When to Replace Old A99 antenna...

[Brain the Dog]

Like said the radio may need a recapping and a fresh alignment and tune. Get rid of all those old caps and get some new ones put in. The ones in the radio are almost 25 yrs old. Pretty old.
And about the antenna, that is up to you in the end whether to replace it. It might not look at all damaged, but can you verify what the inside looks like after all this time? And your coax as well? At the age it's at I am suprised it's holding up. Unless it to was stored away properly. Most rg8x, the grey type anyway, doesn't last many years in the FL heat and weather anyways. Best to get some good double shielded coax like LMR240, or LMR400, or even good rg8x that is black and is double shielded and is well made. And last but not least, check all your connectors. You may have had or have some water damage or coax issues if your meter is jumping all about. Check all coax connections, at antenna, radio, and also any coax jumpers that may be being used. But if it were me, I would not keep tx'ing at this point if you want to keep your radio alive. Find that issue and resolve it!! Gotta start at one end or the other. Best bet would be at the antenna first. JMHO about that. Hope you get it all figured out. It is not a real good time to be getting back into the hobby I suppose as most of the DX is dead!! It's very sporadic to say the least here around east coast of FL. But don't let that stop you. There are times that it does get active. And there are always locals if you have any. But getting that antenna up as high as possible is going to help a lot. 35ft or more and it will work well for you. Good luck and be safe.

Quick question: for a 27-foot run, do you suggest RG 213, or LMR 400? It's pretty much a straight run from radio to antenna, but I do need a little curve just behind the radio to make it fit right. I'm wondering if LMR 400 might be too stiff?

 

[fourstringburn]

The stiff solid conductor coax like standard non flex LMR is good for long straight runs or installs where permanent bends thru walls are needed.

Stranded coax is stronger though.

RG213 is a good combination of a semi-stiff strong yet flexible cable. LMR ultra flex is a bit to flimsy for my use except for making jumper cables.

You will probably see a lot of talk about coax spec's comparing RG213 and LMR coax. On short runs less than 100 ft, these are ridiculous debates.

LMR coax was designed for the shorter wavelength VHF/UHF frequencies since the higher the frequency, the higher the loss.

RG213 type coax was designed for the broader longer wavelength that is HF frequencies below 30 MHz.

The DB loss is minimal at 30 MHz between the 2 coax types and the velocity factor at 300 million meters a second isn't worth the effort computing either. Especially to what that means in the real world usage.

 

[Brain the Dog]

The stiff solid conductor coax like standard non flex LMR is good for long straight runs or installs where permanent bends thru walls are needed.

Stranded coax is stronger though.

RG213 is a good combination of a semi-stiff strong yet flexible cable. LMR ultra flex is a bit to flimsy for my use except for making jumper cables.

You will probably see a lot of talk about coax spec's comparing RG213 and LMR coax. On short runs less than 100 ft, these are ridiculous debates.

LMR coax was designed for the shorter wavelength VHF/UHF frequencies since the higher the frequency, the higher the loss.

RG213 type coax was designed for the broader longer wavelength that is HF frequencies below 30 MHz.

The DB loss is minimal at 30 MHz between the 2 coax types and the velocity factor at 300 million meters a second isn't worth the effort computing either. Especially to what that means in the real world usage.

Thanks...

At the risk of starting a huge debate.... for my CB purposes, does the length of the coax matter (including the poly phaser)? I want about 27 feet between the radio and the antenna. But some say you have to get it in multiples of 11 feet or something like that.

 

[fourstringburn]

No, antennas are tuned by lengthening it or shortening it to a specific frequency or with yours, by adjusting the tuning rings.

If a coax length tunes your antenna significantly different, than there is a problem elsewhere. Use whatever lengths it takes to make the connections plus a little extra for future changes.

I used to buy into that stuff too about coax lengths being in multiples of 3 only and jumper cables can't be longer than 3 ft.

 

[Brain the Dog]

Here's a closeup of my A99, installed in 1992!!

 

[jessejamesdallas]

Replace when it starts to look like this...

 

[BBB]

Several local operators have had VSWR issues with the Solarcon antennas as they age, Once they couldn't get it below 3:1 they toss the bottom section and save the upper sections for spares... well because someone always needs one due to wind damage or an unplanned dismount.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Here's a closeup of my A99, installed in 1992!!

