LagunaH1
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,705
- Location
- Lake Forest, CA
I've been mucking about with a new antenna setup for a while. I wanted something that was more convenient to tune / configure for the various bands and something that wasn't as goofy looking as the former setup. -Mind you, the former HI Q antenna is *excellent* and that's why I'm going to use it here at home instead of mobile.
One of my fellow HAM's in the local radio club runs a very trick setup: A Firestick KW7 (a CB antenna, but rated at 700 watts.... hmmmm??) and a random wire tuner right at the feed point. The KW7 is a good choice because it plain and simple has a lot of wire in it, and it's loading coil is at the top of the antenna, where it does the most good.
This setup gives my HAM radio friend excellent performance on 10 - 40 meters and also decent signal on 80. I wanted to build a setup very like his, except I use Yaseu gear and not ICOM, which is what he uses.
So, over the holidays I built a setup consisting of my trusty old Yaesu FT100D driving my Firestick KW7 through an LDG Electronics AT200 Pro II tuner, feeding the antenna right at the bottom of the stick.
The setup is a lot easier to use and looks (in my opinion) less silly then the old setup. The radio and tuner will tune 6 - 40 meters, but I have yet to work anyone at any distance so I am not sure how great a signal I'm getting out.
One of my fellow HAM's in the local radio club runs a very trick setup: A Firestick KW7 (a CB antenna, but rated at 700 watts.... hmmmm??) and a random wire tuner right at the feed point. The KW7 is a good choice because it plain and simple has a lot of wire in it, and it's loading coil is at the top of the antenna, where it does the most good.
This setup gives my HAM radio friend excellent performance on 10 - 40 meters and also decent signal on 80. I wanted to build a setup very like his, except I use Yaseu gear and not ICOM, which is what he uses.
So, over the holidays I built a setup consisting of my trusty old Yaesu FT100D driving my Firestick KW7 through an LDG Electronics AT200 Pro II tuner, feeding the antenna right at the bottom of the stick.
The setup is a lot easier to use and looks (in my opinion) less silly then the old setup. The radio and tuner will tune 6 - 40 meters, but I have yet to work anyone at any distance so I am not sure how great a signal I'm getting out.