HI! I'm "928" in skipland. My ststion consists of an outa the box stock cobra 29 lx, k-40, n/c mic, that little RM 100 watt linear, & a 5.5' francis antenna. This station skips like a stone. If ya dx much I'm sure you've heard me. The amp is wired with 10 ga wire thru a 30 amp fuse hooked to the "cab feed" at the fuse/breaker box in the dash. Of all the BIG radios I've had this outfit out talks them all. Catch ya out there! 928 said it.
will be listening 928 if momma nature allows it..... I'm running a Ranger 2970N2 wired direct to the battery with 10 gauge, an X Force 400HD wired direct to the battery with 4 gauge, and a 102" whip on a lifted 2010 F150 FX4 Offroad.. Everything was purchased from Rolling Radios in Richmond, VA and installed by me.. I go by Big Mike on AM and Six Eight on SSB.. I'm back quiet !!
Good stuff! I run a stock outa the box 29lx, k-40 n/c mic, RM 100 watt linear, and a 5.5' francis ant. The amp is wired with 10 ga. wire thru a 30 amp fuse connected to the "cab feed" at the fuse/breaker box in the dash. SWR is 1.1 and forward mod is better with the amp on than it is with it off according to the radios meter. This station skips like a stone and is way better than any other BIG radio I'v ever had. I've talked from florida to maine, jamaca, and mexico. This little 100 watt amp is plug-n-play with a stock radio. Handle's "928" edit...sorry for the double post,,,I wanted to add the quote above and did something wrong...oops! Will be listening for ya too. 73's. 928
So in Arizona a cobra 29 with a 100w kicker is considered a "Big Radio?" Around here that would be considered a Walkie Talkie...
Big enough to get their attention in Jamaca, Mexico, all over the east coast & midwest of America, & Canada when the conditions are right. I'd say that it's big enough tho thats just my opinion. I won't be on the radio for a week or so (home time) but stay tuned... It will be fun talkin to ya Jess,,,providing I can hear that big-ole-Texas radio of yours. CQ-CQ..DX-DX...928 in the big-rig tryin outa .... where ever I'm at....howboudit Jesse James? 928 tryin',,,let's go! 928 edit, recent confirmed contacts on my "walkie-talkie"...... Ricochet Rabbit...The buckeye state from Wy, Az, Tx. 30-30 & 30-06 outa the Carolinas from all over. Usually on 24 or 28 Several stations in "the sand pile" of Fl. (wherever that is) Double-trouble (think he's a UPS/Fed-X driver) runs the 95 corridor between the Carolinas & Florida. Several big-riggers I can'tremember the handles of but mainly east-coasters. It ain't braggin if it's true, & when the skips rollin, holler at me on 19 and we'll go to another channel. I'm gonna try you!
Mud Dog... To answer your original question,,,100 watts is all you need for a linear. The Mosfet finals in the little RM KL-203-P ($60.00 new) has a very clean signal when driven with a stock radio. About 2.5 watts output is about right from the transmitter. I used to run a 102" whip but the wind noise was brutal so went back to the Francis. It took 21' of mini-8 coax to get the swr between the ant. & amp. @ 1.1, but the 3' jumper between the trans. & amp. shows 1.1 @ the radio, so nothing changed. SWR between the ant./amp.,,,then between the amp/transmitter are both 1.1. Take all that BIG radio stuff outa your radio and let the amp do the heavy lifting. Hope this helps! 928
Yep...Sort-of anyway.... I've done that using a 102" whip before...add a longer jumper coax between the Amp and antenna to get the SWR lower...Actually all your doing is adding more resistance which will make the SWR Meter read lower...Problem is still there tho...But if you were to add a spring to the bottom of the 102" whip, which makes the physical length of the antenna taller it will do the same thing and lower the SWR reading on the meter without adding any more resistance. I suspect since your using a Frances, you haven't tried adjusting the antenna or adding a spring to make it longer. Right now as good as DX has been, you can make long distance DX contacts barefoot...(Iv'e done it...Texas to Cali. in my mobile) Since your in Arizona, chances are you'll never make a contact with me by the way twolane...Your too close to Texas (Dallas area anyway) and too far for local..."UNLESS" there's some short DX going on, which doesn't happen all that often. I have made contacts in Arizona before tho...Even a couple of times in New Mexico, but like I said, that doesn't happen very much, but it does happen. That said, I usually hang out on channel 28, so when you hear the guys in Cali, or any of the West Coast States, or the East Coast side, least you'll know I'm at there, so give me a holler...Heck, never know, way DX is always jumping around we may get lucky with some short skip!
I believe what you said about being too close for DX. I travel all over (48 states) & almost never play with the radio while I'm home in AZ. I have talked to the midwest, and recently s.TX (cb shop at the petro in El Paso) like we were across the street from eachother from AZ. Forest would say that "skips like a box of chocolates...ya never know whatcher gonna get". It is fun for sure! Far as electrical length (resistance) goes, I believe that it would be measured in total lenght (ohms) for the entire antenna system. In my simple mind that means from the tip of the antenna to the pl-259 at the radio, and everything in between. This would include a spring you suggest. Yes this would change the electrical length of the system and so swr, just as adding or sbtracting coax. As you both know,,,how that 18' of coax is stored (bundled) can change everything. Just re-arranging the excess coax will affect swr. Note,,,what I don't know about "radio" is ALOT, but I do know what works for me. Yea Jess and all...I sure hope to make that DX with ya! 928 aka twolane
Nope. In a properly set up antenna system, the length of coax is irrelevant. It's the length of the antenna (not antenna system) that determines resonance. If doing *anything* to the coax affects SWR, then you have RF flowing on the *outside* of the coax, which you don't want. That RF is inside the vehicle, not outside where you want it. This is the RF that gets into stereos, Qualcomms, engine computers, and so on.
