#Gainmaster
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- #Gainmaster #Sirio #CBradio
The Gainmaster in my location works exceptionally well compared to all the other homebase antennas I have tried out,
The next best antenna I have used is the IMax 2000 but it is still too noisy with about a signal 3 to 4 on the incoming signal.
I compared both the IMax and Gainmaster over a three month period and the Gainmaster out performed the IMax 2000 by at least 1 S point over land contacts and the IMax was nowhere near as good as the Gainmaster on the skip contacts, As for the other 5/8th waves I tried like the Sirio 2016 and Sirio 827 the Venom Silver Rod and the Starduster they were all good antennas but just too noisy on the incoming signal, the Venom being the worst offender with an incoming signal of S8
These were my observations for my location so I cannot speak for anyone else who has used these antennas. trying different antennas the Gainmaster definitely impressed me on both land contacts and it was most impressive on the skip.
In all my time on the radio the Gainmaster has impressed me more than any other antenna.
The winner for my location is the Sirio Gainmaster 5/8th wave, other stations may have had better results than me with the other antennas I have mentioned here in their location, we have to remember what works for some may not work for others.
![[Full Episode] MasterChef Junior Thailand มาสเตอร์เชฟ จูเนียร์ ประเทศไทย Season 3 Episode 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8kldrPPsDZs/mqdefault.jpg)
I am jealous of your lack of unwanted noise. Hopefully your video will help others when choosing a base antenna. Unfortunately for me, I am unable to mount an antenna like that at that height, I have to make do with indoor antennas.. which impacts the noise problem. A neighbour's daughter moved out a couple of days ago and my noise level has dropped from S7+ to S3 to 4 now which is great. She must of taken with her an offending electrical item.
Im sorry to hear you can't put up an antenna.. what is your predicament.. is it a landlord problem or something else.. have you got trees near you the Tlt2 line trap antenna you can hang in a tree or off a roach pole are fantastic antennas and work extremely well they are very cheap too, i have worked the world on one.. glad your noise has dropped i had the same problem with a neighbour years ago, the amount of noise made it impossible for me to hear anything.. they moved too and my noise sat at two to three on the meter from over nine plus day and night..
I've tried various antennas which have cost me lots and some of those antennas are excellent, but i was shocked with how much less noise i got from the Gainmaster i still maintain it's down to being DC grounded.. others will have their point of view and i appreciate their opinions, but for me it works in my local and im happy about that, we never had this problem years ago so coming back on the air after a break i was amazed at the level of noise.
@@DeltaXray444 Housing association and local rules stop me putting an antenna high.. plus one awkward neighbour that I have had legal issues with in the past.. I just do not want any more hassle from him. I am mostly happy with my stealth antennas in the loft, nobody other than my wife knows what I do ;) Apart from picking up noise I am doing ok on them.
I do have a T2LT which I use on a telescopic pole for occasional portable use, and yes it works well. I might try making a DC grounded wire antenna similar to the gainmaster at some point to see what it is like here, but will be horizonal loft mounted again though.
@@2E0LMI Ahh i understand now Neal, the dreaded neighbour problem i get you, I've been there before in the past, just remember though that situation may not be forever..
Id say go for it and try the build, when i came back on i listened for a while to what antenna's others were using and listened to them talking about the benefits of what worked for them, so i tried what others were using but always had the noise issue, i did a lot of research and watched many TH-cam videos and came to the conclusion that those using a DC grounded antennas had much less noise that was plain to see, i watched the video with the Gainmaster v's the Sirio 2016 and noticed the noise level was so much lower on the GM so i took the plunge and ordered the Gainmaster, there is no way im saying which antenna is better im not into antenna wars like some folks are i just wanted results.. the Gainmaster worked for me, For the guy down the road it may not is all im saying.
@@2E0LMI Ive been reading about that TL2T antenna, i hear they are very good antennas, cant seem to find one here in the USA.🇺🇸
Try a MFJ 915 ferrite blaun. They do wonders to filter stray RF
😮my 5/8 gainmaster went south and i can no longer get to that antenna due to my age and health. But when it worked it was friggin fantastic. Swr was perfect. Excellent dxing. I bought a sirio 827 and will install in the spring.
I have tried a few antennas over time to evaluate them here are a few the IMAX 2000 the Sirio 827 and the president Himalaya WB and the Super Penetrator and im currently using the Sirio 2016.. I still say the Gainmaster performs better than all of them..
From 3rd to 1st in my opinion is the Himalaya WB the 2016 and then tops is the Gainmaster.. I tried each over a six month period.. at some point I will be putting the Gainmaster back up.
By coiling up about 4 turns at about 12 inch loop of your coax just below the feed point on your aluminum antennas,secured with some quality zip ties, you can "Decouple" the RF from the antenna to your transiever, which will eliminate the unwanted noise. The Gainmaster achieves the same results by the red coiled base load which is designed to Decouple RF on the transmission line.👍
Sorry Eric for some reason I found this comment in my withheld comments section..
Yes you are right on all accounts, you are wise young grasshopper 😂😂
@@DeltaXray444 when you can walk on rice paper, you may go!!!🤣👍
@@ericdee6802 😂😂😂
Very Interesting video, ive tried a Hawkins thunderbolt SSD58+ which is basically a naked gain master, also an imax 2000, but as you say its different for everybody. They both bought in same amount of noise , which i get about S5, ive sort of learned to live with it , but the imax hopefully will be going higher at some point. My antenna arrangment is somewhat complecated as i live in a block of flats , so if and when it does go higher i might just get over that noise.
Hi there, As stated in the video i have used several very good antennas when i set back up, although they all performed very well on transmit my noise floor was pretty bad at certain times of the day, when i watched a few comparison video's of others using the Gainmaster against some of those I'd bought before i noticed their noise floor was lower, i spent a fair bit of money on the other antenna's and with the Gainmaster being more expensive i was in two minds to fork out even more cash, (i think sometimes this hobby is like a money pit) but different antenna's work differently for stations in there locations so i decided to try the Gainmaster just to see if it would lower the noise floor, i was actually blown away by how much the noise floor decreased.
