i want a cb badly 11 57 posts Sep 04, 2008 3:06 PM	I was wanting to know my Antron 99 Antenna is mounted at 15 feet. Guys just a few miles away can squelch me out real easy. How high would i have to get this Antenna to be able to walk on some one instead of me being walked on. NOTE the antenna base section has some thing in it if you turn the base section to one end to another you will hear some thing inside slide from end to end what could this be ? Plus I am wanting to up grade my cobra 29 What is the best price effective radio the will tune up to really swing some watts ? Thank you
this_is_nascar 213 posts Sep 04, 2008 3:09 PM	I have an iMax 2000, which is similar to the A99. It's mounted on 15' worth of masting and sits on the ground. That means my antenna is about as low as you could go and I get out just fine. I've talked well locally and have shoot skip to just about anyone that I could hear. If you haven't already purchased the A99, I'd suggest the iMax-2000 instead. ---------- "... it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go."
foosball 2 posts Sep 04, 2008 3:46 PM	The Anton is a decent antenna i know many who own and operate them and they get out good. if your squelched or keyed out you just lack power in your radio or your SWR's are not low enough try and get those SWR's 1.3:1 or lower on all channels! there is also an upgrade to that antron that works very well made by firestik from what i am told and hear locally DX and RX is improved enough to warrant the $20-$25 cost. the antenna is already 1/2 wave over 1/4 wave and the upgrade just replaces the top section which is 5/8 wave. if there is something rattling around in the base it could be a number of things like wire or solder etc.... http://www.firestik.com/Catalog/FS99-W.htm http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=7582
i want a cb badly 11 58 posts Sep 04, 2008 3:49 PM	so i souuldn't worry about it then much
Bazooka Joe 2 posts Sep 04, 2008 5:07 PM	If your looking to stay cost effective how about trying one of Al's Cobra29 LTD Black Chrome HP's and change that Antron out for an iMax 2000 at 15'. What are the locals running?
Butcher318 398 posts Sep 04, 2008 5:20 PM	When you talk at night on a quiet channel you should be able to talk 8-10 miles easy mobile to base. Have you checked your SWR?
this_is_nascar 216 posts Sep 04, 2008 6:42 PM	Don't get me wrong, more height is always better. If you have the ability to get that sucker (either one) up in the air 30', 40', 50', then go for it. It WILL make a difference. My particular situation doesn't allow me (my choice) to go much higher than I am right now and like I said, I talk just fine. To be honest, the only incentive that I have for maybe wanting to get a bit higher is on my receive end. I can transmit to wherever I want for the most part, but if I can't hear to I'm attempting to talk to, it doesn't do much good. The point of my post is that go as high as you can. If you can only get several feet off the ground, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the hobby anyway and do some level of talking. ---------- "... it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, it's what you leave behind you when you go."
Sparky President 311 posts Sep 04, 2008 7:30 PM	Lets not forget...conditions. Lets face it, there are good and bad days on the radio depending on the atmosphere. Nascar is 100% correct..higher is ALWAYS better (at 27 Mhz anyway). Lets face it, if your running a tuned up Cobra 29 as a Base Station (Which you are) and even if your antenna is on the roof of a single family house (Which I don't think it's that high) there will ALWAYS be a station 8-10 miles away that can 'Squelch you out' as you state. The bottom line is this...if you want BIG Radios, it takes BIG Watts, coupled with a HIGH antenna that has some gain. Yes the Imax is a better antenna than the A-99. BUT..and it's a BIG but, for all intents and purposes for the distance you are talking, at the height the antenna is at...I doubt there would be much, if any difference noted at the receiving end. If you think 'Conditions' don't matter...this is a true story. While I was in college in Massachusetts I live in a second floor dorm. Not being able to have much of an antenna system I had a K-40 MAgnetic Antenna HORZ. on my closet door with a barefoot Cobra 148 GTL. I was able to work most of Europe on SSB, and talked all over the USA on AM...all with 18-20 watts and an indoor antenna......Power is nice, but it isn't everything. Sparky OWNER-PART TIME TECHNICIAN-FLOOR SWEEPER
i want a cb badly 11 60 posts Sep 04, 2008 7:56 PM	Yes conditions do matter i guess i was jumping to gun before i got the antron i had a magnet antenna on the rof not the hustler whip you sold me and was able to talk 20 miles away
starjammer 59 posts Sep 04, 2008 10:07 PM	Since I have not had an Imax I can only talk about the Antron 99. When I had my base station I used an Antron 99 on a 10ft section of mast pipe which was on the ground. I sat the 99 down inside the top of the pipe and let it rest on the tuning rings. I ran my coax up the inside of the pipe. Running no power I talked and exchanged QSL cards all over Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Like Sparky said it's all about conditions more than anything else. If conditions are not right, you can use all the power you want and still not get many contacts. But the A-99 did a fantastic job for me. My swr was low from 26 to 28mhz. I bought it new and never once had to tune the rings to adjust my swr. There is no doubt that I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. But that is just my own experience with it. No matter which one you have or get it will serve you well if taken care of. ---------- 2AR101 My little barefoot mobile SS-158EDX SkyThumper ST-65DX Wilson 1000 Workman HP 201S Uniden Bearcat ext speaker Last Edited on 4-Sep-2008 10:09 PM
Secret Squirrel 70 posts Sep 04, 2008 10:22 PM	This is a bit of a screwly question, but If you lay an A99 on its side will it function like an end fed line and be directional? The thought of putting an A99 in my attic has come to mind. That would put it at about 30 feet up. Thank you, Secret Squirrel
badfast11 30 posts Sep 05, 2008 12:49 AM	most of us in danville run boxesin danville plus we all run on the a-99 plus were all in danville and ur in westville john aka intemidator ch.07
Bubba 436 posts Sep 05, 2008 8:28 AM	Hey Sparky,,,,, are you sure you got your date right on your days in college ? Did not think they had electricity back then !!! :) :) :) Email Bubba
i want a cb badly 11 62 posts Sep 05, 2008 12:54 PM	i was offered a 1000 watt linear i would have bought it he would have droped the pric to 160 instead of 200 i'm strugling to get on the air
Butcher318 399 posts Sep 05, 2008 1:58 PM	It's probably best you did not buy that amplifier. Just because someone tells you it's 1000 watts does not mean thats what it really is or can do. That kind of power will cost more then 200 bucks trust me. If it was an old tube amp it probably needed new tubes, they are very expensive and hard to find. The solution to what you want is not a 1000 watt amplifier. With an antenna low to the ground and big watts you will tear into every TV, computer speaker, and stereo in the whole neighborhood. 1) Get your antenna as high as possible. 2) Run a properly tuned radio. 3) Make sure your system is grounded, and has good SWR's 4) A small 250 watt amplifier ona power supply will do fine 5) You might need a tvi or low pass filter as well.
Ghost Rider 58 posts Sep 14, 2008 9:14 PM	Hey Sand Man.....I guess alot would depend on the terrain around where you would set it up......My advice would be call Al at the number at the top of this screen and tell him what you have in mind.....He's a swell dude that puts his customers first.....I'm betting he could build you a radio and you wouldn't even need an amp for the range you are wanting.I talk those distances easily with either of the 2 radios barefoot that I got from him.