"It seems pretty obvious he was poking fun at an antenna that in all
reality is essentially a coil-loaded baseball bat."
The antenna is a copycat of the predator 10k
The predator 10k, is approx 79 3/4" long when installed.
I think people don't understand the shaft gets a stinger.
http://www.cbradiomagazine.com/Feb%202007/CB%20Radio%20Antennas%20-%20Which%20one%20is%20right%20for%20you.htm
I think we should make fun of antennas that don't work.
The technical question is, I suppose, does this antenna work? If it
doesn't work, then yeah, let's make fun of it.
I found myself nodding my head when I read the review above (it's not
really technical, but a little), and found this story. If the story is
true, and one can imagine it is, who comes off looking worse here?
"I have to tell this tale. I had someone approach me in a parking lot
quite irate about me having the Predator 10K on my truck. I did not
even have the radio on, I run clean radios, so impossible for me to be
coming over anything being I had not transmitted all day. He identified
himself as a "Amateur Class Extra Hammie" (his exact words), and that my
antenna was illegal because it multiplied the power output of the
radio. He raved on wanting to know what I was running, trying to look
into my truck, threatening to call the FCC and was just a prick
overall. Now I know quite a few ham operators, and these guys are
awesome. They wonder why I study to learn so much, spend my money, time
and put so much effort into CB radio, but as the oldest says (while
laughing), that I'm just a young rebel chasing after the wild wild
west. Yes, he is accurate. I enjoy the wild wild west aspect of CB
radio. These gentlemen have a tremendous amount of knowledge, hear me
on their scanners, and know I keep it clean even while having some fun.
Well, they have taught me quite a bit as well. First, stay off their
bands. I concur, as that is the only real headache they have with
CB'ers is those who get on the 10 meter band. Second, they don't call
themselves "hammies". Third, it's "Amateur /Extra/ class". Fourth, any
Amateur Extra class and most all ham operators who study antenna theory
(and most do well) realize how wrong this guy was. I picked it up
quickly and played with him like a two year old plays with a noisy toy.
I kept my cool enjoying outsmarting him and shooting down every theory
he had. I respect the ham community completely, but folks, he was no
ham operator. His final point was that my antenna was too high. It was
not of course (13' from ground to the tip), but to actually make a point
here for those who care, the legal height of your mobile antenna should
not exceed 13'6" by Department of Transportation rules. The Predator
10K is 100% legal, go figure. My ham friends like the construction of
the Predator 10K, but that's about where the constructive conversation
ends, and they're back to razzing me about me chicken bander antenna on
steroids, and "why don't you pursue..." For what it's worth, that guy
who gave me hell drove away with a four foot Firestick type antenna on
the rear bumper of his truck, right up against the tailgate. Nothing
against Firesticks, but that was a bad location for it to be. I don't
believe he could spell SWR. It must suck to be a mudduck. Okay, back
to the results."
-kevin
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