I also chose this particular radio because it can be noisy on receive and the filters not being as good as other rigs i have, there is no way I'm saying the Gainmaster is a better antenna than the others but it does out perform the other antennas for me in my location, and i think that's the point I'm trying to make in this video.. location plays a big part in how we receive signals and all antenna's work differently when set up in other locations.
The Imax 2000 was the next best antenna i used for less noise, it was then i realised both the Imax and Gainmaster were both DC grounded antenna's, i still think personally this does make a difference to much reduced static and PLT noise, most noise we get comes in on the vertical and with both the Imax and Gainmaster neither antennas are connected to the mast including the feed line so being DC grounded i think it reduces the noise much better overall.. as we know the vast majority of noise comes in through the antenna and feed line.. i have still grounded the coax and mast as a secondary precaution to bleed off any stray RF interference..
Another thing you mention there about increasing the height of your Imax.. i found that lifting the base of the Imax and the Gainmaster above the roof also significantly reduced noise, it's down to the near field effect of the antenna and what is close to it which effects the antennas performance.. so getting the antenna in the clear and away from the reflection of the roof and nearby obstacles definitely reduces noise, i have my Gainmaster at 36 feet (one full wavelength) and nine feet above the roof this also lowered my swr and across 27mhz the needle doesn't even move so its a 1.0 across the entire band.
It was all a steep learning curve for me as id forgotten many aspects of how to tune an antenna after being away from the hobby for over two decades..
Btw my Imax is now on the ground around six inches off the grass and i have put in about 20 copper wire ground radials laying and pegged down to the lawn, i have worked most of the world on the skip using the Imax in that position, im not too bothered about ground wave contacts as ive always been a skip chaser and more interested in using propagation for my contacts, so it's definitely not about height when it comes to dxing. The Imax on the ground works absolutely brilliant. I only mention this as you mentioned you qth, so if this is an option for you to ground mount your Imax or any other antenna you may want to use this method works extremely well..
I built my own Gainmaster clone which is on a telescopic roach pole this too is ground mounted like the Imax and also works very good..
All in all having a DC mounted antenna type and away from nearby obstacles reduces the incoming noise a lot also grounding makes a big difference too, by that i mean grounding everything like rig, psu, feed line, mast, ect ect..
Funny thing is years ago i never bothered with any of that and still worked the world on a dv27 nailed onto the garden shed at around six feet high.. I've learnt many things in my time in the hobby, I've read up on so much research with what works and what not to do, regardless off who says what i do my own thing and try to see what experiments work, its all a learning curve, and as ive said before what people say and what works for them may not work for me or even you in our locations.. sorry if i rambled on i just enjoy exchanging peoples ideas and listening to other people's opinions and taking on board the things that help us.. it's what gets us to where we need to be, and if i can be helpful with the limited knowledge i have learnt over time it can be helpful to others who may come across this thread..
Have a good day, and stay safe. Best 73.
@@DeltaXray444 No problem in the rant. Fingers crossed my noise floor will lower when i get the imax higher. I have done a video on my situation. I cant put it near the ground any where in my situation, but i do really well on the TX from my spot but just my damn recieve on ground wave and dx.I would be happier if noise levels dropped, but think im getting alot of reflection from my flat. Deffiantly a great hobby to experiment with. I tried a 3 ele beam on my balcony, like yourself I want to try these things for myself, you never know just might find that sweet spot one day while tinkering. Good luck and best 73 bud.
@Maverick Chester hi Maverick, I don't do personal builds as I simply have no time with work commitments.. but here is a link from eBay and this is just what you are looking for, these Gainmaster clones are fantastic antenna and is exactly what you need, also it would be just as cheap to buy one of these thunderbolts as it would be for me to make and post one out to you.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hawkins-Radio-Thunderbolt-SSD58-5-8th-Wave-10-12M-CB-Portable-Antenna-SOTA-IOTA-/304229827890?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
Same here Allan agree
Hi 👋🏻
I use both the half wave and 5/8 Hawkins Thunderbolts and find hey out perform all the other antennas I have used at my present location.
As it’s been said, you have to find the antenna that works for your situation, needs and location.
Good luck with your search. 😊
Smexy hands Glenn lmao. Great videos tho I'm enjoying them 😊
Thanx Melanie xx .. im watching you 👀
Used the gainmaster for 5 years with no issues over done the power and had too repair the antenna as internal wire had melted due too running 600watts accidentally 🙈 did repair the antenna and have kept as a spare as put up the Sirio 2016 that works well but will see
If in winter if can handle the high winds living coastal in Tenby wales like the gainmaster 5/8 handle well only time will tell . I do still have good rx with the Sirio 2016
Hi Darren, when i came back on the air around seven months ago i tried many antennas, they were all relatively good especially the 2016 and 827, but the problem i had was noise and always between 5-7-9 on a bad day, it wasn't directly the antennas to blame i have a tram line not far from my location and as the trams would go by you could see the signal rise as the tram got near and lower as the tram moved away.. they run in tandem each way so every six minutes i had a terrible noise from the tram lines.. that was my main problem aside the fact the antennas seemed to bring in all sorts of cracks pops and whistles..
Watching others do a comparisons on TH-cam video's with other antenna's against the Gainmaster i noticed straight away the noise was much lower, so i decided to get a Gainmaster, it didn't disappoint me, i saw an immediate drop off in noise altogether, i think it's because it's DC grounded as it explains in the paperwork.. other than that the difference in incoming signal and transmit was better.. so for me in my location the Gainmaster out performed all the others hands down across the board..
