Antenna for apartment base setup?

[Choirboy]

I found a Cobra 148GTL (made in July, 1991 - is this one of the good ones?) that I want to use as a base in my apartment. I need help with choosing an antenna to mount on my metal balcony railing....

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Would the railing provide enough of a ground plane for a 102" whip setup or is there something better (I don't want to spend an arm and a leg). Also, I would have to run about 50' of coax....

Thanks, y'all!

[BigBopper]

You might try a 102" and check your swr's, but probably won't like the way it will perform, there are 2 apartment antennas I have used Signal Mate Base or some companies call it a Saturn, its very short or a Patriot Base antenna, drawback it's 12 ft long, and yes your 148 is a good one

[521 Houston]

I run a Double Bazooka dipole on my bench radio tacked to the ceiling inside my apartment, and with very good results. You've probably already heard some of the watergates I taped off the bench radio on 26.915 with the Double Bazooka as uploaded to the Watergate section.

You can read more on the Double Bazooka at: [Please login or register to view this link].
The one you need is the 11 meter version which is about $35.00 average price....

[rayray1963]

Heck with price's like that I might have to get me a base radio....

Hmmmm...I wander how many more radios I can get before the wife finds out?

[BigBubbaBD]

521 What kind of watts are you puttin on that Double Bazooka dipole?

TVI?

[Ashton]

I run a Double Bazooka dipole on my bench radio tacked to the ceiling inside my apartment, and with very good results. You've probably already heard some of the watergates I taped off the bench radio on 26.915 with the Double Bazooka as uploaded to the Watergate section.

You can read more on the Double Bazooka at: [Please login or register to view this link].
The one you need is the 11 meter version which is about $35.00 average price....

Thanks for the info!! Just ordered me one!!!!!

[521 Houston]

521 What kind of watts are you puttin on that Double Bazooka dipole?

TVI?

I've put about 1300 constant into it before with no problems. It held up to my Heathkit being driven by an Afterburner dual 6LQ6 from my Robyn Executive, and the Heathkit driven by my Yaesu 101EE and Henry Tempo One.

Currently i'm just hitting it with the RCI-2995DX. That's what the 26.915 gates are recorded from. SWR has remained stable at 1.3 with the Heathkit, to 1.1 with just my RCI.

TVI... umm.... yes... that's why i'm running it. Being in an apartment, no matter what you run you're still going to have some TVI, and **Censored** neighbors. Good part is, since the Bazooka is inside on my roof, they don't know where the TVI is coming from, like they would obviously know with an outside antenna.

I've tried all kinds of antennas and mounting / grounding types and tricks... still got TVI. I can run about 250 watts from the RCI through the Bazooka, and it only barely fuzzes the tv in my bedroom on the other side of the wall from my bench, about 25 feet from the antenna. I figure if the wife can live with it, then so can I, and the heck with the rest! LOL!

[Ashton]

I have a ton of Antennas and not really work that good ! Taht antenna sounds perfect for the apartment living person like myself! Like to said a antenna and cable sticking on the balcony is a dead give away

521 What kind of watts are








you puttin on that Double Bazooka dipole?

TVI?

I've put about 1300 constant into it before with no problems. It held up to my Heathkit being driven by an Afterburner dual 6LQ6 from my Robyn Executive, and the Heathkit driven by my Yaesu 101EE and Henry Tempo One.

Currently i'm just hitting it with the RCI-2995DX. That's what the 26.915 gates are recorded from. SWR has remained stable at 1.3 with the Heathkit, to 1.1 with just my RCI.

TVI... umm.... yes... that's why i'm running it. Being in an apartment, no matter what you run you're still going to have some TVI, and **Censored** neighbors. Good part is, since the Bazooka is inside on my roof, they don't know where the TVI is coming from, like they would obviously know with an outside antenna.

I've tried all kinds of antennas and mounting / grounding types and tricks... still got TVI. I can run about 250 watts from the RCI through the Bazooka, and it only barely fuzzes the tv in my bedroom on the other side of the wall from my bench, about 25 feet from the antenna. I figure if the wife can live with it, then so can I, and the heck with the rest! LOL!

[BigBubbaBD]

I've put about 1300 constant into it before with no problems. It held up to my Heathkit being driven by an Afterburner dual 6LQ6 from my Robyn Executive, and the Heathkit driven by my Yaesu 101EE and Henry Tempo One.

Currently i'm just hitting it with the RCI-2995DX. That's what the 26.915 gates are recorded from. SWR has remained stable at 1.3 with the Heathkit, to 1.1 with just my RCI.

TVI... umm.... yes... that's why i'm running it. Being in an apartment, no matter what you run you're still going to have some TVI, and **Censored** neighbors. Good part is, since the Bazooka is inside on my roof, they don't know where the TVI is coming from, like they would obviously know with an outside antenna.

