.
i asked what about the little thin telephone wire from there down.
they then said will the signal goes out the top of the antenna not the sides
thats when i told them i had to go inside the store
and left them yapping
 
The FS99 Firestik Fire Up is 5',0" compared to the Antron's 5',9". The FS99 has two 19 gauge spiral wound wires going up it's length to supposedly fool the antenna into being electrically longer. You can't put a regular Firestik on it because the top section is tuned for 32.700 MHz. That being coupled with the rest of the A99 causes it to tune at 27.185 MHz. I've already ordered one and is on the way to me now. I just hope that it's not a Chinese knockoff but rather a NOS/NIB genuine made in the USA Firestik FS99.
http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FS99-W.htm
http://www.walmart.com/msharbor/ip/...30363986?adid=1500000000000012981640&veh=mweb

And they're proud of this.
http://www.walmart.com/msharbor/ip/...30363986?adid=1500000000000012981640&veh=mweb
 
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the solarcon gpk radials are too short to do much. when you get it replace those radials
with either a 102 s.s whips or 102 fiberglass whips . also the maco boomer gpk looks
interesting as well
 

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