102" steel whip as base set up

[slowpoke1w]

I'm currently running a 102" stainless steel whip as a base. Mounted 41' on a pushup pole with 2 ground radials 102" long as the first part of my guy wires. My local buddies keep saying I need get a 5/8 wave antenna. But I out talk any radio around that has a imax2000 or an A99. Can keep up with the Maco v5/8 too. And skip is crazy with the 1/4 wave. So what's your guys opinions? Should I waste my money on up grading my setup just to say I have aa 5/8 wave antenna? Or save up for my tower and beams. Oh and I have the smallest radio out of all the locals around Jesup,Ga around 170w.

[Deleted User 14541]

The 5/8 wave will be an improvement if assembled and tuned correctly. The a99 and imax are decent antennas but what you have works too. I ran a 102 with some radials when I first started out and switching to an a99 (actually a workman bandit 2) didn't make a lot of difference. Unless you test each antenna in the exact same location you can't really say one is working better than the other. Same goes for skip, there are too many variables to do a fair comparison.

[Buzzweiser]

The 102" whip is probably the best antenna ever made hands down. The reason is that it will work well for any cb application you want to use it for. That said a 5/8 wave antenna will work better for a base antenna. But do yourself a favor and don't cheap out on one. Get a good quality 5/8wave. I have the new Penetrator and man what a difference. Sirio also has some better ones as well. The Maco and IMax aren't bad antenna's but I wanted something better. The 5/8 will put your signal farther out on the horizon and give you more local range and a better DX angle.

[MDYoungblood]

You basically have a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna, they were sold for years by the big name antenna manufacturers, I had a Antenna Specialist 1/4 wave on top of my tower before changing it to a Moonraker 4. The sloped down radials give it a low angle of radiation which it what you have. I'll say if it's working, don't fix it.
But now that the sunspot cycle if declining you might want to look at a 5/8 or .64 antenna, preferably metal, the HyGain Penetrator, Wilson V58, or the Sirio S-827.
So you said your saving for a beam and tower, what type of beam are you looking for, that could make the purchase of an antenna different than the ones suggested.

3's

Greg