Diamond CP6 or not?

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sickboy
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Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by sickboy »

Hi,
I'm looking at different options regarding antennas.
I've currently got an old school Shakespeare Army Big Stick up just now for 11 meters and it works quite well. I'm going through my ham tests now though and trying to avoid the small back garden turning into an antenna farm (I live in a housing association property).
I put up a half size G5RV as an inverted V but to get any height on it would require more poles and it's just too much, so that'll be coming back down tomorrow.

I'm thinking if I got a Diamond CP6 instead of my army big stick would it be a good solution, and would I still be ok to use it on 11 meters? I don't want to give up my muppetry :)
Also what benefits does the £300 CP6 have over something such as this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIGMA-Ham-Rad ... 1483994456?

Would appreciate any advice or opinions.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by Buick Mackane »

sickboy wrote: £300 CP6
:shock:

Looky here
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1397?page=1
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by sickboy »

Jeez, sounds like they're made from junk :wtf:
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by Buick Mackane »

sickboy wrote:Jeez, sounds like they're made from junk :wtf:
I just quickly scanned through the reviews, But dont look promising, Either way they wont be getting £300 of my hard earned dole money, what about a long wire draped round the garden?
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by sickboy »

Buick Mackane wrote:
sickboy wrote:Jeez, sounds like they're made from junk :wtf:
I just quickly scanned through the reviews, But dont look promising, Either way they wont be getting £300 of my hard earned dole money, what about a long wire draped round the garden?
Yeah the problem is that my back garden is in a dip with houses all round. My 11 meter antenna is on a 12 foot pole on the side of the house and I've had it up for a few years now with no complaints. My fear is that if I start adding other poles and stuff that some housing officer is going to come round and order everything be taken down.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by Auldgeek »

I have used the Hustler 5BTV for a number of years and on the whole, it works reasonably well. I put a considerable amount of effort into laying out an extensive ground plane as my vertical was ground mounted but it has paid off.
Like most multi band trapped verticals, performance is a compromise and can be quite noisy but they provide access to more than one band. Mine initially covered 10-15-20-40-80. I've since modified it to add 12 & 17m.

The eham reviews are generally positive

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1902

You will definitely require a tuner for the lower bands as bandwidth is quite narrow and if you decide to use on 11m.

There's other options too, such as the Sigma SE HF-630. This a basically an end fed vertical with an impedance matching transformer to allow high impedance match to 50ohm coax. Performance is very much a compromise. Some folk swear at them, others swear by them. Quite a bit less in cost.

Also look at Butternut, Hy-Gain and Sandpiper verticals.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by andymuza »

Cobwebb
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by andymuza »

20mtr Delta loop with 75ohm matching stub gives multi band operation.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by Auldgeek »

andymuza wrote:Cobwebb
For some reason, I assumed (possibly incorrectly) that the OP wanted to replace his current big stick with another vertical.

If however, that is not the case, the Cobwebb is a good antenna. I also use one. It's light and relatively small for what it is.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by sickboy »

Thanks guys, I appreciate your opinions. It doesn't have to be vertical really but I think if I had one single multiband antenna that would cover HF (including 11 meters) I'm less likely to attract attention from the powers that be. I'll go and see what info I can find on the one's mentioned.
Thanks again!
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by lincbob »

having had a CP6 I would say no, utter tripe and possibly the worse antenna I've had up (though that could be subject to install factors and conditions) the 5BTV with 40 radials smoked it, but then so did the random loop, the dipole, the ocf dipole, the delta loop, the doublet and so far the end fed I have up now.

In all I found it the most lacklustre antenna I've owned and subsequently took it down after a week. If you can fit a loop and 40-20-10m is what you are after then go for a full size with a 1/4 matching stub of TV coax, best antenna I've found for limited height For local work it wont be much use if you intend to use 11m, in an ideal world you would stick up a vertical for 11 that will allow you to play on 10/11/12m and rely on the loop for the other HF bands. 282ft or 86m as a ballpark figure if you want good multiband coverage 80-10m. Would be long for 80, 17 and 12 meters, short on 40 and 30 meters and more or less spot on for 20, 15 and 10 meters if your yard can accommodate.

Of course, others may disagree but I am coming to the end of a roll of D10 surplus cable that has been made into just about every antenna type I could fit in the garden and that's what worked for me, although my next attempt when the weather perks up is going to be a sterba curtain.
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Re: Diamond CP6 or not?

Post by andymuza »

I used a 20mtr Delta Loop on HF bands 40 to 10mtrs. It was 70.5 feet of wire in a triangle configuration. One side wise 17.5 feet with the others being 26.5 feetvper side. It easily fit into my small 20 x 30 feet garden. Highly recommended. Best antenna I have ever used and costs peanuts. Can't wait to get it back up.

If you want all band coverage then consider a Sandpiper MV-10 vertical. They work well and will get you some good DX but don't expect to break the pileups with it.
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