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Aerials


chrisyking

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So I bought these Audioroot aerials which are very nice, and I like that you can tilt each whip slightly differently, which I guess will be better for diversity. At the end of the day, you can just fold them down.

 

Question is, are there any other solutions for having to constantly unscrew whips when you pack your kit away? I worry that long term the threads will wear out, and when I pack my kit away I hate having them there, as they are easy to bend/break.

 

These ones have a bit too much length before the joint, so they still stick out from my bag a bit too much.

 

Any other brands/makes I should be aware of?

 

While I'm at it, I thought I'd mention that I have cut one of the whips 1.5 centimetres longer. Again I'm thinking this might give me some advantage diversity wise....... seem to get very good range with them.

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Remote Audio does the Miracle Whip, which is meant to be made of memory steel, so in theory, you should be able to bend them in any way you want while packing your gear away since they will always return to their original state, you do not have to remove them.

 

But this is just my theory, I have the same problem as you and I was going to try this solution. 

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It's the internal pin which is likely to get worn first I guess. I've used 2020's for years with SMA connectors, and they never wore out, It's more that I don't want to have to screw the damn things on every time 'get my kit out'..... foldy downy ones are much more convenient... have to say I really like the Audioroot ones. £15 each on ebay.

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My experience with the jointed aerials is that their length at the joint makes them vulnerable to side ways forces that have seen all of mine getting their middle pin dislodged and detaching.... swapped them all out for solid wire kits sold by Lectro... 

 

As for the Remote Audio memory aerials, tried them, they do hold their shape, except for when they are folded down at the connector, after a little while they developed a kink that eventually breaks.

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Pat yes this is what I was thinking. The Audioroot ones are a bit long before the joint, so if they get a bang, I'm worried it'll snap em. Maybe the guys at Wisycom could make some with a shorter length.....

 

I worry too much.... worry worry....

 

I did think of using two SMA right angle joints to achieve the same effect.... but it's not perfect....

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As for the Remote Audio memory aerials, tried them, they do hold their shape, except for when they are folded down at the connector, after a little while they developed a kink that eventually breaks.

+1 the connector joint was a weak point for me as well. It starts off as a slight bend where they dont stick up perfectly straight and then one day SNAP. i went back to flexible whips

-Ken

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+1 the connector joint was a weak point for me as well. It starts off as a slight bend where they dont stick up perfectly straight and then one day SNAP. i went back to flexible whips

-Ken

Really? That's not been my experience at all, as yet. They have a thick re-enforcement at the base. Maybe a newer version?
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Cutting your whip aerial alters its resonate frequency and makes it less efficient (were it already the right length for your frequency block).

Diversity, at UHF frequencies, works just fine with closely spaced aerials of equal length. So your modificalion will increase your dropouts and decrease your range to some extent.

To increase your range, and save your reciever connectors, you could attach high quality low loss wire (semi permanet at the receiver end) to get the whips up or over head height. But if you are wearing your gear and walking then you would look strange in a hat/helmet with two whips.

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While were at it I just got these nice little caps off ebay. 4 quid for 100. Nice for keeping the fluff and dust out when you're not using them....

 

you need to be in an intensive care unit brother... 

 

 

i take care of my equipment, or my gear and very well. and i know where it's going and the conditions etc. i have THE MOST WELL-MAINTAINED gear in all of this country. so dont get me wrong. 

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Really? That's not been my experience at all, as yet. They have a thick re-enforcement at the base. Maybe a newer version?

A while ago for me so possibly they have been updated. I recall reinforcing the remaining with multi layers of heatshrink til i got all new flexible whips. Also the outter antenna sleeves would rip off if snagged on something leaving the bare metal exposed. I believe the heatshrink helped those stay in place

-Ken

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Cutting your whip aerial alters its resonate frequency and makes it less efficient (were it already the right length for your frequency block).

Diversity, at UHF frequencies, works just fine with closely spaced aerials of equal length. So your modificalion will increase your dropouts and decrease your range to some extent.

