WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Does anyone know a good antenna installer in Perth for Amateur Antenna ? I'm a beginner in amateur radio so I need someone who can help me choosing and installing antennas.

What bands do you want an antenna for, how much room have you got and whats your budget ?

Hello VK6ZMS

For now, I will just want to install a dual band VHF/UHF Antenna and cable that to my room. Just like below link to be used with my handheld Yaesu FT-60R so that I don't have to go outside when I need to transmit. ( Since I mentioned this antenna I also want to ask your opinion about this dual band antenna based on the specifications mentioned in the link)

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 1743wt_881

But in the future when I get my HF radio I might get a long wire installed.

Thank's

I don't buy stuff of that eBay vendor anymore as the products have been of poor quality.
Contact Tower Communications in Hazlemere and see if he can order a Diamond X50 or Comet GP3.
They cover the same bands as the one you are looking at and are high quality.
Tower should be able to sort you out with co-ax cable.

The higher the better when you mount it, if you live in the metro area 2 meters above the roof line
should be OK for most repeaters in Perth. If you want to talk simplex to a mate over some distance
it will need to be higher. I just used a TV antenna mount from Bunnings for mine.


When you get on HF try a dipole over a longwire.

Hello VK6ZMS

Yes, ok I will get the Diamond X50 or may be Comet GP3 now since you say that it's safer to get those than from eBay. Anyway, I have contacted John Tower (Tower Communication) asking him if he can install the antenna for me. He said that he doesn't install antennas and told me to get 'The Antenna Man' (the TV antenna installer) to install the antenna and cable for me. And I thought, really ? 'The Antenna Man' ? (I thought he's gotta be kidding ...) And I contacted the Antenna Man anyway and ask them if they install Amateur Antennas at all and they said 'No'.

The problem for me is installing it on the roof and put the cable down through the roof cavity to my room. I have never done that and I don't want to break anything inside my new house roof and I certainly don't want to cause leakage to the roof when it rains.

Oh by the way, yes I was thinking that about the Dipole with balun in the middle too.

How about these products ? They appeal to me because they are vertical and don't use a lot of ground space. What do you recon ?

http://www.strictlyham.com.au/diamond/b ... e-antennas

Thank's

Maybe you need to explain what it is you want, they should be able to do it ???

With vertical antennas you need radials to make them work.

http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/radials.html

If you are researching a product check here for reviews:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/

To VK6ZMS,

Yes, thank's for that informations. I re-contact Tower Communications via e-mail this time hopefully he understand me this time.

And also I had a look at the review on the Diamond KV5 Vertical Antenna. Apparently they don't need radials according this review.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8556


Cheers

VK6ZMS wrote:Maybe you need to explain what it is you want, they should be able to do it ???

Don't tell anyone its an amateur radio antenna. Just say you want some coaxial cable installed down the wall cavity. Any electrician would be able to do that, although you may have to supply the coax and to make it worth their while it would probably cost a bit. If you plan to have other antenna's later, might as well run a few now, rather than wait till later. Then like was mentioned, get a TV style J pole mount for starters. I would also suggest a Diamond X series antenna or Comet GP series as they seem to be reasonable antenna's (although I differ from most others on this site as I always recommend to people the X-200 rather than the X-50, even though I use a GP series myself, but thats another point.)

What area are you in? Join a local radio club and meet other hams. Go along on club field days and working bee's to get some experience. Another way to get coax in the house is to use a window plate like this. http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.p ... d=MFJ-4602

Nosferatu wrote:To VK6ZMS,

Yes, thank's for that informations. I re-contact Tower Communications via e-mail this time hopefully he understand me this time.

And also I had a look at the review on the Diamond KV5 Vertical Antenna. Apparently they don't need radials according this review.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8556


Cheers

Just clear up a point Tower won't install, they just sell products. I said to contact him re antenna sales not installation.
You need to talk to the Antenna Man regarding installation

Cheers

To VK6ZMS,

Oh no, I have emailed him that. Hopefully he doesn't get annoyed of me asking him that twice. Anyway, I'm going to order the antenna first and get the Antenna Man to install it.

Thank's

Ron, send a PM to meg and find out who she used to install her antennas. She used somebody similar to Antenna Man and they were happy to do it. One of the antennas would have been a Diamond X-50...

Blinky wrote: If you plan to have other antenna's later, might as well run a few now, rather than wait till later.

Hello Blinky,

Yes I'm planning to install another antenna for HF. I'm planning to install one of these for my HF.

http://www.strictlyham.com.au/diamond/b ... e-antennas

Do different antennas require different thickness of Coaxial or I can use the same one ?
I supposed the thicker the better because less energy lost ?

NB: Yes I might check out the Hills Amateur Club. My work colleague recommend it.

Thank's

Nosferatu wrote: Do different antennas require different thickness of Coaxial or I can use the same one ?
I supposed the thicker the better because less energy lost ?

Ideally the thicker coax would be better for VHF/UHF as there are less losses. The thinner coax would be ok for HF if the length is not too long.

As for the HF vertical, Personal preference I guess. I would prefer a horizontal dipole myself. Never used a vertical so cannot comment.

As for the club, HARG would be a good choice as it seems to be an active club. Even listening to experienced Hams you would learn a lot.

Nosferatu wrote:To VK6ZMS,


And also I had a look at the review on the Diamond KV5 Vertical Antenna. Apparently they don't need radials according this review.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8556


Cheers

While it may not need them to get a low SWR it wont radiate its signal too well without them. You get ground loss.

VK6ZMS wrote:
While it may not need them to get a low SWR it wont radiate its signal too well without them. You get ground loss.

Ok, I will reasearch on the ground radials.

Thank's