I've tried all kinds of antennas and mounting / grounding types and tricks... still got TVI. I can run about 250 watts from the RCI through the Bazooka, and it only barely fuzzes the tv in my bedroom on the other side of the wall from my bench, about 25 feet from the antenna. I figure if the wife can live with it, then so can I, and the heck with the rest! LOL!

Understand completely. Thats awesome you get out like that from and inside antenna even with big watts IMO.
the reason I asked is I read there site where it says it "handles legal power limits" or something like that. Wasnt sure if it would take alot of power... guess it does lol.

Im thinking about getting a RCI 2980WX SWP from RA and a seperate amp later.
But id really like to get a new antenna. My current one is old and works ok but not the best.. I get moderate TVI with my current base unmodified stock base cb. so I can only guess what it will do if I threw some watts at it.

[521 Houston]

I have a ton of Antennas and not really work that good ! Taht antenna sounds perfect for the apartment living person like myself! Like to said a antenna and cable sticking on the balcony is a dead give away

Well, i'll put it like this... it's not going to perform like an Antron or IMax mounted 20 feet above the roofline, but I can still get out locally and be heard.
My tech's shop is about 12 miles up the road and he can hear me, so that's good enough for me.

I get such a laugh out of the guys on 26.915 on the east coast when I tell them i'm on a dipole tacked to my ceiling!
They swear i'm running an outdoor antenna and more watts than I am.

Locally, it's about like running a tweaked barefoot mobile. You get out and get heard, but don't plan on walking on the big boys at the truck stops. LOL!

[Ashton]

Are you able to talk skip??

I have a ton of Antennas and not






















really work that good ! Taht antenna sounds perfect for the apartment living person like myself! Like to said a antenna and cable sticking on the balcony is a dead give away

Well, i'll put it like this... it's not going to perform like an Antron or IMax mounted 20 feet above the roofline, but I can still get out locally and be heard.
My tech's shop is about 12 miles up the road and he can hear me, so that's good enough for me.

I get such a laugh out of the guys on 26.915 on the east coast when I tell them i'm on a dipole tacked to my ceiling!
They swear i'm running an outdoor antenna and more watts than I am.

Locally, it's about like running a tweaked barefoot mobile. You get out and get heard, but don't plan on walking on the big boys at the truck stops. LOL!

[521 Houston]

Are you able to talk skip??

I'm in Houston... refer to the watergates from Bushwacker (you'll hear someone in Iowa answering too in it), 805, Triple 7, 21, and Young Gun. I would assume Houston to Iowa, Virginia, and the Carolinas would qualify as talking skip... LOL!

[Ashton]

Sounds cool! With my super wp geberal lee and my new cobra 200 should be fine

Are you able to talk skip??

I'm in Houston... refer to the watergates from Bushwacker (you'll hear someone in Iowa answering too in it), 805, Triple 7, 21, and Young Gun. I would assume Houston to Iowa, Virginia, and the Carolinas would qualify as talking skip... LOL!

[Godzirra]

They have 2 version a 1600 watt and 5000 watt!
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Wonder if i could hang one of these on the inside of my truck. sounds like they are good for skip shootin!

[Falkon MX-5]

as a note, these antennas will be much much much better at talking skip than local, because they have horizontal polarization.

Now, call me crazy [and I am] but I just strapped an IMAX on a telescoping pole right to the side of the balcony.

[521 Houston]

Falkon, I did that myself... guess who the fingers got pointed at from that time forward any time anyone had any kind of fuzz, interference, or poor reception on anything they owned in the complex? You guessed it... the person with the visible antenna. The Double Bazooka solved ALL those headaches! Can't complain about what you can't see and find! LOL!

[Falkon MX-5]

After I threw an HF low pass filter in there, no more TVI.

[Ashton]

[













Ive got my Double Bazooka antenna up and running thanks to some help by Houston521 it works great and I have meter readings of no more than 1.5 on all channels












quote="521 Houston"]

I have a ton of Antennas and no


















t




really work that good ! Taht antenna sounds perfect for the apartment living person like myself! Like to said a antenna and cable sticking on the balcony is a dead give away

Well, i'll put it like this... it's not going to perform like an Antron or IMax mounted 20 feet above the roofline, but I can still get out locally and be heard.
My tech's shop is about 12 miles up the road and he can hear me, so that's good enough for me.

I get such a laugh out of the guys on 26.915 on the east coast when I tell them i'm on a dipole tacked to my ceiling!
They swear i'm running an outdoor antenna and more watts than I am.

Locally, it's about like running a tweaked barefoot mobile. You get out and get heard, but don't plan on walking on the big boys at the truck stops. LOL![/quote]

[BobOstro61]

I got my Saturn base antenna for $18.00 I believe. Can't post where though because they're not a sponsor.