If it was me I would definitely get a new antenna.. I remember when I got out of the hobby, I took down my Antron 99 with the ground plain kit and it was very brittle , it was up for a long time though.. You cannot go wrong with a new antenna... Just my opinion.. Good luck on whatever you decide to do..

 

[Rick330man]

I have the Radio Shack version of the Big Stick. Shakespeare made it, dyed it blue and let Radio Shack sell it as the Crossbow. Get it:"Archer" brand selling a "Crossbow" antenna? The marketing guys must have been MBAs. I've also got an A99 and an IMAX2000. Anyways, my Crossbow/Big Stick is 35 years old. I thought it would have died a long time ago, but automotive loom and regular maintenance have beaten the odds.

To protect the fiberglass, I have always wrapped plastic automotive loom around the antenna. That way the plastic loom takes the beating from the UV rays, not the antenna. I think that's he main reason this 18' fiberglass antenna has lasted so long, but it is also built like a tank.

Other regular maintenance helps too. The antenna is 2 sections. I take it down every 3 to 5 years - depending on SWRs or hurricane threats. That's the time to take out the tuner cleaner and clean all of the connections - including the coax feed point. All connectors also get a new round of dielectric grease at the same time.

All of my fiberglass antennas get the same treatment. They all continue to work well.

 

[james braddy]

After such long time, you must switched to new Antenna. If you want to use ground plane chances are that you get high SWR reading. I would suggest you to buy SR-A10 Antenna. 10,000 watts power handling capability with multiple coil cover.
http://strykerradios.com/store/sr-a10-cb-antenna/

 

[Needle Bender]

I have the Radio Shack version of the Big Stick. Shakespeare made it, dyed it blue and let Radio Shack sell it as the Crossbow. Get it:"Archer" brand selling a "Crossbow" antenna? The marketing guys must have been MBAs. I've also got an A99 and an IMAX2000. Anyways, my Crossbow/Big Stick is 35 years old. I thought it would have died a long time ago, but automotive loom and regular maintenance have beaten the odds.

To protect the fiberglass, I have always wrapped plastic automotive loom around the antenna. That way the plastic loom takes the beating from the UV rays, not the antenna. I think that's he main reason this 18' fiberglass antenna has lasted so long, but it is also built like a tank.

Other regular maintenance helps too. The antenna is 2 sections. I take it down every 3 to 5 years - depending on SWRs or hurricane threats. That's the time to take out the tuner cleaner and clean all of the connections - including the coax feed point. All connectors also get a new round of dielectric grease at the same time.

All of my fiberglass antennas get the same treatment. They all continue to work well.

Just don't forget to twist the upper half CLOCKWISE to loosen it from the base. The geniuses with MBAs at Tandy decided you must not be able to use any other whip but theirs, nor should you be able to use their whip on any standard 3/8 x 24 mount.

REVERSE threads!

 

[222DBFL]

Here again some troll is posting mobile antennas in a base antenna conversation. James braddy you need to learn to read the entire thread instead of hastily posting a rebranded Wilson antenna for mobile use. Where do these guys come from?? Just want to stir the shizz Pot I suppose. At any rate, again, you need to read the thread before you just post. You wouldn't just drive through a stop sign would you? Then why post an antenna that has no relevance to what we are speaking about? Just sayin!!

 

[Rick330man]

Just don't forget to twist the upper half CLOCKWISE to loosen it from the base. The geniuses with MBAs at Tandy decided you must not be able to use any other whip but theirs, nor should you be able to use their whip on any standard 3/8 x 24 mount.

REVERSE threads!

I know about the reverse thread. Funny thing is that I also have a Shakespeare 176-1 marine CB antenna, the Crossbow's close cousin. The 176-1 has proper threads. So, I have two practically identical antennas but I can't swap or interchange the two key component parts.

My SWRs are just about flat on the Crossbow. I wish it got out a little better, but I can't complain about an antenna that has given me 35 years of reliable service.

 

[Brain the Dog]

I got a new antenna.

I think I want to put some clear coat on this A99 before I put it up. Can you link me to the exact kind of clear coat I should get? I know there's problem of putting a coat that has some metallic stuff in it, so I want to avoid that.

1. Do I put this clear coat on everything, including the GPK radials?

2. Does this clear coat protect from UV, or do I need an additive?

Thanks!

 

[PA629]

I've used spar varnish for this purpose, it contains a UV stabilizer for outdoor marine usage, plus it retains some degree of flexibility. Never had any issues with it.