okay i KNOW this has been covered hundreds of times but with my internet when i go to search it times out. so bear with me plese.
heres the deal. im wanting a base station and need advice on getting it up right. to start off i plan on going with a A-99. we have a 65 foot pine tree in our backyard and wanted to put it up in that, so what all would i have to do to hook it up in there?. as in grounding it?? and should i get as much as i can above the top of the tree? climbing it is no problem for me, im 18 and tree cutting business.
or would it be more wise to mount it on my chimney wich is about 30 foot high?
would i need a ground plane kit to go with this? and could someone post some links on what exactly i need to buy with the antenna?
the radio and power supply is taken care of and i was thinking some lmr 400? or rg-213 because it may be about a 100-200 foot run, havent measured yet. and i may put a little power inline in the future if this comes out good.
thanks guys for your input and sorry i cant search right now, this will jusst give me time for when i move up to a good beam and rotor.
sorry guys, i need noob advice
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lilradiojon
- Duckplucker
- Posts: 104
- Joined: November 6th, 2009, 12:32 pm
- Real Name: jon
- Antenna: Wilson 5000
- Radio: Stryker 497hpc
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'Doc
Re: sorry guys, i need noob advice
Can you mount an antenna in a tree? Yes you can. It would be 'better' if it were above that tree rather than in it. How would you go about mounting it? There are several ways, basically so that it doesn't fall (clamp, tie, nail it?, whatever works). How high above the tree? Beats me, whatever you can manage?
Does that antenna need a ground? It can use a safety ground, for lightning etc. Other than that, it just doesn't need to be grounded. If you want to, do it. If not, don't
How about the feed line, what kind of coax? It has to be long enough to reach from the antenna to the radio, with maybe a few feet extra in case you want to move something. What kind/size? The best way of determining that is by looking at a 'coax' chart and finding the one(s) with a low amount of loss per hundred feet. Relate that to the cost of that coax per foot. Keep in mind that that 'loss' has to get fairly large before you will ever be able to 'here/not hear' it. Fractions of a dB, or less than about 3 dB of loss, just isn't going to make any practical difference with the received or transmitted signal. I wouldn't recommend using RG-58, the smaller stuff. Almost anything from about RG-8 to LMR-400 can be used without your wallet screaming too loudly. Don't know about you, but cost does make some difference to me.
Power ratings you have to take with a 'dose' of salt, sort of. If the antenna on the end of that feed line is well tuned, most coax will handle any amount of power you are likely to use. Most will handle 1000 watts or so just fine, even RG-58. Power over about 1000 watts is getting real close to being 'un-reasonable' for a number of reasons, mainly the cost of doing so. That's different for everyone, so suit your self. Either that LMR-400 or RG-213 should work just fine.
That ought to get you up and working.
- 'Doc
Being 'practical' is as important, if not more so, than having the 'best' of anything.
Does that antenna need a ground? It can use a safety ground, for lightning etc. Other than that, it just doesn't need to be grounded. If you want to, do it. If not, don't
How about the feed line, what kind of coax? It has to be long enough to reach from the antenna to the radio, with maybe a few feet extra in case you want to move something. What kind/size? The best way of determining that is by looking at a 'coax' chart and finding the one(s) with a low amount of loss per hundred feet. Relate that to the cost of that coax per foot. Keep in mind that that 'loss' has to get fairly large before you will ever be able to 'here/not hear' it. Fractions of a dB, or less than about 3 dB of loss, just isn't going to make any practical difference with the received or transmitted signal. I wouldn't recommend using RG-58, the smaller stuff. Almost anything from about RG-8 to LMR-400 can be used without your wallet screaming too loudly. Don't know about you, but cost does make some difference to me.
Power ratings you have to take with a 'dose' of salt, sort of. If the antenna on the end of that feed line is well tuned, most coax will handle any amount of power you are likely to use. Most will handle 1000 watts or so just fine, even RG-58. Power over about 1000 watts is getting real close to being 'un-reasonable' for a number of reasons, mainly the cost of doing so. That's different for everyone, so suit your self. Either that LMR-400 or RG-213 should work just fine.
That ought to get you up and working.
- 'Doc
Being 'practical' is as important, if not more so, than having the 'best' of anything.
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lilradiojon
- Duckplucker
- Posts: 104
- Joined: November 6th, 2009, 12:32 pm
- Real Name: jon
- Antenna: Wilson 5000
- Radio: Stryker 497hpc
Re: sorry guys, i need noob advice
thanks so much for the quick reply. i should eassily be able to get the enitre antenna or atleast 3/4 above the top of the tree and i was thinking of mounting it to a 4x4 or something first and the strapping it reall tight to the top. but anyways i have the idea in my head and thanks so much.