got my antron 99 Fred with the fireupstick just waiting for the weather to get better here in heywood Lancashire then will be putting it up on the chimney of my council flat your videos are really helpful for people getting in to cb radio for the first time keep up the good work Fred 73 cheers and beers from Al capone John.
Ah a man after my own heart. No such thing as over engineering. I'm the same way and have never had a problem over engineering. I just bought a 99 antenna but want to mount it off the top of my TV antenna tower. I have to make mounts ( stand offs ) so one antenna doesn't interfer with the other. Great video. Thanks
Slide antenna down so about 6 inch of mast pipe goes past the tunning ring then go from there... That's from the man that makes the antennas in Toledo Ohio........
I'm a stickler about swr also but the difference between a 1.0 and a 1.5 at 100 watts is 5 watt reflected nobody's ever gonna hear the difference in that and it'll be even less if you're running Barefoot 12 watt. cool video
Those mounts you used to mount the pole to that are attached to the outside of the wall are engineered to support a weight and not built for side loads, which will be created by the pole in the wind Fred. The mounting brackets themselves need to have angle braces wielded to the center support section for side loading of the wind on the antennal or the mount braces could bend or even start to pull the bolts out of the masonry Fred. Just a perspective of an Ex-Commercial Building Contractor, who has done highway bridges to commercial factories and hospitals as well for over four generations in my family. Side loading kips are going to pull the bolts out of the brick which cannot hold much to begin with without cracking and needing to be replaced if the side load on the bolts are exceeded by wind drag on the pole and antenna. Good luck with it Fred. Plus we do have to over engineer things for snow loading and even Earthquakes, here in the United States Fred. I would highly suggest a look at it from a professional's opinion in your area. After all the way the system you have construction is now operating in is only taking in one direction of wind loading into considerations here. Just a thought. Also on a side note: That screw u took out of the antenna's top just needed to be turned in a little and it would have been a flat match on channel 20 for tuning a 40 channel radio for center freq. and the antenna would them be banded properly for a 40 ch. rig. I always tune mine for what freq. I run the most as well. I have a radio that will run from 32 mHz. to 25 mHz. So I need actually three to four antennas on my radio to run the entire band of its receive but the problem is that the radio needs to be tuned to the center of all the bands and its own power is not enough with the internal circuitry to allow it to sustain its RF power to both ends of the Frequencies without internally tuning the circuitry for each band it is trying to transmit on. For this reason I am looking for an Icon or similar rig with a matching amplifier made for the transmitter. So that I can get my General Lic. and talk to you guys in the Uk legally. Side note as well. I hate anything that modifies good clear modulation. Echo boxes and reverbs are for children who need to have toys in their lives not adults who understand the communication world of Ham operators.
Yes you could be correct on the brackets. I used the K parts. The pole has been through 3 storms in 2020 so be interesting to check it in a few months and see if any brackets are showing cracks or stress.
And if you're worried about prying eyes, paint the antenna light blue to match the sky background. All except the metal joints where the sections join together. you can wrap the joints with electrical tape! Works like a charm, you'll even have difficulty seeing it!
I just tossed up a used A99 I bought . 10 ft off the ground , rings at factory settings . I got 1.5 to 1 on 26.000 mhz and 1.1 to 1 on 27.900 mhz . Very nice low curve all the way through . I would say theres an issue with yours . Cheers from BC Canada . 73
@Fredintheshed1 When using T & K brackets, ALWAYS mount the K bracket at the top (the 'K' angled bit helps support the weight pushing down on the pole from above. and the 'T' at the bottom. I'd have mounted them on the chimney rather than the wall though, which would have allowed for a little more height. Think circa 7 ft apart with the top 'K' bracket about a foot / 18" from the top of the chimney. With a 20ft aluminum scaffold pole (light weight and stronger than standard antenna masts) would get the base of the Antron about 12ft above the top of the chimney and approx 1 wavelength above ground. You could even run guyt wires to the eaves at the front and back of the house. If you could mount the Ground Plane Kit then this will lower the angle of radiation and should help strengthen your local range. Good video though and useful to newbies
I have an a99 as well and I did consider going with the firestick upgrade ,but I'm talking local great and talking skip like crazy.So I'm not going to touch a thing.Love your videos.
Nice video Fred. just had to laugh when you said( swar ) . you could easily put it up another ten feet with that set up or stick it on the chimney. The higher the better
Thanks mate. Yeah the old CB swaarr thing. Cant break the habit lol. Would love to put it up higher but have to be very careful with the neighbours. I do have a plan for raising and lowering it another 1.5 meters as required. That should bring it up to the chimney.
I'am Your Newest Subscriber Across The Pond Here In Florida I Love My Antron 99 Antenna I Just Got A Used Ground Plane Kit For My Antron 99 At The Hame Radio Fest 25.00 US
I think you are gonna be pleasantly surprised. The Antron apparently likes a little bit of elevation. I am probably gonna move my Antron for 5 meters at the base to 8 meters. No major hurry as the DX is gone here and there are only one or two locals on the air but they are seldom on anyway. SW Radio time for me I guess. Thanks for sharing Fred
Best mount brackets I have seen. nice mast pipe. I think slide up a bit get off the ground. stay high and dry. Is that mast all one piece and how thick ? where did the mast come from . thanks Johnny , dont forget a ground rod under antenna.
howdy. need to ground the antenna to a proper ground rod set 8ft at least in the ground, also grab some good wire lay radials along the ground at 1/4wave of the lowest frequency of the band your gonna be working, once radials are layed out evenly on the ground you can just put a little bit dirt on top and nobody is the wiser, your swr match and antenna efficiency will improve considerably, also helps to have a solid copper wire running from the antenna down the mast to the ground rod 73's. from the 286, / k7sce Arizona usa
Have you found the A-99 to flat any where? If not you might need to attach it to more metal, with out the radial kit. Using one of your radios that covers a wide frequency finding the absolute best spot should not be difficult. Even adding an "ugly balun" might help. A tuned artificial ground or even attaching resonate radials in the form of guy wires. Being in the attic yo most likely can't get a good ground causing the higher swr and more noise.
Hey Fred, I did a little digging around and some research on "antenna dynamics"...and I found out some interesting information for you. The top section of the Antron 99 is solid fiberglass at a certain length. The Fire Up Firestick is made wide copper coiled wire around a fiberglass shaft. Fiberglass and copper have totally different velocity factors, which is very important in figuring the length and power efficiency of your antenna. There is a math equation that determines the length of the vertical radiator and the length of the ground radials. Copper has a higher and better velocity factor, more so than fiberglass. So your Fire Up upgrade will actually will have a total effect of higher velocity factor of the entire antenna...so, it's a good call. I have a regular Fire Stick antenna that is the same length as the Fire Up...I am going to try it out and see how it does.
