Sirio StarDuster M400 or Top One

[wild_fire]

Hi All,

in the near future if not next year i am hoping to be able to afford a home base antenna but after reading great reports about the Sirio top one as it hears and transmits maybe a little better than the Sirio 827 & reading some where about the Sirio StarDuster having better ears than a Imax 2000 & transmits about the same as the Imax 2000 which antenna out of the two above would you guys recommend anybody buying,

i have used 1/2 wave & 5/8 wave antenna`s & with them been Base loaded & living in a urban area in the United Kindom the signal becomes blocked & weak to reach further, thank you all in advance.

 

[Robb]

HF freqs (that includes CB freqs) are not so much affected by buildings as VHF/UHF freqs are.

As far as the two choices you've listed; think I would pick the Sirio Top One over the Starduster - any day.

The Starduster or Top One does not have as much gain as the IMAX. Think the IMAX has 5.1db/gain and the Top One has 3.2db/gain IIRC. Doubt the Starduster has anything more than unity gain; but don't quote me.

 

[wild_fire]

hi robb & thanks for the quick reply buddy i did on some pages & forums that the starduster doe`s about 6db what don`t surprise me as the thunderpole old antenna`s did 6db as they all looked the same as the starduster but i guess the ground legs had something to do with that department lol,

& with the sirio top one been top loaded maybe i should have already known the answear :headbang & the only thing i can do it just give it a try, & thanks again buddy

 

[N5IT]

Robb,

You are correct about the Starduster. Many people believe that the Starduster is a 1/4 wave, but it is in fact more akin to a 1/2 wave center-fed dipole as opposed to a 1/4 wave ground plane with 90 degree radials. The Antenna Specialists vintage brochure actually labels it as a 1/2 wave design. I recently put a cheaply made copy (not Sirio) up at 25 feet and compared it to a Antron 99 copy with similar results. I had one of the original Stardusters in the air about 40 years ago. I think its safe to say that the Starduster exhibits approximately 2.1dBi or 0dBd.

 

[Marconi]

If you can mount the entire New Top One up above the typical roof peak in your area, then it should work well, regardless of whatever gain it is able to produce on not produce.

Since I may be the only one around that will tell you this, but don't pay any attention to my words. It is easy to check it out for yourself, and then report back to us what you found. What is said here is mostly opinion.

At my location on the Gulf Coast of Texas I find the NTO works as good or better than any other CB vertical I own...and for sure if the tip heights for both antennas are positioned like shown in the image you posted above.

In my testing I find that even non-conductive clutter on the Earth has some attenuating effects on how antennas respond...that is unless your antenna is placed well above such potential obstructions.

You can easily test this idea if you care, and then you will know for sure what does what. On of our new members (named Tuner) just installed a New Top One and compared to his previous Imax...I think he is well pleased. He didn't even get the NTO up and mounted like noted in your image either. Check this out in a recent thread I just posted on the subject: http://www.worldwidedx.com/cb-antennas/99050-marconi-comparing-new-top-one-vs-old-top-one.html

If you click on the link below, in my signiture area, you will find plenty of videos on antennas that I have compared. You will have to scroll through a long list of videos however. Maybe they will be worthwhile and maybe not, but it is something to consider besides just words.

 

[Marconi]

Robb,

You are correct about the Starduster. Many people believe that the Starduster is a 1/4 wave, but it is in fact more akin to a 1/2 wave center-fed dipole as opposed to a 1/4 wave ground plane with 90 degree radials. The Antenna Specialists vintage brochure actually labels it as a 1/2 wave design. I recently put a cheaply made copy (not Sirio) up at 25 feet and compared it to a Antron 99 copy with similar results. I had one of the original Stardusters in the air about 40 years ago. I think its safe to say that the Starduster exhibits approximately 2.1dBi or 0dBd.

Welcome to the forum N5IT. I agree that your numbers might be about right, but I just go by what I can contact and hear...when I consider how well an antenna works, and I about have em' all.

I'm in Houston. Do you ever hear this area on 38 or 39 LSB? If so, maybe we can hook up some morning early. There is still a small group of guys about your age around here that talk from 5:00 to 8:00 am unless DX starts up or the nosie is bad. I go by Grampa or Eddie on the air.

 

[N5IT]

I failed to mention that I am wanting to try an Astroplane (NTO) myself. There was a gentleman here in Waco that always had a great signal with one of the Avanti originals. I know where one is, but it is unlikely that I will be able to acquire it. I have a couple of Sirio Gainmasters, so I am somewhat familiar with their quality, but was more concerned about the difference in their design over the original. I have not looked into this or discussed it with anyone until now, so I'm glad that I responded to this thread. By the way Eddie, I was born in Houston and grew up in Montgomery County next to Oak Ridge North. I still have not setup my home radio shack since I made a local move last summer, so the only way I could get on early is from my work QTH. From there I did have a QSO on 39 lsb early one Saturday morning last year. One station was in Navasota, and the other was in Brenham. I will see if I can get there this Saturday to give it a try. I would be using IR059 and go by Dave. It may be possible, especially if you have something to point northwest. I will be listening. 73

 

[N5IT]

And I also wanted to tell you that I basically feel the same way about on-the-air antenna comparisons. As I'm sure you are aware, gain figures have been so severely inflated or either misunderstood by some manufacturers and/or users that they can be meaningless at times. Even though we can use a bit of basic theory or even computer models to determine what is happening, along with expected results to get us in the "ballpark", nothing beats a good on-the-air test. 73