Im not saying the others antennas are bad because they really are great antennas, but for me in my location the Gainmaster is better for me,
I also run an Imax 2000 and they are said to be DC grounded too, but the noise coming in on that is about the same if not a little less than the aluminium antennas..
Different strokes for different folks and locations i guess.. but I'm happy with the Gainmaster and it blows me away on the skip.
That Gainmaster will sure make the signal nice and clear.
Hi JoJo, i think most of the time personal preference and what people use for their antennas is down to them and what they like.. i would rather go with what works best for me in my location, after all with a radio station it is about optimization and getting out and receiving the best we can,
There's an old saying "you can have the best stereo system money can buy, but if the speakers hooked to it are rubbish it will sound crap" lol xx
@@DeltaXray444 You are so wise. I wonder which country you'll meet next.
@@joanneb8291 im still trying for Scotland but im sure the last time i peeped over Hadrian's wall they were still trying to invent the wheel 😂😂🤣
@@DeltaXray444 Weel weel I am surprised at you lol
@@joanneb8291 😂😂🤣❤️
İ had an Solarcon Antron A99 fibre optic antenna which works okay but now with the Gain Master from Sirio i too have no unwanted electrical noise and when there is propogation i can talk to other countries. This Sirio Gain Master is awesome and i highly recommend it!
I've just put up a Sirio 2016 and it's incredible the amount of unwanted noise that comes in.. I rate the Gainmaster as probably the best antenna I've ever used for low noise.. at some point in the new year and after trying many other antennas I will be putting the Gainmaster back up.
Glad you like it they are an awesome antenna and have the ears of a bat.
Very good report and I agree.
Thank you, your comment is much appreciated, I hope it's not too hot for you down there in Texas, best regards 73.
Did you try turning down the RF gain with the other antenna? Some more balanced antenna do have a lower noise floor or are less prone to certain types of interference some might be deaf. Ground planes or the height above ground depending on frequency and antenna type change the take off angle, so height above ground does effect skip transmissions as it can change your take off angle. You just might end up seeing signals from a different area to what you are used to, obviously not much use if often averaging zones in the middle of the ocean, this depends on where you are located and where you are trying to contact when conditions are good. So each different antenna has a different take off angle depending on it's height above ground but mainly it's height above ground vs frequency to calculate the take off angle.
I agree with you, I have experimented over time and realised by pulling the antenna down a few feet my take off angle did improve..
So from the UK and being only 48 feet asl I have had contacts world wide from north and south America east and west to Australia the middle east north of Canada into Alaska as far over as Mongolia all of Russia and virtually everywhere in Europe to Chile Ecuador Brasil.. West Indies.. the reach is better now after moving it up and down and getting a feeling of what height works best.. I don't seem to struggle.. the two places that evade me are China and Japan but I know from fellow operator's it can be done but then again they are using flat side with huge yagies..
For an omnidirectional antenna I cannot fault it..
At the moment I'm using a President Himalaya halfwave and seem to be still getting all those places and the antenna is at the same height.. I have the antenna mounted in a way I can lift or lower so if other operators tell me certain countries are coming in on particular frequencies I can test for myself if a different height matters to obtain those contacts..
It's hard work doing that but fine tuning the height of the antenna for certain areas on the bounce into the horizon can make a difference but I think most of the time if you get the antenna lined up with the horizon and mother nature is playing ball anywhere is possible regardless of what antenna either mobile antenna or homebase anyone uses she will propagate anywhere if the conditions are there..
O FE10V da marca italiana Grazioli é uma antena de onda 5/8 para a banda de 10m e 11m. Com o projeto do FE10V, o ponto de partida foi projetar uma antena extremamente robusta e de alto desempenho. Onde alta potência e baixo ângulo de feixe são uma obrigação, isso degenerou em uma antena com características únicas que você não vê com outras antenas no mercado. O Grazioli FE10V tem uma potência de 5000Watt (CW) contínuo all-mode.
Material e construção
Para os tubos da Grazioli FE10V, a Grazioli utilizou o melhor material disponível para fabricar antenas. O FE10V consiste em liga de alumínio, magnésio e silício chamada AW6063-T66 endurecida ao status T66. Isso dá à antena uma resistência excepcional que é alcançada por extrusão e, em seguida, tração a frio. Os elementos do tubo são muito precisos para o diâmetro e espessura da parede, permitindo o acoplamento preciso com o mínimo de jogo possível entre os tubos.
O Ground Plane consiste em 4 radiais telescópicos fortes "Full-Quarter Wave" com um comprimento de 270cm cada, que são equipados com um acessório de fixação com diâmetro e espessura de 13 x 1,25mm e 10 x 1mm. Esses radiais são fixados à placa de suporte por meio de dois parafusos em U e porcas autotravantes. São incluídos 4 reforços de fibra de vidro que devem ser inseridos na parte principal do tubo para fortalecer as juntas e evitar beliscões.
Bobina "Q" alta
A bobina tem um papel fundamental no que diz respeito à correspondência de impedância e transmissão máxima de RF, a forma dada pela relação comprimento e diâmetro, o passo entre as bobinas, o material e diâmetro do fio e a presença ou ausência de núcleos metálicos determinam internamente o fator de mérito "Q". Q significa o fator qualidade. Simplificando; quanto maior o número "Q" da bobina, mais perdas de alta frequência sem núcleos metálicos, com uma relação L/D de 1,3 e bobinas amplamente espaçadas permitindo que um valor Q de aproximadamente 2500 seja obtido a uma frequência de 28MHz, enquanto as melhores antenas concorrentes não chegam a 1500.
Isso se traduz na máxima eficiência e na capacidade de suportar alta potência de RF. Além disso, a bobina está diretamente conectada ao solo, o que reduz significativamente os distúrbios atmosféricos e o ruído de fundo.
