I haven't seen a 102" stainless whip in years. If my memory is intact, the fitting at the bottom had a set screw to keep the whip attached. We were able to remove the antenna from the fitting and trim-off material to adjust the SWR. But, the antenna is tapered and if too much material was removed, there would be too much clearance between the antenna and the fitting. I never did understand why we were told to never remove the ball at the tip of the antenna. In your situation, about 5" needs to be trimmed off the 102" whip and if you removed 5" from the bottom of the antenna, there would definitely be excessive clearance between the fitting and antenna.
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Base New Imax wont tune 11m....this sucks
- Thread starter 357
- Start date
Just got a new Imax 2000 today and it tuned almost 1.2 to 1 on channel 28 and I didn't have to mess with the rings or anything else.I bought it from HRO, had a gift certificate to use from there, so I think it's still a 10 and 11 meter antenna, no problems with it at all so far.
By any chance did you measure the total assembled length? Where are the tuning rings positioned?
The ball on the whip is useless.It makes Zero difference if it is removed.It is called a Corona Ball which is supposed to control static but I have never heard any difference on any antenna on any band without one.Myself & many others have cut the top ends off down to between 54 & 56 inches use on 6 meters as well as a longer stinger for HF Screwdriver antennas.I have never seen one that has any set screws anywhere on a Stainless Steel 102" whip? I have several sitting behind the door of my shack & each just has a 3/8" threaded end that screws into the antenna mount of your choice.
SIX-SHOOTER
At about 1545 today UPS arrived with my new WORKMAN 102SSWA 102" whip. The bottom fitting (ferrule) was NOT attached to the bottom of the whip. The fitting and two set-screws were taped to the antenna.
Some whips are attached to the 3/24 connector, and some are not.
I have seen both many times.
I have seen steel whips that would Arc at the tip with no ball at high power levels.
In fact, I think Mole had this problem one time.
I remember John Mahoney of Panther Electronics talking about doing testing in regards to corona discharge at high power levels in the presence of jet fuel vapor.
73
Jeff
I have seen both many times.
I have seen steel whips that would Arc at the tip with no ball at high power levels.
In fact, I think Mole had this problem one time.
I remember John Mahoney of Panther Electronics talking about doing testing in regards to corona discharge at high power levels in the presence of jet fuel vapor.
73
Jeff
I had done an install for my step son's friend a d he gave a few antennas as payment. One was an old 102" whip, I assume was from the 70s? It had an aluminum football shaped weight with a set screw attached to the whip itself. Never saw one before. Also the whip was much thicker in diameter than one I had. So, I assume the weight was to adjust SWR. I'm thinking the antenna was made by Hustler? Could be wrong.
I distinctly remember way back in the summer of 1971 when my neighbor had damaged the set-screws by using a worn-out or the wrong size Allen wrench trying to remove the set-screws. Using my drill press, I drilled-out the damaged set-screws, re-tapped the threads and installed new set-screws. Trimming the bottom of the whip with a bench grinder was a challenge. Radio Shack and the Lafayette Radio store were the only places to buy CB equipment. I remember buying a 102" whip which had the bottom fitting pressed onto the antenna. The ball at the tip was good for securing the antenna in the gutter clip. The whip was mounted on the driver's side quarter panel and I would secure the tip to the gutter clip above the driver's door. One day at a stop light the ball came off and the spring tension whipped the antenna back towards the car behind me. I never did find the ball and that was the day I stopped using whip antennas.
One of the local 4x4 clubs ( think it was the Sand Pipers) banned 102 steel whips during club events because of that hazard.
Guys would pin the antennas down and they would get hung up and whip back at people that would spot for them.
Most guys used a 4 foot whip or half breed antennas during trail rides.
73
Jeff
Guys would pin the antennas down and they would get hung up and whip back at people that would spot for them.
Most guys used a 4 foot whip or half breed antennas during trail rides.
73
Jeff
If the Corona Ball is an issue they sell replacements and I would never waste my time or money on one.I have been doing radio since 1965 and it has never been an issue and I doubt it ever will be.
SIX-SHOOTER
I recently received a new WORKMAN 102SSWA 102" stainless steel whip and it is not the same as the whip antennas we had in the seventies and eighties. At the bottom, the diameter is 0.200" and at the top, the diameter is (paper-thin) 0.100". A, 0.100" taper in a 102" length is a lot of taper for an antenna. About twelve-inches of the top area was bent / kinked from shipping. Due to poor packaging, the antenna penetrated the end of the carboard shipping box during transportation and must have bumped against something in the UPS truck. The taper on the old / vintage whip antennas were not as thin as this new antenna. No ball on the tip. There is a 0.200" diameter X 9/16" long chrome plated steel pressed-on elongated cap on the tip.
I temporally installed the antenna on the Breedlove stake pocket mount and the antenna is no way as stable as the vintage whip antennas. I managed to re-shape the bent tip as best as I could by hand and a vise but I'm not going to use this whip. I know for a fact that I would not have been able to hand-bend a vintage stainless steel whip. I do not have a vintage whip antenna to measure and compare the differences in diameters and tapers.
I've never seen a football shaped weight on a whip antenna, but I'm only seventy-one years old, lol...lol!
No I didn't measure total length, the rings were about 1/2 way up and tight and the match was very good so I didn't mess with anything.
If the company building them has shortened them to reduce shipping cost it is going to be hard for a while to figure out what is old stock ( the longer ones) and what is new stock, the short ones.
Unless you can have the seller measure the antenna and telling you before they ship it.
73
Jeff
Unless you can have the seller measure the antenna and telling you before they ship it.
73
Jeff
Thank you for replying.
Knowing the proximity of the tuning rings is good information to be passed-on to the guys who are having difficulty obtaining good SWR readings on their MAX 2000 antennas. Apparently you have a 24' MAX 2000 and not the latest shorter MAX 2000.
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