Thanks for that information, really interesting. I know that the Fire Up firestick is not just a normal 27 MHz stick but is in fact tuned to 32 Mhz. I would say that local DX is about the same as with the original top section but working stations outside the UK the improved. I ve had some very strong reports.
fredintheshed1 -- Yes, sir...you are correct. I'll tell you about MY antenna. I have the Antron 99 and I have the factory ground plane kit that came with it, an aluminum collar with four fiberglass ground radials...and they just happen to be the same length as the top section. So I tried different things with it. First I took five 102 inch steel whip antennas, measured and cut them all down to match the length of the original fiberglass radials, and it improved overall tremendously...stainless steel top section and ground radials. Next I took five Fire Stick antennas that are the same length as the original fiberglass radials and did the same thing. The difference was astounding!!! With a Fire Stick top section and four Fire Stick ground radials, it brought my SWR's from 1.2 to 1.0 FLAT, improved my overall output distance by five S units to a friend that lives 50 miles away, and when I turned my linear amp on...whoa!!! He said I was putting him "in the red" from 50 miles away. My advice is...replace your ground radials (if you have the factory ground plane) with the same Fire Stick upgrades...if you don't have it...GET IT and do what I did...you will LOVE it!!!
fredintheshed1 -- I know what you mean...I used to live in a neighborhood like that...I ended up having to mount my antenna in my attic...lol!! Surprisingly, it worked pretty good. Then I came across an antenna specifically MADE for the attic...the BA-1, it's more or less a vertical (or horizontal) 1 element beam or dipole. Look into it man, they work AWESOME, and they are no bigger than the Antron 99. I think they are made by Maco. Check it out!! Also, look into the Workman B-100 Saturn...it's a no-groundplane antenna as well and it's only about 3 or 4 feet tall, another excellent antenna for people in your situation.
Not a job for the faint hearted fred let alone doing it on your own! Great video as usual mate, lovely presentation and narration. That antenna isn't going anywhere. Also the red bung on the top should be replaced with an aircraft warning light! haha. 73
+Ringway Manchester LOL Lewis. Yes it was a bit of a handful and iam not a big bloke for sure. Yeah I kinda wished I wrapped the red bung in black tape but guess it will soon fade. To PINK LOL
Hi Fred this is Darren from luton. I use a Antron 99 I use just the original top section and don't use the ground plane kit. My swr rings are roughly middle I found that it was fine out of the box low swr so left well alone. My Antron has been up.for nearly 21 years. Hope to talk to you but you are on my fringe area. 73s
+Darren Morris Hi Darren. I ve heard Steve 318 talk to you but I think your right on my edge or receive. Yeah the rings are odd on my antenna. I guess I could spend all day playing with them but it was quite an effort heaving 9.5 metres of antenna around. Hope to catch you on the 4pm group some time. 73's buddy.
Bit late i know, these antennas are Canadian design i believe so designed to run in the FCC band for ukfm its technically too long. Good to see people enthusiastic about CB
Good video bud! Just one question, do you have the antenna grounded? Also didn't know you could set the swr while the antenna is on the ground. Been having to do mine installed on the roof. Getting around 1.2 on channel 1 and 1.7 on channel 40. Thinking about going back on the roof to try and get 40 down below 1.5. What do you think? I am using 2 5ft firesticks. One connected and one as a dummy load. Any advice from anyone would be appreciated. Thanks!
High. Ive not got my antenna grounded due to the earthing system that my house has. Grounding the mounting pole can in some cases reduce noise. The difference between 1.7 and 1.5 is minimal in terms of any power loss and 1.7 is safe so personally i would leave it.
Aloha Fred I just purchased an A99 antenna and I'm considering the fire stick upgrade. I'm curious if you ever check SWR on the original top piece if it was better than the firestick upgrade?
Hi. It does nothing for groundwave local comms. Its supposed to boast DX contacts. TBH iam unsure. However it reduces the size of the antenna and makes the top section a lot more stable in high winds.
Can remember getting reported for my antenna back in the day made me laugh the wording on the letter. It said it was regarding my erection in the front garden.
Hello George, you ok buddy. George I have to be so careful on this estate where I live. By rights I really need planning permission to even mount the antenna on the house. I would love to fully extend the pole to its max height but I know I would get a complaint and then that would be it. I am planning to fix some kind of winch to raise it just over a meter. Prob get around to that in the winter when less people out in their gardens.
HI Fred. I've been watching some of your videos today. Good stuff. I noticed you installed the brackets into the cement rather than the bricks 😲. Any reason for this? Over time this will crumble around the bolts and come loose. Your SWR does seem oddly high. Did you check the frequency of the lowest point of SWR? Having a 10/11/12m set you can go much lower and higher while testing. Finding the minimum point will give you a better idea about what is going on.
Hi. With ref to the bricks. The bricks used on this house are the 3 hole hollow type which means if you try and bolt something heavy you can crack them. I cannot rem the SWR back then but these days ive tuned the Antron to 1.1 at 27.305. It does climb on the higher FM 40 channels.
@@CB-RADIO-UK The coax length is also in play ;-) There's formulas to calculate where the dips in the coax length are, or theres also antenna analyzers that can analyze your coax and report the best length.
Maybe a dumb question, but can you adjust the swr while you have the antenna down on the ground? Or do you have to have it mounted then climb up and adjust it? Thanks!
Hi. No sadly you cannot adjust the SWR with the antenna on the ground as the TX power will be reflected back straight into the antenna. What you can do is to set the antenna up on a pole say 2m of the ground away from any objects like walls etc and then adjust the SWR. There might be a slight difference when you get the antenna to its proper mounted height but it should not be that much different.
Hi Fred. Great Video as usual. Does earthing these and similar 1/2 Wave Base Antennas actually cause any significant loss of signal, SWR Problems & increased QRM? Cheers 73's
Aye very true. Mine only gets used seasonally. I take it high ground once a week in the summer/autumn time then it gets kept in the shed over the colder months. So doesn't bother me :)
+Chris TheHulk (Pepsiholic2008) Yeah I feel the same way. I will never get a SWR 1.1 as iam prob too near the roof. As long as it works and it seems to be doing fine.
