Thanks everyone for the advice. When we got the antenna it had been up for 10 years or more at 350 feet.
The fiberglass on the coil section was practically destroyed and the joints were very loose. We cleaned all the corrosion off the metal, re-fiber-glassed the section to seal it and used no-ox. Then when it was re-assembled, I sprayed it with clear polyurethane and then screwed the sections together to try and tighten them up besides having the hose clamps on them. It still wobbles and I believe there is something wrong inside the fiber-glassed section and that is what is causing some or all the trouble with noise on incoming signals. It is really funny that when the transmitter transmits the controller messages it is perfectly clear and readable, no matter what power level we are at. But, let a user come in we have the repeater set at over 10 watts out of repeater and the noise is horrible. Replacing the antenna would be just another step in trying to figure all this out. Thanks to all for your suggestions. It looks like we may have to wait until the club can come up with the money to buy that DB antenna and just run it a low power. 73 John --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Cicirello" <ka2...@...> wrote: > > John, > > It sounds like you already have a G7? How old is it and how does it > operate? I am trying to figure out how it stood up to your WX Elements. My > two cents .In WNY on the highest hill in Allegany County I had and still > have a G7. I had it up for about seven years at 160' until I got a used > stationmaster and used the Repeater-Builder Article to bring it down in > frequency to 147 MHz At that point we pulled the G7 put up the Stationmaster > and also increased the cable from ½" to 7/8". The G7 was cleaned up and put > back on the tower at about 60' for packet. The antenna was side mounted and > we used a PVC "T" and piece of PVC Pipe to stabilize the top from whipping > around. I would never top mount one. Also there are two weak points in my > opinion, one being the radials. If I ever put up a new G7 I will replace > the Radials with solid aluminum, as the hollow stock radials are fragile. > The coaxial connector is also fragile. We had a tower crew, put a G7 on a > commercial tower and they broke the connector right out of the base > installing he pigtail. We sent the next one up with the pig tail installed > and weatherproofed on the ground which I recommend. We have another one in > G7 in Pa. on top of a radar tower and that has been in service for 12 plus > years. My experience has been good as I have been where you are that you > have to do with what you can afford. > > 73 JIM KA2AJH > > > > From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:repeater-buil...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of W3ML > Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2009 10:09 AM > To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Antenna question > > > > > > Hi again, > > We are looking to replace that used antenna after getting 100 feet of new > Andrews 1/2" donated to our club. > > Now I realize that the DB type antenna is the best, but we do not have 800 > bucks to buy one. > > So, my question is should we just get a new G7-144 to replace the used G7 or > is there another type of vertical that we could get that would be good. > > Being in North Indiana, our winters can be quite brutal, so we would > probably want something durable. > > Any suggestions. > 73 > John, W3ML >
