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Is the Solarcon Max2000 5/8th di-pole like ?
- Thread starter RadioDaze2.0
- Start date
I'm pretty sure the 66% is referring to the Velocity Factor... The Velocity Factor for RG-213, as well as many other types of coax, is 66%.
The DB
The DB is correct, coaxial cable isn't equivalent to open air or a vacuum therefore the RF travelling through it is delayed by the surrounding medium of dielectric, the speed of which is designated by the term Velocity factor (or VF for most who have frequented this forum for any reasonable length of time).
The VF is a percentage of the speed of light within which the cable allows RF to travel. 66% is typical for RG-8/213, meaning, it requires more time for RF to traverse a distance of coax than it does that same distance through the air or within a vacuum.
Even aluminum in air has an average VF of .9979%, just a little slower than 100%.
Inside 66% VF coax it requires 150% the time for RF to travel a given distance it does outside in open air or vacuum.
If a half wavelength is 18' in air then it is 12' inside/ through 66% VF coax.
Your post should've been a question of 'Why 12', or 'why a 1/2 wave'?
A half wavelength INSIDE coax offers the next unit in line a similar phase point (180° out) at it's input, as the output of the preceding unit, while it simultaneously offers an approximate 1/3 wavelength of shield, a much less resonant & less friendly impedance length to any RF which might be looking for another (resonant) path - potentially causing RF to travel between components as Common Mode Current (CMC) on the shield beneath the casing, usually adding distortion to the audio.
73
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Thanks for the explanation. I would have had no idea what 66pct would mean despite knowing what VF is roughly as a concept.
I now turn to the mic, that is the next likely cause or possibly the radio itself. The Gain Master with its highly effective built in choke would very likely have seen put to any CMCs. So I move onto the next likely things in the chain.
Short skip season is here now in the UK and I find that only slightly interesting it is very easy skip when it is on. Probably better off with a 1/2 wave silver rod for that type of skip to raise the angle of attack slightly. Typically it means contacts into mainland Europe of about, 1,000 - 1,500 miles max.
I find with radio (11m at least, I have no interest in Ham bands, just more of the same really except you feel even less free) it gets to be a bit of a "been there, done it, got the T-Shirt" type of hobby after a while. You can improve your station to perform better, more height basically (the vertical antennas within 2-3dB are essentially all the same, whether it is a IMAX2000, Gain Master, Vector 4K once you have one set up properly it will be very small difference in radiation angles and gain )...but you still only get what the conditions give you and that takes the personal and progressive technical challenge out of it. I limit myself to vertical omni directionals as that to me is a real station and not just shooting fish in a barrel when using a beam.
I think I have pretty much gone as far as I can with a Gain Master and an IMAX now. I just go on to say hello and enjoy the weather, the landscape and fresh air. I have read something about CB frequencies being phased out in Europe which might mean the nails in the lid of the coffin for 27MHz.
I now turn to the mic, that is the next likely cause or possibly the radio itself. The Gain Master with its highly effective built in choke would very likely have seen put to any CMCs. So I move onto the next likely things in the chain.
Short skip season is here now in the UK and I find that only slightly interesting it is very easy skip when it is on. Probably better off with a 1/2 wave silver rod for that type of skip to raise the angle of attack slightly. Typically it means contacts into mainland Europe of about, 1,000 - 1,500 miles max.
I find with radio (11m at least, I have no interest in Ham bands, just more of the same really except you feel even less free) it gets to be a bit of a "been there, done it, got the T-Shirt" type of hobby after a while. You can improve your station to perform better, more height basically (the vertical antennas within 2-3dB are essentially all the same, whether it is a IMAX2000, Gain Master, Vector 4K once you have one set up properly it will be very small difference in radiation angles and gain )...but you still only get what the conditions give you and that takes the personal and progressive technical challenge out of it. I limit myself to vertical omni directionals as that to me is a real station and not just shooting fish in a barrel when using a beam.
I think I have pretty much gone as far as I can with a Gain Master and an IMAX now. I just go on to say hello and enjoy the weather, the landscape and fresh air. I have read something about CB frequencies being phased out in Europe which might mean the nails in the lid of the coffin for 27MHz.
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Replacement mic (K-PO NM-532) largely seems to have done the trick , worked Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Belarus, Poland, and a nice F2 one into 37div - Dominican Republic this afternoon on the IMAX2000. Both Argentina and Brazil also heard calling but very low and blotted out by strong Sporadic E from continental Europe.
Good radio reports on the DX but one local still saying something was up with my mic. So I swapped the battery running the radio and it seems that might be the culprit so a new battery is on the cards.
Good radio reports on the DX but one local still saying something was up with my mic. So I swapped the battery running the radio and it seems that might be the culprit so a new battery is on the cards.
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