In the middle of my garden with nothing around it at 12FT up, the best SWR I could get was 1.4 So I doubt they will tune to 1.1 as stated, but there we go :)
I know it seems odd, but I promise you'll see a difference if you'll run a ground wire from the antenna mounting u-bolt to a 4 foot stake in the ground. Read the rest of my comment in your first A99 video. I guarantee great results if you'll do those things. Good luck!
I have got my antron 99 up with fireupstick on it and I have had some good copys Italy 7 pound and Poland 9 pounds Fred I am will happy with my antron 73 cheers and beers for now John Al.capone
Another good video Fred. You did a grand job there, especially as you did it on your own. Is the pole to hold up the antenna or is it reinforcing the gable end. LOL. And yes those three hole bricks are a pain in the A**e Fred. I hope all that hard work was worth it and you get better reception and get out a lot further. Keep up the good work.
+roy neil Thanks Roy. I will hopefully update this installation later in the year when I can raise it up and down. Yeah those bricks are pretty bad if you try and drill them .
@@CB-RADIO-UK Hello, on the 20th my rosé is so low as to be unmeasurable. But if I go to 1 example the rosé is high, on 40 it is low. Please, do you know which way the dials turn? If the 1 is up, should I turn the bezel clockwise or counterclockwise? Thank you
I did. The SWR meter says 1.1.2 on 1 and 1.1.2 on 40. It doesn't get better than this. The only thing I don't like is that the antenna doesn't stay perfectly straight, it's always slightly crooked when looking at the joints, even turning on the pole axis it's the same. They probably didn't factory fit the splice connectors perfectly straight. Amen is little stuff. I've seen videos where the antenna is like mine, not perfectly straight. Thank you
I struggled with the SWR. The Firestick did not do much for the SWR i think it stayed around 1.5 with the rings very near the top. I later tuned on 27.305 and got it much lower
I to don't like getting on the roof 😣 my antenna is on chimney. My swr is way to hihgt so much so I'm not using it. You can set swr on floor then get my roofer mate to swap to new one ?
Yes its quite normal to set the SWR on a pole in the garden. It should not change that much once it up in the air. I dont know of anyone who climbs up high to re adjust the SWR.
IM IN NYC , WE USE 40 CHANNELS AM AND SSB. DO PPL IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTTLAND USE THIS MOSTLY OR THE FM 27/81 BAND PLAN MOSTLY. WHERE DO YOU SUGGEST THAT I TRY TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT ? I NEED FREQUENCY AND MODE AM/FM/SSB. THX
Currently there is not one fitted. I do have the copper rod and cables but have not been able to drive it through the house foundations. Its something i need to look at.
Hellified noise level. I would ground the antenna pole with a grounding rod. 4ft of 8ft. Also, look into a ground plane kit for the A99. The gpk-1 will lower the angle of radiation from your antenna. Better for DX work. Another thing, if you are using a switched mode power supply the create tons of noise. Try to borrow another blowkes regular power supply. and see if the noise goes away. I have also noticed that cell phones and plasma t.v. emit plenty of noise. Also wifi routers and light dimmer switches are awful as well. Just gotta switch them off and see if noise goes away. 73
@@CB-RADIO-UK Off topic Fred, however... a video on filters, TVI, low pass, high pass, chokes & band pass would be good. Unfortunately St Albans is just out of reach of.my signal, although I did contact Mark 26MS on the Dunstable Down approx. 73 miles from me in my car. Anyways catch you sometime 73!
Again, UA-cam played you again, the top whip is actually resonate at around 31 megs, it would be of interest to know what or maybe where the firestick replacement isresonate. Years ago I played with changing out the top element with not much change, I even tried to put a double mount which allowed to then put two top whips different lengths in an attempt to make it resonate lower and higher but in truth the analizer didn't see much difference. Back then when the bands were open I loved to tune around between 22meg and 27 megs to see where all the modified radio users were talking. It was fun hearing cab drivers in many South American countries as well as Italy and likely other places with languages I couldn't identify. The other day I posted a video of Mike-M0MSN a UK ham that had built a wire version of the old StarDuster M400, he called it a Skylab, anyways it was about a 1/4 wave for the center driven element and slightly longer for the 3 radials, the GOOD thing about it was its very extremely broadbanded from 26 to 30 under 2 .0 or SWR. You need to take that fiberglass pole you have and build one or better yet contact CAL at DX Commander and ask to try this antenna on his 18 meter pole mounted on the ground. Likely if you tell him you will make a video and post it here he likely would work something out with you to do it. If I had NOTHING for an antenna, I would build that one and get that 18 meter or about 60 ft tall pole and use that antenna for everything, DX and local. here is the link. ua-cam.com/video/9vHar7oN_TI/v-deo.html
buy a anbrella STAND that is made to make the AMBRELLA GO 5 FT UP AND THEN U CAN JUST TWIST AND THEN YOU ARE THERE MORE THEN A MEATER BUT I DID THAT MY ANNTENA SITS AT 88 FT BUT AT NIGHT ITS LIKE 91 FT UP ITS COOL
I have an Antron99, and I like it; but read this to understand its construction: www.radiomanual.info/schemi/ACC_antenna/Solarcon_A-99_review.pdf Make sure your coax isn't crushed anywhere, and doesn't have any sharp bends that would change the dimensions of the coax. In the USA, amateur radio license holders are generally exempt from local ordinances with regard to antennas. The exception is private communities and condos where community bylaws can supersede the general exemption.
@@CB-RADIO-UK no one wants that :) i'm in a social rental house so i have to go as stealh as possible ( not allowed to place antenna's ) , so i'm going to try this approach, making those shiny straps the colors of the brick :p ua-cam.com/video/YneF5-d13cw/v-deo.html and the cable will go down the chimney (it's not in use anymore since new heaters, and a gap is in the livingroom, so ideal ) only grounding i'm not sure yet.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Oh, I see. I have tower here easy to climb. You are doing stealth and unfortunate folk would complain in your area. Great video's! I still do not agree with the firestick , my A99 went through 80 km winds on weekend. No twist on the tower at all. Fiberglass bent over a bit but you could sip tea up there. Rock solid.
There has been some chat on that as they recon the stiffer fireup section puts stress on the middle joint. Not sure myself as mine is not showing any signs of fracture. Well not yet anyway.
I was lucky mine was 1:1.3 SWR on both ch 1 and 40 out of the box. So like you, I am not going to frig around with the perfectly acceptable. Hey can you enlighten this Canadian as to why nobody in the entire UK uses proper tower on UA-cam?? I mean it's dirt cheap Fred, and way, way less work. If you like, I can attach photo to this platform? Really, a domestic tower does not look all that bad..I think.