To increase your range, and save your reciever connectors, you could attach high quality low loss wire (semi permanet at the receiver end) to get the whips up or over head height. But if you are wearing your gear and walking then you would look strange in a hat/helmet with two whips.

Could you please elaborate on getting the whips above head hight as its something I have been meaning to figure out how to do for a long time yet could not find a way to do it. I never really use a cart nor a harness so I need a way to get the whips above the crowd from my bag while the bag is sitting on a stool hight.

Is there such a thing?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Could you please elaborate on getting the whips above head hight as its something I have been meaning to figure out how to do for a long time yet could not find a way to do it. I never really use a cart nor a harness so I need a way to get the whips above the crowd from my bag while the bag is sitting on a stool hight.

Is there such a thing?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't know if this helps but a great video for DIY dipole antennas for transmitters and receivers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N5pkmrzsPHs

-Ken

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This is a very good video indeed but these are for attaching to a harness. I need them to stand high from the bag. Like a telescopic one for example...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can think of two options here:

Mount the antennas on your boom

Mount the antennas on another boom and attach that somehow to your back. Instead of a boom other things will work, too, like a short painter's pole.

Or (I know, this is three) attach them to your bag strap

And here is number four: use a harness and attach the antennas to it. Your back will thank you (also because of the second suggestion)

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I can think of two options here:

Mount the antennas on your boom

Mount the antennas on another boom and attach that somehow to your back. Instead of a boom other things will work, too, like a short painter's pole.

Or (I know, this is three) attach them to your bag strap

And here is number four: use a harness and attach the antennas to it. Your back will thank you (also because of the second suggestion)

 

Constantin I work mostly sitting down but without a cart, I have a very heavy bag so I sit it down somewhere and work from there, and when I have the ability to carry a second pole or tripod then I have an RF Venue Diversity to use anyways. 

 

So neither the strap nor harness would be useful. I imagine something like the above video where its a long antenna but only the tip is functional at the required length, applied, to either a very long whip (like carried on the back of communication soldier style). I don't know if that makes sense or if it is even possible, but the idea is to get above the crowd as often sets get very crowded and seems that it can cause dropouts, though I might be wrong about that.

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No of course, you need to get above people. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry to get my antennas away from my cart and closer to the set I use my Remote Audio Boom Caddy. I use the unused boompole, put a stereo bar on it, attach the antennas and put that into the caddy. I'll use a strap of some sort to keep the boom from moving around. This works well and the Boom Caddy is nice to have around in any case. Or just use a light mic stand. Or build yourself a bag cart...

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No of course, you need to get above people. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry to get my antennas away from my cart and closer to the set I use my Remote Audio Boom Caddy. I use the unused boompole, put a stereo bar on it, attach the antennas and put that into the caddy. I'll use a strap of some sort to keep the boom from moving around. This works well and the Boom Caddy is nice to have around in any case. Or just use a light mic stand. Or build yourself a bag cart...

 

So do you think there is a way to make self standing whip antennas that connect directly to my RX housing and are approximately 1.5m yet still within the range of its spectrum? 600-715mhz

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Constantin I work mostly sitting down but without a cart, I have a very heavy bag so I sit it down somewhere and work from there, and when I have the ability to carry a second pole or tripod then I have an RF Venue Diversity to use anyways. 

 

So neither the strap nor harness would be useful. I imagine something like the above video where its a long antenna but only the tip is functional at the required length, applied, to either a very long whip (like carried on the back of communication soldier style). I don't know if that makes sense or if it is even possible, but the idea is to get above the crowd as often sets get very crowded and seems that it can cause dropouts, though I might be wrong about that.

Seems like you're over-complicating things. You don't need a long antenna, but a stand or boom to mount your existing antenna on.

I use a rip-off of the classic Manfrotto. Goes to about 6 ft. Sharkfins on top, but dipoles work too.

Then, coax cable to an antenna split like "PSC RF Multi SMA" or similar feeding your RX.

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