Hf Whip Antenna
Submitted: Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 17:02
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res.q.guy
Through posts on this site, I have come across tapped hf whip antenna's for the VKS-737 4wd network, that are made by Frankston & District Amature Radio Club (www.qsl.net.vk3frc). They are about $120 . Has anyone used one ? or does anyone have a comment on them. I am new to
hf radio and just purchased a 2nd hand Codan 8525 and now looking at options, for a whip antenna.
Thanks in advance
Neil
Reply By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 17:11
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 17:11
They work ok. If venturing into rough territory where there may be a lot of whipping around either take it off or use a spring. I had a problem where the enamel wire fractured about 3 cm from the base, easily fixed but didn't have the gear with me in the bush. Very good value antenna...fully recommended
AnswerID:
127966
Reply By: Willem - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 19:15
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 19:15
I have a 20 tap whip antenna and new spring which I bought through Transceiver
Services in
Adelaide. It cost $380 all up including freight, The aerial alone cost $316. So if the one you are looking at for $120 looks robust enough, it is a good deal!
AnswerID:
127990
Reply By: hanson - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 19:20
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 19:20
if the wire breaks, just get the right amount of 2.65ml high tensile fencing wire ... works. We have a vineyard so plenty of wire, and have snapped two proper antennaes, coming into a low carport
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Follow Up By: Footloose - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 21:35
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 21:35
You're talking about replacing the steel whip end of an autotune aerial but the thread was on whip aerials.
Anyone who replaces a whip aerial with a bit of fencing wire would need around 30ft of wire on 737 channel 2 !
FollowupID:
382616
Follow Up By: Footloose - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 21:37
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 21:37
Unless the whip end has a tuning spike and you were referring to that ?
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382617
Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 22:25
Friday, Sep 02, 2005 at 22:25
It does have a tuning spike but that's not what I was refering to above. I had to strip some of the heat shrink do a repair on the thin enamel wire and apply more heat shrink, easy job but the hardest part was finding the facture. It was impossible to see with the naked eye but the multimeter soon tracked it down.
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382624
Reply By: Member - Banjo The First (SA) - Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 09:18
Saturday, Sep 03, 2005 at 09:18
Yep - mainstream plastic coated professional tapped whips (more a pole than a whip - they re not "whippy") are expensive, but very robust. The $120 is attractive and might be the go if you take good care of it. Don't forget that as a back-up, a length of thin wire can serve as a very good antenna (should your main unit break) - I'm staff with VKS737 - we have a guide to calculating wire lengths on our site - in the PDF's section. As long as you have at least a few metres of wire connected you won't harm the radio - the adjusted length gets you "in tune" with the frequency you are trying to use. Different frequency - different wire length - I carry a bit of stainless wire tuned for 8022 Khz, as a spare.
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