The Fireup stik converts the A99 from a half wave to a 5/8 wave ,which lowers the angle of radiation for better DX Performance TX and RX. Hope this helps..
Mate I'd complain more about that tatty old sat dish than the antenna people wont no what it is also tv are digital signals now so you wont mess with tv set.
yes you have to do it steady with the right Bit. and Hammer on the Drill. you will be ok, while the pole is on the ground. as all the weight is on the ground. it will only pull on the T&K WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. . apart from that Very good Vid. :)
+outlawhead Yep your right. The problem I have with the bricks on this house (timber frame) is that they are the 3 hole hollow type. Some of the bolts are through the brick but you get about 3/4" in and you hit the hole. Ive used M10 self tap bolts here. When I used M8 before the bricks shattered as the bolt gripped. So this time ive gone for the mortar. Not ideal but no broken bricks. Sadly new houses are built like poo. For 99% of the time the pole is going to stay on the deck. In the future I will make a winch mech to raise it on the brackets for short TX periods then lower it. Well that's the plan. Thanks for your input, appreciated.
dont like the " whippy" section then FFS dont get a sirio gainmaster !! lol... good oold silver rod or thunderpole mk2 ( if you can find one ) will kick the arse of the crappy old A99 the afore mentioned gainmaster works well, but soooo whippy is not even funny..
got my antron 99 Fred with the fireupstick just waiting for the weather to get better here in heywood Lancashire then will be putting it up on the chimney of my council flat your videos are really helpful for people getting in to cb radio for the first time keep up the good work Fred 73 cheers and beers from Al capone John.
Thanks John. Ive been pleased with mine and fireup top section makes the whole antenna more stable in strong winds.
Ah a man after my own heart. No such thing as over engineering. I'm the same way and have never had a problem over engineering. I just bought a 99 antenna but want to mount it off the top of my TV antenna tower. I have to make mounts ( stand offs ) so one antenna doesn't interfer with the other. Great video. Thanks
Over engineering is better than under engineering any day. Rather be on the safe side
Great video Fred! Really interested to see how things improve for you. All the Best!
+26CT1994 Thanks mate. Its working well so far.
I just purchased the A-99 antenna, and likewise had a relatively high SWR around 1.9:1, and like you, had to run the rings up to get it below 1.5:1.
Great video Fred I did the same thing to my A99 and noticed it had very much improvement
Slide antenna down so about 6 inch of mast pipe goes past the tunning ring then go from there... That's from the man that makes the antennas in Toledo Ohio........
I wonder how well a Francis Fiberglass whip would perform. I just threw my 99 up on a 15 foot mast attached to my garage. Good little antenna.
I'm a stickler about swr also but the difference between a 1.0 and a 1.5 at 100 watts is 5 watt reflected nobody's ever gonna hear the difference in that and it'll be even less if you're running Barefoot 12 watt. cool video
Those mounts you used to mount the pole to that are attached to the outside of the wall are engineered to support a weight and not built for side loads, which will be created by the pole in the wind Fred. The mounting brackets themselves need to have angle braces wielded to the center support section for side loading of the wind on the antennal or the mount braces could bend or even start to pull the bolts out of the masonry Fred. Just a perspective of an Ex-Commercial Building Contractor, who has done highway bridges to commercial factories and hospitals as well for over four generations in my family. Side loading kips are going to pull the bolts out of the brick which cannot hold much to begin with without cracking and needing to be replaced if the side load on the bolts are exceeded by wind drag on the pole and antenna. Good luck with it Fred. Plus we do have to over engineer things for snow loading and even Earthquakes, here in the United States Fred. I would highly suggest a look at it from a professional's opinion in your area. After all the way the system you have construction is now operating in is only taking in one direction of wind loading into considerations here. Just a thought. Also on a side note: That screw u took out of the antenna's top just needed to be turned in a little and it would have been a flat match on channel 20 for tuning a 40 channel radio for center freq. and the antenna would them be banded properly for a 40 ch. rig. I always tune mine for what freq. I run the most as well. I have a radio that will run from 32 mHz. to 25 mHz. So I need actually three to four antennas on my radio to run the entire band of its receive but the problem is that the radio needs to be tuned to the center of all the bands and its own power is not enough with the internal circuitry to allow it to sustain its RF power to both ends of the Frequencies without internally tuning the circuitry for each band it is trying to transmit on. For this reason I am looking for an Icon or similar rig with a matching amplifier made for the transmitter. So that I can get my General Lic. and talk to you guys in the Uk legally. Side note as well. I hate anything that modifies good clear modulation. Echo boxes and reverbs are for children who need to have toys in their lives not adults who understand the communication world of Ham operators.
Yes you could be correct on the brackets. I used the K parts. The pole has been through 3 storms in 2020 so be interesting to check it in a few months and see if any brackets are showing cracks or stress.
Another entertaining and informative video! Thanx, mate!
Glad you enjoyed it!
And if you're worried about prying eyes, paint the antenna light blue to match the sky background. All except the metal joints where the sections join together. you can wrap the joints with electrical tape! Works like a charm, you'll even have difficulty seeing it!
I just tossed up a used A99 I bought . 10 ft off the ground , rings at factory settings . I got 1.5 to 1 on 26.000 mhz and 1.1 to 1 on 27.900 mhz .
Very nice low curve all the way through .
I would say theres an issue with yours .
Cheers from BC Canada .
73
That is damn cool!! I need some brackets like that to mount my antenna pole to, excellent idea!!
T & K mounts are very cheap on ebay. Think these were 21" stand off.
fredintheshed1
-- Cool, thanks for the info!!
@Fredintheshed1 When using T & K brackets, ALWAYS mount the K bracket at the top (the 'K' angled bit helps support the weight pushing down on the pole from above. and the 'T' at the bottom. I'd have mounted them on the chimney rather than the wall though, which would have allowed for a little more height. Think circa 7 ft apart with the top 'K' bracket about a foot / 18" from the top of the chimney. With a 20ft aluminum scaffold pole (light weight and stronger than standard antenna masts) would get the base of the Antron about 12ft above the top of the chimney and approx 1 wavelength above ground. You could even run guyt wires to the eaves at the front and back of the house. If you could mount the Ground Plane Kit then this will lower the angle of radiation and should help strengthen your local range. Good video though and useful to newbies
Thanks for the info Tom. Since this video ive now mounted the pole with 2 K brackets.
