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Newbie with a wire dipole
Greetings,
I've got me an RCA CB Co pilot 14T303 with a workman BS-1 dipole antenna pinnes up in an inverted v outside my window. I recieve just fine, but my transmit is horrible. I can't get a radio check from any of the truckers up on the interstate (1/8 mi. from my house). I get a barely audible signal monitoring from the other side of the house. When I transmit I'm getting only the tiniest nudge on my s/mod meter. Is my radio shot? of is it just the cheap antenna? Any help with this dilemna would be greatly appreaciated. Killdagger |
Killdagger,
Actually it could be either or both. There are a number of things that could be wrong, but starting with the radio, try another antenna to see what happens. If the output is good then I'd take a look at the antenna. There's nothing 'wrong' with using a dipole, they're good antennas (no matter what they cost). If the 'match' between radio/feed line and antenna is bad it usually will reduce the signal you transmit but will very seldom reduce it as much as you say is happening. Another thing you might consider is the polarity of the dipole. Hung as an inverted 'V' it will be horizontally polarized, which will further reduce your signal (if the guy's antenna on the other end is vertical). That only happens at fairly short distances, on long distances the polarity changes after the fist 'skip'. After the first 'skip' you really don't have any idea of what the polarization is... 'Doc |
Well, I checked the SWR. 1.5 @ ch.1 and a hair below 2 on 40. As for
the inverted dipole, do you reccommend i mount it as an 'L'? Thanks R 'Doc wrote in message ... Killdagger, Actually it could be either or both. There are a number of things that could be wrong, but starting with the radio, try another antenna to see what happens. If the output is good then I'd take a look at the antenna. There's nothing 'wrong' with using a dipole, they're good antennas (no matter what they cost). If the 'match' between radio/feed line and antenna is bad it usually will reduce the signal you transmit but will very seldom reduce it as much as you say is happening. Another thing you might consider is the polarity of the dipole. Hung as an inverted 'V' it will be horizontally polarized, which will further reduce your signal (if the guy's antenna on the other end is vertical). That only happens at fairly short distances, on long distances the polarity changes after the fist 'skip'. After the first 'skip' you really don't have any idea of what the polarization is... 'Doc |
killdagger wrote: Well, I checked the SWR. 1.5 @ ch.1 and a hair below 2 on 40. As for the inverted dipole, do you reccommend i mount it as an 'L'? I do have to laugh that people think 1:1 is the holy grail, that they won't be heard if they have 1.5:1. Resonance is more important then impedance. Height _is_ the most important factor for antennas. Height is might! |
Radioman wrote:
killdagger wrote: Well, I checked the SWR. 1.5 @ ch.1 and a hair below 2 on 40. As for the inverted dipole, do you reccommend i mount it as an 'L'? I do have to laugh that people think 1:1 is the holy grail, that they won't be heard if they have 1.5:1. Resonance is more important then impedance. Height _is_ the most important factor for antennas. Height is might! Rockin..run non resonant guy wires to the W/SW if you go high(er). -- http://NewsReader.Com/ 50 GB/Month |
In ,
(killdagger) wrote: Greetings, I've got me an RCA CB Co pilot 14T303 with a workman BS-1 dipole antenna pinnes up in an inverted v outside my window. I recieve just fine, but my transmit is horrible. I can't get a radio check from any of the truckers up on the interstate (1/8 mi. from my house). I get a barely audible signal monitoring from the other side of the house. When I transmit I'm getting only the tiniest nudge on my s/mod meter. Is my radio shot? of is it just the cheap antenna? Any help with this dilemna would be greatly appreaciated. Killdagger I'm thinking that the final is shot, and what little RF being transmitted is coming from the driver. If you have a multimeter, put the meter inline with the power supply and measure the current being used by the radio in both transmit and receive (with the volume down). With a good radio, transmit should draw at least one amp more than receive. If it doesn't, the final is probably bad. -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
killdagger, You might give it a try, it certainly can't hurt anything. You also might try other configurations you have the space for. As long as you don't double the legs of a dipole back onto themselves, 'shape' isn't too critical. As for the SWR, well, it sounds about normal to me. The 'low SWR readings from daylight to dark' type antennas are the ones that sound 'unnatural', it just doesn't happen that way unless there's a reason. That reason is usually lower efficiency. You just don't get something for nothing, and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 'Doc |
In , 'Doc wrote:
killdagger, You might give it a try, it certainly can't hurt anything. You also might try other configurations you have the space for. As long as you don't double the legs of a dipole back onto themselves, 'shape' isn't too critical. As for the SWR, well, it sounds about normal to me. The 'low SWR readings from daylight to dark' type antennas are the ones that sound 'unnatural', it just doesn't happen that way unless there's a reason. That reason is usually lower efficiency. You just don't get something for nothing, and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 'Doc Hey Doc, you sound like a politician with all that "I don't know what is wrong but I'll try and sound like I do" bull****. Do you have an answer that doesn't sound like you are on the Democratic ticket? Post it! -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
Hrm.. Wonder where Frankie's intelligent reply is...
Oh, wait, I guess this is it, as this is the best he can manage. -SSB Frank Gilliland wrote: In , 'Doc wrote: killdagger, You might give it a try, it certainly can't hurt anything. You also might try other configurations you have the space for. As long as you don't double the legs of a dipole back onto themselves, 'shape' isn't too critical. As for the SWR, well, it sounds about normal to me. The 'low SWR readings from daylight to dark' type antennas are the ones that sound 'unnatural', it just doesn't happen that way unless there's a reason. That reason is usually lower efficiency. You just don't get something for nothing, and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 'Doc Hey Doc, you sound like a politician with all that "I don't know what is wrong but I'll try and sound like I do" bull****. Do you have an answer that doesn't sound like you are on the Democratic ticket? Post it! -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
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