Conector UHF
O Grazioli FE10V é equipado com seu próprio conector que é projetado e fabricado pela Grazoli. Portanto, não o padrão comercial SO-239. Possui impedância real de 50 Ohms e pode ser utilizado até 500MHz. O objetivo era criar um conector que fosse confiável e pudesse suportar 5000Watt de potência contínua CW a 30MHz.
O corpo é feito de latão niquelado CW614N, enquanto o pino é banhado a ouro 24K para evitar oxidação e equipado com um isolante de 4 barras que mantém sua centralização e elasticidade, evitando a perda de contato. A parte isolante é feita de PTFE, um dos melhores materiais isolantes devido às suas excepcionais propriedades elétricas e térmicas. Pense em baixa constante dielétrica e fator de perda reduzido e temperatura de operação de -100 a +260 graus. Finalmente, o conector é protegido por um acabamento de elastômero especial que impede a penetração de umidade.
Suporte de âncora
O suporte de ancoragem fornecido é feito de aço inoxidável AII1304 de 2,5 mm de espessura e é fixado ao mastro da antena por meio de um sistema de braçadeira/trava, criando um bloco mecânico muito robusto.
RESSONANTE "Full-Quarter Wave"
A partir de simulações eletromagnéticas, realizadas por Grazioli e também validadas por testes instrumentais comparativos, este plano terrestre é amplamente utilizado para a maioria das antenas (das bandas HF a UHF), o desempenho em termos de ângulo horizontal de radiação máxima ou Decolagem é significativamente melhor. Eles compararam duas antenas 5/8 idênticas, uma com um GP consistindo de 8 radianos NÃO-RESSONANTES de 1/8 lambda (cerca de 1,35 m de comprimento), e um com um GP de 4 radianos ressonantes de 1/4 lambda (cerca de 270 cm de comprimento). nas mesmas condições de instalação.
O resultado de seu teste foi que a versão com 4 radianos ressonantes 1/4 lambda sempre atinge um ângulo máximo de feixe ou decolagem de cerca de 4° ou 5° mais baixo, o que permite uma melhoria significativa nas conexões DX de longa distância.
Características Grazioli FE10V 5/8 antena base de onda
Faixa de frequência: 26,0 a 30,0 MHz (personalizável)
Tipo elétrico: 5/8 onda (alimentação central)
Ganho: 1,50 dBd - 3,65 dBi
VSWR: ≤1.2:1
Largura de banda: ≥ 1,4 MHz a 26MHz / ≥ 1,6 MHz a 30 MHz
Potência máxima: 5000 Watts (CW) contínuo em todos os modos
Impedância: 50 Ohms
Polarização: Linear Vertical
Materiais: Liga de alumínio AW6063-T66, fibra de vidro, latão, PTFE. Todo o hardware fabricado a partir de SS AISI-304 e 316
Montagem em um mastro
Indicado para postes com diâmetro de Ø: 40 a 54 mm
Resistência máxima ao vento: 130 km/h
Conector da antena: UHF-Fêmea (isolador de PTFE e pino central banhado a ouro)
Altura: 763cm (incluindo suporte)
Peso: 6000 gramas
Comprimento dos radianos: 2700 mm
Dimensões do pacote: 14 x 14 x 145cm
Peso do pacote: 7,3 kg
Esta é uma excelente antena, tenho uma e estou muito feliz com ela..!! 73´s
My £35 silver rod on my tower block works for me😁
I have a silver rod, they are a good tried and tested antenna, compared to a Gainmaster though they don't pull in signals anywhere near as good and the Gainmaster also the with its low radiated angle towards the horizon work extremely well on the skip. I use my silver rod when chew ragging to the locals, although ive had some good distant contacts on it too.
@@DeltaXray444 my silver rod took a proper battering up on the roof. I'm about to take it down to replace it with a fibreglass antenna (stronger) I'm going with the THUNDERPOLE GALAXY 5/8 wave
Mine is down now.. im replacing it with a president Himalaya half wave.. those thunderpole galaxy 5/8th waves are said to be a very strong antenna but an odd one to swr.. i wish you luck with it and please let me know how you get on.. have you watched simonthewizards video on the thunderpole.
@@DeltaXray444 How are you finding the President Himalaya antenna? you dont see many reviews on these?
It's probably the best antenna I have used when I take down the siro 2016 later this year I will be putting one back up..
They do work well.
I also have the SS6900N & SS9900 into a ⅝w GM, but I will turndown my RF Gain slightly and still hey good Dx into the US & Canada on a daily basis.
I had a Silver Rod ⅝w beforehand which was much better being aluminium at reducing static, whereas the GM being pvc tuning tends to help the static increase, in my opinion and up around 30ft.
I still have an Ultimax 100 to try out on Fm, only an 8m Efhw, hoping for some good results even on 11m. 73's. 407 Mcr 👋 Uk
Sounds like you have a good setup.. I tend to try and use an antenna that is made of copper.. Copper is electrically more than twice the conductivity of aluminium and why the vast majority of hams use a copper wire.. people misunderstand fibre glass antennas like the Gainmaster which is actually made from very high quality de-oxygenised copper and the fibre glass is only the rod that holds it up.. the antenna is the wire inside the fibre glass has nothing to do with the performance of the antenna..
The GM needs to be way up and have nothing in it's near field to work at it's best.. many people do not erect them high enough they have to be in the clear and at least ten feet above the roof then they come into there own with the way they work..
For my location the GM worked better than any other antenna but that is not to say they will work better than other antennas in other locations..
I have used three GM's and each one had low noise and the Swr was flat across 11 meters.. a funny thing is that sirio themselves state on their own website that the GM is the best antenna they have built to date and will out perform all their other antennas.. how the tests were conducted by them I have no idea..
All antenna in there measured respected categories will perform about the same.. for example all half waves will perform relatively the same as any other half wave, the same for all 5/8th waves and so on..
The main difference why antennas seem to perform better than others is down to environment like ground effect or positioning or height or near field effect amongst many other things..