Noticed that the needle on your SWR meter is also not on the Zero so it makes the reading slightly higher when it is starting above the Zero.
I have an a99 as well and I did consider going with the firestick upgrade ,but I'm talking local great and talking skip like crazy.So I'm not going to touch a thing.Love your videos.
Sometimes its best to leave well alone. I do say that the upgrade makes the antenna more stable in higher winds. All the best.
Nice video Fred. just had to laugh when you said( swar ) . you could easily put it up another ten feet with that set up or stick it on the chimney. The higher the better
Thanks mate. Yeah the old CB swaarr thing. Cant break the habit lol. Would love to put it up higher but have to be very careful with the neighbours. I do have a plan for raising and lowering it another 1.5 meters as required. That should bring it up to the chimney.
Need a grounding rod on that. When I added that to mine the swr dropped a bit.
I'am Your Newest Subscriber Across The Pond Here In Florida I Love My Antron 99 Antenna I Just Got A Used Ground Plane Kit For My Antron 99 At The Hame Radio Fest 25.00 US
Hello and welcome
Auntron Nointy Noine! an ground plane kit should bring that swr even lower
I think you are gonna be pleasantly surprised. The Antron apparently likes a little bit of elevation. I am probably gonna move my Antron for 5 meters at the base to 8 meters. No major hurry as the DX is gone here and there are only one or two locals on the air but they are seldom on anyway. SW Radio time for me I guess. Thanks for sharing Fred
+Andy Tobin Cheers Andy. Hoping the DX will improve with the FireUp kit. Someone on every time I turn on these days ;-)
looks really good Fred
+Gary g1fsh Cheers Mate :-)
Best mount brackets I have seen. nice mast pipe. I think slide up a bit get off the ground. stay high and dry. Is that mast all one piece and how thick ? where did the mast come from . thanks Johnny , dont forget a ground rod under antenna.
howdy. need to ground the antenna to a proper ground rod set 8ft at least in the ground, also grab some good wire lay radials along the ground at 1/4wave of the lowest frequency of the band your gonna be working, once radials are layed out evenly on the ground you can just put a little bit dirt on top and nobody is the wiser, your swr match and antenna efficiency will improve considerably, also helps to have a solid copper wire running from the antenna down the mast to the ground rod
73's. from the 286, / k7sce Arizona usa
Thanks buddy for the wise words :-)
Have you found the A-99 to flat any where? If not you might need to attach it to more metal, with out the radial kit. Using one of your radios that covers a wide frequency finding the absolute best spot should not be difficult. Even adding an "ugly balun" might help. A tuned artificial ground or even attaching resonate radials in the form of guy wires. Being in the attic yo most likely can't get a good ground causing the higher swr and more noise.
Hey Fred, I did a little digging around and some research on "antenna dynamics"...and I found out some interesting information for you. The top section of the Antron 99 is solid fiberglass at a certain length. The Fire Up Firestick is made wide copper coiled wire around a fiberglass shaft. Fiberglass and copper have totally different velocity factors, which is very important in figuring the length and power efficiency of your antenna. There is a math equation that determines the length of the vertical radiator and the length of the ground radials. Copper has a higher and better velocity factor, more so than fiberglass. So your Fire Up upgrade will actually will have a total effect of higher velocity factor of the entire antenna...so, it's a good call. I have a regular Fire Stick antenna that is the same length as the Fire Up...I am going to try it out and see how it does.
Thanks for that information, really interesting. I know that the Fire Up firestick is not just a normal 27 MHz stick but is in fact tuned to 32 Mhz. I would say that local DX is about the same as with the original top section but working stations outside the UK the improved. I ve had some very strong reports.
fredintheshed1
-- Yes, sir...you are correct. I'll tell you about MY antenna. I have the Antron 99 and I have the factory ground plane kit that came with it, an aluminum collar with four fiberglass ground radials...and they just happen to be the same length as the top section. So I tried different things with it. First I took five 102 inch steel whip antennas, measured and cut them all down to match the length of the original fiberglass radials, and it improved overall tremendously...stainless steel top section and ground radials. Next I took five Fire Stick antennas that are the same length as the original fiberglass radials and did the same thing. The difference was astounding!!! With a Fire Stick top section and four Fire Stick ground radials, it brought my SWR's from 1.2 to 1.0 FLAT, improved my overall output distance by five S units to a friend that lives 50 miles away, and when I turned my linear amp on...whoa!!! He said I was putting him "in the red" from 50 miles away. My advice is...replace your ground radials (if you have the factory ground plane) with the same Fire Stick upgrades...if you don't have it...GET IT and do what I did...you will LOVE it!!!
That sounds pretty amazing / impressive. Sadly the area where I live would not tolerate a huge antenna with ground planes. One day though.
fredintheshed1
-- I know what you mean...I used to live in a neighborhood like that...I ended up having to mount my antenna in my attic...lol!! Surprisingly, it worked pretty good. Then I came across an antenna specifically MADE for the attic...the BA-1, it's more or less a vertical (or horizontal) 1 element beam or dipole. Look into it man, they work AWESOME, and they are no bigger than the Antron 99. I think they are made by Maco. Check it out!! Also, look into the Workman B-100 Saturn...it's a no-groundplane antenna as well and it's only about 3 or 4 feet tall, another excellent antenna for people in your situation.
Great job !
Not a job for the faint hearted fred let alone doing it on your own! Great video as usual mate, lovely presentation and narration. That antenna isn't going anywhere. Also the red bung on the top should be replaced with an aircraft warning light! haha. 73
+Ringway Manchester LOL Lewis. Yes it was a bit of a handful and iam not a big bloke for sure. Yeah I kinda wished I wrapped the red bung in black tape but guess it will soon fade. To PINK LOL
Haha yeah you're right! You need a red strobe to warn the aircraft approaching Northolt or Luton! lol
Well done😀
Hi Fred this is Darren from luton.
I use a Antron 99 I use just the original top section and don't use the ground plane kit. My swr rings are roughly middle I found that it was fine out of the box low swr so left well alone.
My Antron has been up.for nearly 21 years. Hope to talk to you but you are on my fringe area. 73s
+Darren Morris Hi Darren. I ve heard Steve 318 talk to you but I think your right on my edge or receive. Yeah the rings are odd on my antenna. I guess I could spend all day playing with them but it was quite an effort heaving 9.5 metres of antenna around. Hope to catch you on the 4pm group some time. 73's buddy.
+fredintheshed1 Darren I could just about hear you today Mon 25th although I think you may have been a little of freq.
