[Antennas] Re: Antenna Balls

Mon, 23 Jun 2003 19:33:17 -0500

Usually, Tim, one "trims" a mobile antenna from the BASE of the whip
element, NOT from the tip.

Depending on the band of operation, and the power level of the transmitted
power, the "ball" at the tip of the whip element does help remove "corona"
(not static dissipation), but if you're not running high power (say around a
kilowatt or so), the ball is there to *try* and reduce the possibilty of
some-one putting out their eye(s) with a sharp-tipped antenna whip!

Don't trim your antenna from the TOP, but from the BOTTOM!

Karl K - W8TIF
McKinney, Texas

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim" <[email protected]>
To: "Antennas" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 7:02 PM
Subject: [Antennas] Antenna Balls

> Someone asked me today "What is the purpose of the little ball at the end
of
> a mobile antenna? Someone told me that if I cut it off to tune my antenna
I
> will ruin the antenna."
>
> As embarrassing as it is the only answer I could give was "Well I see no
> reason why you cannot cut off the ball to tune the antenna and the only
> reason I know of that the ball is there is for static dissipation/control
> and improve the antenna
> efficiency by not ending the antenna in an abrupt point"
>
> I have never really questioned it so I really was not prepared to answer
the
> question with any authority, but I said I would try to find an answer.
>
> You Gurus of the Radiant arts help me out here.
>
> - - -
>
> Your moderator for this list is:
> Larry Wilson KE1HZ [email protected]
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