We all experience the different attributed differences with any antenna we use.. what works excellent for one person may become a nightmare for another..
Experimentation is the key with multiple antennas to see what works for us..
Cool video Glenn buddy!
Thank you for your support John you are always appreciated my friend 🤟
I live in the countryside with not to much around me & have had a gainmaster antenna & a 2016 antenna , The gainmaster after a few years up had a lot of cracking the hole length & apart from that was not to bad apart from when there was very high winds in the bad weather, Then one year it just had enough & breaked in half , The 2016 for me was a lot better all round & much quiteter & after six years up high was like new , & i have never seen a TV antennas made out of fibreglass i wonder why ? & i know most ships have fibreglass antennas , So for me its down to location & luck i believe & your going to get so many different answers .
They only crack at the place where you tighten them up if someone over tightens the clip.. they only need pinching up with a firm hand twist..
You don't see fibre glass TV antennas because there are no antennas made from fibre glass.. please read on..
Also the misconception on radio I hear all the time even from ticket holders about fibre glass antennas is wrong, they think it's the fibre glass pole that is the antenna.. I have to remind them it's the copper wire inside that is the radiator/antenna and not the fibre glass as that is just the conduit that hold the internal antenna structure upright, the copper antenna inside does not see the fibre glass as it is invisible to the transmitted signal and makes no difference at all to performance on TX or RX.. also copper is more than twice as electrically conductive than aluminium is.. which is why most hams use a copper wire..
I will agree with you though the same antenna at different locations can be effected by the environment so the same type of antenna can work very well at one location and work poor at another location, it doesn't mean the antenna is bad..
Height and near field objects can also effect an antenna at its location..
The bottom line is that all antennas regardless of price or brand name will all work the same in there perspective category's they work the same when correctly measured against the frequency it is used on.
So all 5/8th waves will perform the same as all other 5/8th waves and all halfwaves will perform the same as all other halfwaves. Any marked difference is tiny and wouldn't even be a needles width on the meter.. it is the position and environmental factors that make the difference to its best performance..
So when a station with a halfwave says a certain antenna they have tried is bad and then state their shiny new antenna is three S points up on signal they are wrong, more than likely they didn't install the first antenna correctly or it didn't suit the environment..
If there was a magic antenna that worked better than all the rest without a doubt we would all be using it.. so by trying different antenna's at our locations can make the world of difference you may well be very surprised at what works best..
remember because one antenna picks up more noise than another isn't because the antenna is bad it's the environment that causes it and not the material it is made from. More people should research antenna theory instead of outright slamming antennas they know nothing about.. stay blessed and thank you for your comment it is very much appreciated.
@@DeltaXray444 Did you not read the bit about ships having fibreglass antennas ? I was not saying they was no good but only what happened to my one .
@@kevinmcdermott3668 it's always unfortunate when we have an antenna that snaps, I've only ever had one that broke and that was a Shakespeare big stick I think that was originally a boat antenna, im not sure if there was something amiss with it as they are usually very strong antenna's. I've also heard a few horror stories about Gainmaster's breaking too.. but the usual reason for that is people overtighten them which breaks down the fibre glass and weakens the joint.
At what height was your gainmaster when the wind got up.
Awesome
As always Stephen i thank you for your continued support my friend, stay safe buddy.
Hi Glenny, well this was all about your Gainmaster. That thing is Waaay tall. Do you have to put a red light on top to warn low flying planes. Also what happens if it's a stormy night ? I understand it is "grounded" but jeez a big lightning strike to that might take you whole system down - could this happen ? - well it possibly could if I were in the vicinity. As you know I tend to get zapped all the time. I have been "grounding" myself in the garden as you suggested, but still get burnt fingers when turning on a lamp, opening a fridge door or just being in the house when a storm strikes.
I really like your phrase "Height is Might " me being tall and such, can I borrow that ? Notice I DIDN'T say can I HAVE it as is my usual way.
I'm also wondering about the - "very little propagation" I take it this has 0 to do with plants, but refers to less traffic on the radio thus letting you hear more stations without interruption ???
Again, a very enjoyable video. Clearly explained and not too long. Sometimes those ones that go for 3 hours are just a bit too much. But hey ho I liked this one.
Have LIKED (so no Mr cucumber, commented and will share for YOU ! 👍👍👍
The maximum height for a radio antenna is 60 feet not that anyone pays attention to that lol.
I have got lighting protection but in the case of a direct strike it would still blow everything up or even a nearby strike, when the storms roll in i unplug and unhook the antenna coax from the radio just to be safe, i can also lower my antenna at any time just so passing UFO's and low flying starships don't hit it in the night 😂😂🤣
You can have the height is might saying for $1000 bucks being as i know you, and yes less propagation means less skip to talk on, you are learning Denny.. now behave yourself or you will have detention and have to visit the headmasters office after school 😂😂🤣❤️
@@DeltaXray444 Well Glenny you can take that $1,000 and stuff it where the sun don't shine. I'm taking that phrase and there is absolutely nuthin ya can do about it.
Ohhh please send me to the Headmasters office, I do need a good old fashioned spanking. I think you probably wish that you hand never befriended me. But suck it up princess, you are stuck with me now !!! 😁🥺🤭💀👾👿👿👿👺😺💩💩💩☠👻👻🤮🤮🥶😨😨😤😤😬😰😱😱🤑🤑😝😝😜😜😴😴
@@denise_sarran3786 you're a bad bad girl, I'm lost for words, to the principles office now.. you're on detention lol 😂😂🤣
@@DeltaXray444 As I said Glenny, I'm MORE then happy to go on detention and make my way to the principles office. I have met a couple of principles in my time and I would quite happily spend the whole day in their office. I'm NOT talking about the Nun principles. I'm talking about the ones that are young and handsome and all the girls fall in love with them. You being such an old man probably got taught by priests. I would NOT like to go to a principles office if it were a priest especially if I was a BOY !!!! I wont, say any more then that !