Nice to know you have "A Plan" for it get higher Fred ;)
+26TANGOMIKE037 Mate there is always "a plan" :-)
Bit late i know, these antennas are Canadian design i believe so designed to run in the FCC band for ukfm its technically too long. Good to see people enthusiastic about CB
Good video bud! Just one question, do you have the antenna grounded? Also didn't know you could set the swr while the antenna is on the ground. Been having to do mine installed on the roof. Getting around 1.2 on channel 1 and 1.7 on channel 40. Thinking about going back on the roof to try and get 40 down below 1.5. What do you think? I am using 2 5ft firesticks. One connected and one as a dummy load. Any advice from anyone would be appreciated. Thanks!
High. Ive not got my antenna grounded due to the earthing system that my house has. Grounding the mounting pole can in some cases reduce noise. The difference between 1.7 and 1.5 is minimal in terms of any power loss and 1.7 is safe so personally i would leave it.
Aloha Fred I just purchased an A99 antenna and I'm considering the fire stick upgrade. I'm curious if you ever check SWR on the original top piece if it was better than the firestick upgrade?
It was the same.
I live in the California desert- no worries on looks of my antenna...
I would put up a Yagi Beam :-)
What does adding a tunable tip fire stick do for the amtron 99. And would the Boomer kit ground plane be more affective in lower angle of radiation
Hi. It does nothing for groundwave local comms. Its supposed to boast DX contacts. TBH iam unsure. However it reduces the size of the antenna and makes the top section a lot more stable in high winds.
I bet Fred is every neighbours worst nightmare 🤣
Can remember getting reported for my antenna back in the day made me laugh the wording on the letter. It said it was regarding my erection in the front garden.
Quick question please Fred.... if you were to raise that pole as high as possible, would you get better signals due to better line of sight?
Mostly high is might but once you get above the roof line it less difference.
How about doing a video on the procom pateriot 12 ft cb base antenna
Fred, slide the bottom of that pole up to the middle bracket. Be a big improvement with it well clear of the house.
Hello George, you ok buddy. George I have to be so careful on this estate where I live. By rights I really need planning permission to even mount the antenna on the house. I would love to fully extend the pole to its max height but I know I would get a complaint and then that would be it. I am planning to fix some kind of winch to raise it just over a meter. Prob get around to that in the winter when less people out in their gardens.
+fredintheshed1 shove it up over the darkest part of the winter. No one will notice. Normal people don't look up.
HI Fred. I've been watching some of your videos today. Good stuff.
I noticed you installed the brackets into the cement rather than the bricks 😲. Any reason for this? Over time this will crumble around the bolts and come loose.
Your SWR does seem oddly high. Did you check the frequency of the lowest point of SWR? Having a 10/11/12m set you can go much lower and higher while testing. Finding the minimum point will give you a better idea about what is going on.
Hi. With ref to the bricks. The bricks used on this house are the 3 hole hollow type which means if you try and bolt something heavy you can crack them. I cannot rem the SWR back then but these days ive tuned the Antron to 1.1 at 27.305. It does climb on the higher FM 40 channels.
@@CB-RADIO-UK The coax length is also in play ;-)
There's formulas to calculate where the dips in the coax length are, or theres also antenna analyzers that can analyze your coax and report the best length.
@@xszl Title : 11m / CB Radio: How Long Should My Coax Be?
Maybe a dumb question, but can you adjust the swr while you have the antenna down on the ground? Or do you have to have it mounted then climb up and adjust it?
Thanks!
Hi. No sadly you cannot adjust the SWR with the antenna on the ground as the TX power will be reflected back straight into the antenna. What you can do is to set the antenna up on a pole say 2m of the ground away from any objects like walls etc and then adjust the SWR. There might be a slight difference when you get the antenna to its proper mounted height but it should not be that much different.
Just curious , why didn't you use a chimney mount.?? Less pipe and more height.
even the Imax 2000 antenna does the same thing in the wind don't worry about it
Hi Fred. Great Video as usual. Does earthing these and similar 1/2 Wave Base Antennas actually cause any significant loss of signal, SWR Problems & increased QRM? Cheers 73's
No Keith it should help reduce noise.
The earthing is purely for static discharge and lightning.
I'm trying see why my swr still high I just got my antron99 with 10ft pole from ground too top it's 28ft ND still high ... I'm lost
Try the rings screwed down low near the bottom.
Good video Fred :)
My A99 is the same with the rings mate. I've just left them at the top and taped them up so they won't move :)
+Chris TheHulk (Pepsiholic2008) Thanks mate glad its just not my 99 then. I think quality control is a bit lapse Cheers.
Aye very true. Mine only gets used seasonally. I take it high ground once a week in the summer/autumn time then it gets kept in the shed over the colder months. So doesn't bother me :)
+Chris TheHulk (Pepsiholic2008) Yeah I feel the same way. I will never get a SWR 1.1 as iam prob too near the roof. As long as it works and it seems to be doing fine.
In the middle of my garden with nothing around it at 12FT up, the best SWR I could get was 1.4
So I doubt they will tune to 1.1 as stated, but there we go :)
+Chris TheHulk (Pepsiholic2008) Guess its not just me then. Yeah iam about 1.3-1.4.
I know it seems odd, but I promise you'll see a difference if you'll run a ground wire from the antenna mounting u-bolt to a 4 foot stake in the ground. Read the rest of my comment in your first A99 video. I guarantee great results if you'll do those things. Good luck!
i was just going to say the same thing it will greatly reduce nice i just did it
Paint the top section gray and it'll be much harder to even see it
I wonder if using rg213 might reduce some of that reflected power.
LMR400 coax is 1.4% loss in a 51 foot run.
A lower loss coax will result in more reflected power reaching the radio. That is, on the first cycle.
Like your dog looks like my dog Lyla
I have got my antron 99 up with fireupstick on it and I have had some good copys Italy 7 pound and Poland 9 pounds Fred I am will happy with my antron 73 cheers and beers for now John Al.capone
Sounds like it working well for you John. Well done.
Another good video Fred. You did a grand job there, especially as you did it on your own.
Is the pole to hold up the antenna or is it reinforcing the gable end. LOL. And yes those three hole bricks are a pain in the A**e Fred. I hope all that hard work was worth it and you get better reception and get out a lot further. Keep up the good work.
+roy neil Thanks Roy. I will hopefully update this installation later in the year when I can raise it up and down. Yeah those bricks are pretty bad if you try and drill them .