HEIGHT IS MIGHT signing off ! 😉
@@denise_sarran3786 where did this conversation end up lol 😂😂🤣
Btw im still trying to catch up on social media, there isn't enough time in a day.. give me a moment. 🙂
That 6900n is noisy on receive. Have you thought about a bhi type external speaker on it?
I researched that speaker the Mark 4 model and watched a few TH-cam channels showing how it works, it's a pretty good bit of kit.
@@DeltaXray444 I see there's a v7 of the 6900n now, with built-in noise reduction on receive.
@@MM0IMC Yes ive seen the V7 looking at the extras I don't think owning a V6 would prompt me into buying a V7 the noise reduction only really seems to be effective on AM.. there's also a small decrease in incoming signal when the noise reduction function is activated.. I guess the ventilated top cover is a bonus and should really be standard with most radio's.
Interesting Hun 👍 good job
Get rob up the ladder lol xx
Nice video! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the flowers. Hope to work you soon on the air my friend.. 🙂
@@DeltaXray444 I think we kinda did today! 73s
It was short, two minutes earlier and the skip would have held enough for a better contact but it'll get there.
I've had all 3 mentioned apart from starduster and all work very well it all depends on qth and height and what's around you.
Hi, Yes I totally agree with you.. for the vast majority of antennas in there categories they all work about the same, for example all half waves regardless of manufacturer will perform relatively the same and on the radios meter there will be little to no difference between them, on receive a copper antenna has twice the electrical conductivity than aluminium so will always have the edge on both transmit and reception but we are only talking a few needles width and is why many hams use a wire.. so it's not the brand it's the science that matters..
The other antennas I chose just simply didn't work for me and is why I've always said to friends regarding their locations they will be surprised at what will work best for them.. again for example.. I see many stations constantly complain they are receiving a S 6 of noise with a Sirio 2016 yet refuse to try a different antenna just because their mate says the 2016 is better than all the rest.. the 2016 may be a fantastic antenna but if it's going to bring in S 6 of noise it's worth trying another antenna because it may suit your location better and receive less noise, but the quote "my mate states the 2016 is best" seems to brain fog them into thinking they have to put up with the noise and going back to what I originally said here that there is virtually nothing between any antenna category once the antenna is tuned to frequency..
There are many aspects within the near field of an antenna which will make it perform the way it does.. and my example in this video showed me that the Gainmaster rather than other antennas worked best for me at my location..
I am not bias between any antenna brand because I understand there is relatively nothing between them. I chose the Gainmaster because there was less noise for my location.
Hi 👋🏻
I was thinking of getting the half wave version of this antenna. ❤
The 5/8 wave I would say is better for DX.. simply put this is because of the way the radiation pattern travels further..
A halfwave antenna doesn't radiate as far with it's pattern.. although there are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration.. like how any antenna see's the horizon also how high the antenna is as well as buildings and obstacles in an antennas near field and location it's mounted and environment..
Further more all antennas in there class measured to wavelength will perform about the same regardless of manufacture or price.. so all halfwaves will perform the same.. all 5/8th waves will perform the same also quarter waves.. there really is very little difference between them in there respected class..
For each type of antenna whether 5/8th half or quarter look at the radiation patterns they emit.. you will be surprised that a quarter waves pattern on transmission is almost the same but just shy on distance than a 5/8th wave although the radiated pattern isn't as high up into the atmosphere..
Regardless of what anyone will tell you about how good their expensive branded antenna is the truth is they all work the same in there respected models when measured to frequency and swr'd properly.. for example a very cheap halfwave will perform the same as the most expensive half wave costing five times more..
So regardless of type or cost or brand name I always choose an antenna which works best for my location and gives me less noise on the band's..
There really is only a needles width if any difference at all between types of antenna.. obviously better quality is always preferred and I've noticed over many years an antenna for instance like the Gainmaster which is not made from carbon fibre like many would have folks think is actually made from high grade copper wire inside.. the fibre glass is just the conduit that holds the antenna vertical in the air and that's a fact.. most ham operators use copper wire antennas because it is more than twice the electrical conductivity than aluminium and has less noise.
So in my experience with all the noise on the band's these days and testing many antennas my conclusion is that copper wire antennas like the Gainmaster don't pick up nowhere near as much noise as an aluminium antenna and scientific results have proven this to be so..
Going back to your question.. personally I would say go for it, it will work excellent.. I couldn't tell the difference between the Gainmaster half wave or 5/8th wave (I've had them both) and worked the world on skip with both..
One thing though I noticed about the Gainmaster is that it likes to be up in the air above the roof by at least nine feet with nothing in its near field.. but mounted by itself and away from obstacles IE sheds low roofs in free air with nothing around it at a lower height like twenty feet also works very well.
Long winded I know but antenna theory is deep and I'm just trying to give you some humble advice and pointers from many years being a skip chaser on eleven meters.. stay blessed.
Wow!
Many thanks for sharing your experience and I’m going to chew this over carefully. 😊.
👍👍👍👍👍
Hi Delta Xray 444.
I use a T2LT antenna that is the same product but only with wire ( in fact a Thunderbolt SSD58 of Hawkins radio ). The bandwidth is very good with a very low swr. If you had to compare Gain Master (or similar products ) with an IMAX 2000, which one would be the winner ?
In fact I have the 2 antennas but for the moment it is impossible to know what is the best antenna.
For the moment the following vertical antennas ; Grazzioli, Maco and Sirio s827 are at the top . 73
Hi, I can only go by my own experience when using different antenna's.