+fredintheshed1 rotary kango drill Fred. Makes short work of drilling them
Hi Fred it's me with the pop pop boat.
Have you still taped the joints on the 99 hows that working?
What tape ?
Hi mate. Yes ive wrapped the joints with that self sealing rubber tape. Ive not noticed any difference in performance but the SWR is down.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Self amalgamating tape.
Sorry if the red is high on the 1 of the citizen band, do you have to turn the cogwheels clockwise or counterclockwise?
Hi. TBH i cannot rem. I would use channel 20. Then the mark a line on them and try 360 degree one way and then the other.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Hello, on the 20th my rosé is so low as to be unmeasurable. But if I go to 1 example the rosé is high, on 40 it is low. Please, do you know which way the dials turn? If the 1 is up, should I turn the bezel clockwise or counterclockwise? Thank you
@@CB-RADIO-UK You don't know, I get it. I wanted to avoid rehearsals. OK thank you
Good luck you will get there. I struggled with mine at first.
I did. The SWR meter says 1.1.2 on 1 and 1.1.2 on 40. It doesn't get better than this. The only thing I don't like is that the antenna doesn't stay perfectly straight, it's always slightly crooked when looking at the joints, even turning on the pole axis it's the same. They probably didn't factory fit the splice connectors perfectly straight. Amen is little stuff. I've seen videos where the antenna is like mine, not perfectly straight. Thank you
Is a A-99 at risk of a lightning strike being fibreglass with a wire spiral?
Yes afraid it is.
as to the previous poster. do you have any lightning protection?
I have a earth wire on the pole but its not as deep in the ground as i would like due to hitting the foundations of the house.
But perhaps the TV aerial would get zapped first or any of the others in the street.
So you put a firstick on the top of your A99? I can't get my swr's down enough so I'm brain storming?
I struggled with the SWR. The Firestick did not do much for the SWR i think it stayed around 1.5 with the rings very near the top. I later tuned on 27.305 and got it much lower
Tune it whith the dela rings
I replaced my top with a ss whip it works grate
Hello, sorry, are the elles you used to fix the antenna to the wall level?
I used T and K brackets. More here. ua-cam.com/video/Pl5RElfeBaI/v-deo.html
@@CB-RADIO-UK Hi, yes I saw. But I wanted to know if once mounted they remain at 90° to the wall. A thousand thanks
Got . They have been up through many a storm now and not bent at all.
I to don't like getting on the roof 😣 my antenna is on chimney. My swr is way to hihgt so much so I'm not using it. You can set swr on floor then get my roofer mate to swap to new one ?
Yes its quite normal to set the SWR on a pole in the garden. It should not change that much once it up in the air. I dont know of anyone who climbs up high to re adjust the SWR.
@@CB-RADIO-UK great stuff, I'm going to up gread soon so I'll do that then get it swamped over
Many thanks Fred
U will make good use of an antenna analyzer
IM IN NYC , WE USE 40 CHANNELS AM AND SSB. DO PPL IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTTLAND USE THIS MOSTLY OR THE FM 27/81 BAND PLAN MOSTLY. WHERE DO YOU SUGGEST THAT I TRY TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT ? I NEED FREQUENCY AND MODE AM/FM/SSB. THX
Hi Chris. Try 27.555 USB as we use that as a calling channel.
Run a ground wire to grounding rod. . That will get rid of unwanted air spikes anf claim the white noise alil
Yes good advice and is on the list for waiting jobs.
Like the video and content Fred
Thanks buddy.
Try adjusting the tip of the new antenna, No?
The bolt at the top of the firestick did not make much difference even when i took it out. I have got an SWR of 1:1 now.
Solarcon & FireUp upgrade will it be good for a imax 2000
In theory it should work. The Fireup tip is tuned for the Antron but it should be easy to adapt.
Where's your ground system for lightning?
Currently there is not one fitted. I do have the copper rod and cables but have not been able to drive it through the house foundations. Its something i need to look at.
Hellified noise level. I would ground the antenna pole with a grounding rod. 4ft of 8ft. Also, look into a ground plane kit for the A99. The gpk-1 will lower the angle of radiation from your antenna. Better for DX work. Another thing, if you are using a switched mode power supply the create tons of noise. Try to borrow another blowkes regular power supply. and see if the noise goes away. I have also noticed that cell phones and plasma t.v. emit plenty of noise. Also wifi routers and light dimmer switches are awful as well. Just gotta switch them off and see if noise goes away.
73
Thanks buddy, wise words.
Just out of interest, have you considered the ground plane kit?
Yes have thought about it but it makes the antenna stand out too much around other houses.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Off topic Fred, however... a video on filters, TVI, low pass, high pass, chokes & band pass would be good. Unfortunately St Albans is just out of reach of.my signal, although I did contact Mark 26MS on the Dunstable Down approx. 73 miles from me in my car.
Anyways catch you sometime 73!
You sure it's okay to have that thing next to your TV antenna?
Well it wont do any perm damage but it will cause some TVi. Thankfully we are all dish now.
fredintheshed1 True.
How much shorter is the fire stick?
I wood say about 1.5 ft
where did you get the brackets thank you
T and K brackets from Ebay.
Get an antenna tuner, that way you can match just about anything. You will be able to get that SWR down to next to nothing.
You mean like this :-) ua-cam.com/video/4PVADs1FIYo/v-deo.html
We Can't Stop Here... THIS IS BAT COUNTRY! Have you consider try using a 102 inch stainless steel whip?
Hi. Yes i do have a tank whip and have used it mobile.
Hi Fred...have you ever had a contact from Ireland?
Hi. Yes a few weeks back. A fella named Lee. A mobile breaker. Vid here. ua-cam.com/video/2sPt5j_vrBg/v-deo.html
Got anthing on starduster's or signal keepers Fred ?
No sorry Stuart.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Never used one but don't blame you for that.
Would this work on a IMAX2000
NO
also had a shakespeare big stick years ago too ( similar to antron.. that was shite.
3 meter above the roof?
+Geronemo Bauer No not that high just 6 metre's from the ground.