I have a Hawkins SSD thunderbolt 5/8th wave they are a very good antenna, I did test it at a low height against the Gainmaster because I was curious to see if there was any marked difference between the two,
Both antennas were set up identical in height at 20 feet and the same exact spot using the same feed line which was rg213u military grade coax but not at the same time, as one went up the other came down)
The TBolt was a little more noisy but not by much, around one S point on RX.. Although very similar each antenna are not the same the TBolt is a .64 wave on 11 meters and the GM is a .625 wave on 11 meters and a .64 wave on 10 meters.. also both are DC grounded..
On TX to my friend's house approximately 30 miles away the GM had the edge and beat the TBolt by half an S point.. I couldn't really say why for sure, but the GM wire element is slightly fatter/wider over its full length than the TBolt maybe this is why but I couldn't say 100% for sure.. there may be other factors too like the GM so239 is gold plated and makes for a better connection.. again I couldn't tell you being 100% sure if this contributed in any way.. there really wasn't much in it overall both antennas worked very well.. these were my findings but I must stress that regardless of each antenna the environment will effect the way any antenna works no matter what the circumstances, for example the "near field effect" of the antennas surroundings could quite easily effect an antennas performance..
As for the GM - IMAX 2000...
The only noticeable difference really was noise, under the same conditions as the GM -Tbolt test the Gainmaster was definitely more quiet, in fact when the wind got up or raining the IMAX gave me at least three S points more of noise on my meter but as for performance in my location taking everything into consideration the GM was always slightly ahead on TX by half an S point.. I have tried the 827, and the 2016 too and for me over that same distance to my friend's house thirty miles away all the antennas I've tried performed more or less the same but the GM always had that slight edge over the others..
Propagation is always a difficult thing to measure when putting one antenna up against another of the same type because mother nature yields most of our results and also how each antenna see's the horizon, but with the GM I never had a problem when calling out on DX
Let me explain a little more..
I have ties to Bavaria Germany so I like speaking to German stations a lot.. with the GM on radio power of between 20-40 watts output depending on which radio I'm using that day I could speak to North East South and West Germany yet with other antennas they never gave me the same confidence.. it's those little things you sense inside yourself when you have spent years Dxing, you kinda know what works best it's like an hidden sixth sense..
If I'm being honest I think for the most part all 5/8th waves and all half waves in there respected categorisation of wave lengths work about the same, I personally think as I've said before the environment an antenna sits in can make all the difference to what we perceive what works best for all of us..
Just my opinion I don't claim to be an expert I just use what's best for me in my location and the GM worked best for me.. another station may have a completely different view which antenna works best for them.. hope this helps, and at the end of the day it's a hobby and all for fun, thanks best 73.
@@DeltaXray444 Thanks a lot for your very interesting answer. For the moment I have these 2 antennas ( imax and Thunderbolt ) The olny thing I can say is that the Thunderbolt is easier to install, In case of strong winds there are no risks to break it . I use a spiderbeam mast of 12 meters length.
I have read a lot of things concerning the Gain Master, people finds it too fragile . Often people that uses GM buy a Thunderbolt too for portable. Imax is noisier than GM or Thunderbolt.
If you go to radios forum you will find a lot of people who disclaim Thunderbolt because they say that nothing is easier to make than this antenna for a very low cost. For my part I was too lazy to make it. I am very satisfied about it. If it was possible i would buy an aluminium antenna like Grazzioli GMAX but I haven't got place enough.
Last remark concerning GM and T2LT , the SWR is low and the bandwidth very large. ( but don't forget that a very large bandwidth doesn't mean that your antenna has got a lot of gain ) Sometimes when you buy an antenna you loose a lot time to match it and sometimes it is impossible !!! With GM and T2TL it's plug and play, that's all..
for more efficiency it is necessary to buy directive antennas . 73 my friend
@@elzarbiman9657
@el zarbiman hi sorry for the late reply I've been a little preoccupied over the past 24 hours..
I have used a Gainmaster for quite a while and had no issues.. you have to remember it's a long antenna at 24 feet long but it's very whippy when the wind gets up, which isn't a bad thing as they handle the wind very well and if memory serves me right they can take winds of up to 165kph..
When we had all those storms over last Christmas and into spring my Gainmaster survived perfectly, although I had friends who used the IMAX and there's snapped, I also spoke to at least seven or eight people on the nets who told me their IMAX's snapped, I didn't hear of a single Gainmaster breaking during that stormy time, the IMAX always snapped at the first and second joint.. the only issue I have with the GM is it only takes a maximum of 500 watts and burning out the capacitor in three of them I was running much lower wattage around 2-300 watts when they blew..
I agree with you with the plug and play thing.. over a 5khz band spread the SWR on both the T2LT and GM are very low around 2.1 at each end but around 11 meters they are both around 1.1 - 1.2, as long as they are in clean air and above the roof in free air they perform amazingly well.. they both like to be away from obstacles so nothing can effect the near field of the antenna.. I've had great results on both and rate them very highly.. but I digress again an antenna that works well for one station may not work as good for another station.. it's always best to try different antennas and people may be surprised at what works best for them in their location, just because an antenna manufacturers puts out statistics on how good the gain is doesn't mean it will work to it's optimal performance in different environments. For me it's always been about trying and experimenting with different antennas and what works for me in my location regardless of who says what.. if a cheap silver rod worked better than the most expensive antenna or best brand name I would use the cheaper one if it worked better.
I would prefer to see a analogic sMeter. I can't see any signal from here 🤔
yes that was the whole point showing no noise and these new digital radios are prone to noise
@@DeltaXray444 impressive. I'm searching for a dx antenna with not much qrm and the G.M. is my favourite
@@napomania if you read some of the comments here I do favour the GM for my location once it was up and in the clear at least ten feet above the roof and with nothing in it's near field they switch on and work really well. They like to have there own space..
Also the Swr from each band edge it covers never rises above 1.5 and in the middle for say 555 and forty channels either side is 1.1..
I cannot fault it..
People can be harsh sometimes with fibre glass antennas but we have to remember the GM is a copper wire antenna inside of fibre glass tubing and the tubing is not the antenna like many people think it is its just the structure that holds the wire vertical.
@@DeltaXray444 yes is a dipole. And i like the idea to avoid some Powerline and static noises. Even with a little less gain with local signal. No matter for them
@@napomania i agree it is most definitly a dx antenna for sure
Imax 2000 will out skip talk any gain master junk
The IMAX is a great antenna, I tried one but unfortunately for my location it brought in five to seven of noise.. the GM for me was much quieter with only one to three on a bad day.
@@DeltaXray444 I have my IMAX up there and I had a penetrator up there I never tried a sirio 2016 I guess those are the bomb yep I've been on since the mid-70s I'd started on a Ringo tried all different starduster Antron 99 had a moon raker 4 up on the roof but the ice in the wind got that the new penetrator those are junk the hardware is awful I had to put my IMAX back up and people give me the same signals on both antennas I can actually hear farther on my IMAX then on my penetrator and IMAX is more broadbanded my call is 290 great lakes im on 38lsb or 28am
@@Randy-lf2dp I think generally most antenna perform very similar I guess what let's some down are the construction materials they are made from.. a lot of people say the original IMAX and Antron 99 performed better because they were made of more high quality grade material but the new ones don't perform as good.. one thing that many people don't realise though is the environment in which an antenna is positioned in, even a good antenna may work below par if it's not suited to its location..
I also tried the 2016 and the 827 and both were just to noisy, they are all great antennas and all perform about the same, but I think location and environmental factors is the thing that makes the difference in performance regardless of what brand is stamped on them..
Years ago I had a Avanti astroplane and I worked the world on it, but then again I had a Sirio space shuttle mag mount and worked the world in that too..
Also when working skip it's down to mother nature doing all the hard work I've switched from a quarter wave sitting on the lawn with radials and it out performed my Gainmaster, on another day it can be different again..
Ground wave contacts are different again, on a quiet night I can do England to Scotland at around 250 miles on the Gainmaster yet the 2016,827,IMAX, and even the cobweb I once had up couldn't even make the trip or hear ..
I think what I'm trying to say is that every antenna works best to the environment it's located in, and the Gainmaster out of all those I've tried works best, but I'm not saying there aren't better antenna's out there I'm saying they don't work for my location.
@@DeltaXray444 ill give you an shout if i hear you out there on 38 or 28 have good one
@@Randy-lf2dp you too my friend, I'm always hanging around 38 when the stateside skip rolls in, hope to catch you on the air at some point.. I always log the call signs from my channel hoping to make the connection, enjoy your weekend 73
Surely though if you were on FM UK you would have a much higher interference level?
I had around five plus with the sirio 2016, and the sirio 827 and other antennas i tried, the Gainmaster gave me much less noise, i also think it depends on what antenna we use for our locations too.. different antennas work differently for each of us,
One antenna may work great for one person but work awful for another station, environmental issues can count for a lot, especially interference.. many people also have interference depending on what their neighbours plug in the wall, like routers and cheap Chinese gadgets, also chargers and pc or laptop installations..
I do see many other stations in my city have terrible noise levels.. also may i add my station is fully grounded, like power supplies, radios which helps a lot..
I use other antennas which do pick up noise, but my main antenna for FM is the Gainmaster and it works really nice.. again for me in my location.
@@DeltaXray444 Years ago when I used CB on AM in the late 70s- early 80s I had a genuine Avanti Sigma 4 which was brilliant. I wonder how it would perform today with all those new sources of electrical interference that never existed back then.
I know you can get replicas of them today but I fear s9+ of rubbish if I bought one.
@John Morris Those sigma 4's were a fantastic antenna, I used one myself in the late 80's, they were brilliant on the skip and I worked the world on it..
Many people will always reflect their experiences with the antennas they have used before or are using today, I tend to always experiment with my own station rather than listen to other people's bias or dislike of what other stations are using.. if I took on board what others say about different rigs or antenna's I would never make my mind up.. so i never listen but always research stuff on world-wide DX forums with those stations that have been around a long time and have lots of knowledge, people can be harsh when it comes to what's best, but I think personal preference decides what we eventually settle with, so again I research and experiment and make my own mind up..
From what I have read the new version of the Sigma 4 works as good as the old one, in fact the aluminium grade metal for the new version is actually a purer aluminium and the measurements of old and new are exactly the same, so I think it comes down to which one is more durable over time.. but as to whether or not it would pick up more noise can only be decided by the person installing it to see how it performs in their location with incoming noise or transmitting.. Many stations around me call the Gainmaster rubbish, and that is just their own opinion, but those same stations complain everyday about the noise levels they get each time they switch on their radio's..
I do agree though the frequencies back then we're much clearer and even today to me AM sounds different with much more static.
It can be expensive too when trying out different antennas because they are more expensive than they used to be and also nowadays there is much more choice to choose from.
I think if a person is serious about trying to run a good station then experimenting is a must, and even then because of all the changes with technology like plug in's and being soaked in WiFi it can be very difficult, but I do wish you well in navigating what works best for yourself and you get good results.
Just bought a gain_master. I can see how I put it together except for the copper coloured cable.. does it just drop into the bottom of the antenna without connecting to anything
Yes it is all concealed within the fibre glass bottom section.. just tuck it in.. make sure you drop the top section in by two centimetres so there's no chance of the wire coming away from the brass lugg at the top when the wind blows..
Also make sure you get it above and in the clear from anything in the antennas near field and your swr will stay low across all band's.
@@DeltaXray444 thank you for the information mate I appreciate it
@@andrewkelly3424 no worries, mine is still up at thirty six feet at one full wavelength and ive almost apart from Australia talked the world, phenomenal antenna.
@@DeltaXray444 that’s fantastic will be putting it up in two weeks time on a 6 foot pole on the chimney so should do ok
⭐👋🍀💪