Black spray paint is your friend
Again, UA-cam played you again, the top whip is actually resonate at around 31 megs, it would be of interest to know what or maybe where the firestick replacement isresonate. Years ago I played with changing out the top element with not much change, I even tried to put a double mount which allowed to then put two top whips different lengths in an attempt to make it resonate lower and higher but in truth the analizer didn't see much difference. Back then when the bands were open I loved to tune around between 22meg and 27 megs to see where all the modified radio users were talking. It was fun hearing cab drivers in many South American countries as well as Italy and likely other places with languages I couldn't identify. The other day I posted a video of
Mike-M0MSN a UK ham that had built a wire version of the old StarDuster M400, he called it a Skylab, anyways it was about a 1/4 wave for the center driven element and slightly longer for the 3 radials, the GOOD thing about it was its very extremely broadbanded from 26 to 30 under 2 .0 or SWR. You need to take that fiberglass pole you have and build one or better yet contact CAL at DX Commander and ask to try this antenna on his 18 meter pole mounted on the ground. Likely if you tell him you will make a video and post it here he likely would work something out with you to do it. If I had NOTHING for an antenna, I would build that one and get that 18 meter or about 60 ft tall pole and use that antenna for everything, DX and local. here is the link. ua-cam.com/video/9vHar7oN_TI/v-deo.html
buy a anbrella STAND that is made to make the AMBRELLA GO 5 FT UP AND THEN U CAN JUST TWIST AND THEN YOU ARE THERE MORE THEN A MEATER BUT I DID THAT MY ANNTENA SITS AT 88 FT BUT AT NIGHT ITS LIKE 91 FT UP ITS COOL
I have an Antron99, and I like it; but read this to understand its construction: www.radiomanual.info/schemi/ACC_antenna/Solarcon_A-99_review.pdf
Make sure your coax isn't crushed anywhere, and doesn't have any sharp bends that would change the dimensions of the coax. In the USA, amateur radio license holders are generally exempt from local ordinances with regard to antennas. The exception is private communities and condos where community bylaws can supersede the general exemption.
why not mount it onto the chimney ? where the television antenna also is mounted ? then it's even higher and no long tube along your house anymore
I did cross my mind but there has been some nightmares of chimneys falling down with antennas attached.
@@CB-RADIO-UK no one wants that :) i'm in a social rental house so i have to go as stealh as possible ( not allowed to place antenna's ) , so i'm going to try this approach, making those shiny straps the colors of the brick :p ua-cam.com/video/YneF5-d13cw/v-deo.html and the cable will go down the chimney (it's not in use anymore since new heaters, and a gap is in the livingroom, so ideal ) only grounding i'm not sure yet.
I put my swr`s to 1.5 when it was on some saw horses and when i put it up in the air the swr`s where 1.1
Yes CB antennas love space.
3 element beam on a rotator Fred fix that to the chimney don't forget you have the other corner of the house to the neighbours won't care :)
+Lee Mallin Ah if only Lee. Think the wife would not agree though LOL
+fredintheshed1 I understand Fred keep us posted on the DX stations you get off this upgrade Lee ( K5NOV)
+Lee Mallin Will do Lee 73's
Nice Upload... The last 20 seconds Price;esss///
hi buddy great video as usual . wow you totally over engineer things but if it works for you go for it
+shaun pi Yep why use one screw if 3 will do. I don't think its going anywhere soon but I will keep my eye on the bolts.
Fred, you forgot to put on the ground radials!
They are an extra. Also not wanting the antenna to stand out too much.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Oh, I see. I have tower here easy to climb. You are doing stealth and unfortunate folk would complain in your area. Great video's! I still do not agree with the firestick , my A99 went through 80 km winds on weekend. No twist on the tower at all. Fiberglass bent over a bit but you could sip tea up there. Rock solid.
Iam not convinced the Fire stick really improves the performance. However it is shorted that the orig section so that adds for the stealth effect.
Top section needs to flex.
There has been some chat on that as they recon the stiffer fireup section puts stress on the middle joint. Not sure myself as mine is not showing any signs of fracture. Well not yet anyway.
I was lucky mine was 1:1.3 SWR on both ch 1 and 40 out of the box. So like you, I am not going to frig around with the perfectly acceptable.
Hey can you enlighten this Canadian as to why nobody in the entire UK uses proper tower on UA-cam?? I mean it's dirt cheap Fred, and way, way less work. If you like, I can attach photo to this platform? Really, a domestic tower does not look all that bad..I think.
i would just leave it alone wouldn't use firestick I would use steel whip in top section
you using cb with ssb
Yes i mostly use USB.
Your SWR is probably bad coax. Try RG 400 coax.
I've been told the fireup upgrade made no difference Fred.
I dont think it does make much performance difference. However it really makes the antenna more stable and shorter.
@@CB-RADIO-UK From memory, it changed the A99 from 1/2 wave to 5/8 wave - mine used to bang out.
The Fireup stik converts the A99 from a half wave to a 5/8 wave ,which lowers the angle of radiation for better DX Performance TX and RX. Hope this helps..
Mate I'd complain more about that tatty old sat dish than the antenna people wont no what it is also tv are digital signals now so you wont mess with tv set.
Yes your right its rare that radio esp 11m will effect tv. LOL yeah i need to get that old rusty dish down :-)
@@CB-RADIO-UK
If that was me mate I would have it as high as I could with a big burner in my shed to get over to the states and in to Europe on ssb
Now with that fire stick the rest of the antenna is stressed.
Yes that is the downside. However all still ok in 2019 no splits or cracks.
The swearing and the deathtreaths are now on Ham radio haha, give me cb anytime...
WHO ELSE HAS ANY RADIO SHACK STUFF LEFT
Have an old handheld scanner.
Mate , you Drill the brick not the Muck Joints. " please post a vid when this all pulls out lol.
+outlawhead I drilled the bricks the last time I put up a bracket. Two of them split. I doubt it will pull out but fair point.
yes you have to do it steady with the right Bit. and Hammer on the Drill. you will be ok, while the pole is on the ground. as all the weight is on the ground. it will only pull on the T&K WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. . apart from that Very good Vid. :)
+outlawhead Yep your right. The problem I have with the bricks on this house (timber frame) is that they are the 3 hole hollow type. Some of the bolts are through the brick but you get about 3/4" in and you hit the hole. Ive used M10 self tap bolts here. When I used M8 before the bricks shattered as the bolt gripped. So this time ive gone for the mortar. Not ideal but no broken bricks. Sadly new houses are built like poo. For 99% of the time the pole is going to stay on the deck. In the future I will make a winch mech to raise it on the brackets for short TX periods then lower it. Well that's the plan. Thanks for your input, appreciated.
dont like the " whippy" section then FFS dont get a sirio gainmaster !! lol... good oold silver rod or thunderpole mk2 ( if you can find one ) will kick the arse of the crappy old A99 the afore mentioned gainmaster works well, but soooo whippy is not even funny..