Radio Shack CrossBow
GHOSTRIDR
I haven't checked the newsgroup in a while and was woundering if we ever
decided if the croossbow was any good? How about the gain and does it
have any ears? thanks in advance
Brett Collins
GHOSTRIDR <GHOS...@Prodigy.Net> wrote:
1. overpriced
2. poor performer in its catagory
3. low power handling ability <200pep
4. have you ever heard of the phrase "piece of shit stick"?
However, it is blue. This could help keep the SWR down
by matching the color of the sky to the antenna:)
Brett
Steve Philpott
On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
wrote:
I am running a Crossbow and have got a 1.1 match and love it... I have
talked on ship and locally from Barrie to Collingwood and Wasaga
Beach..... I even talk to Bradforn All BTW are about 30 to 45 mins
outside of Barrie.... I have no complaints and think it is one of the
best non splatter antenna's going....
Wheels
Steve Eklund
I will elaborate by answering his points one by one:
1. overpriced
At $79.99 it was priced a little high, but a lot of areas do not have CB
shops nearby. They could go to the nearest Radio Shack, buy one, and
have it put up in the same amount of time it takes to drive somewhere to
buy an Antron 99. The Crossbow has been discontinued and can be had for
about 40 bucks if you can still find one. The punch line? Radio Shack is
now selling an Antron 99 clone for $79.95!
2. poor performer in its category.
Its category is 1/2 wave end fed antenna. I have tested and compared
several 1/2 wave antennas, including the Crossbow, and there is no
noticable difference between them. Try it yourself. Use the same mast
and coax and compare the A-99 to the Crossbow. Nobody gave me any
different signal readings between the Bandit, the Crossbow or the A-99.
I was almost exactly the same in all circumstances. The very very minor
differences between the three antennas did not add up to any major
conclusions. All three antennas were within a needle's length on all of
my friends S-meters. They were all shocked to find out that the Crossbow
was no worse than the other two antennas. Anybod that tells you
different has either not tried it themselves, or had a bad Crossbow to
begin with.
3. low power handling ability
I agree, and I will even say that it is probably less than 200 P.E.P. If
you use any more than 50 watts AM carrier power, the SWR goes nuts on
this antenna. Radio Shack says that the antenna was only designed for
stock, legal CB power and will handle no more than 25 watts maximum. I
say 50 before you are pushing it. This antenna is a good rugged antenna
for those who plan to use legal power.
4. have you ever heard the phrase "piece of shit stick?"
Yes, the A-99. It is not as rugged as the Crossbow and will not stand up
in high winds as good as the Crossbow. The A-99 will not even stand
straight in no wind conditions. The A-99 may handle more power, but is
nothing more than a cheaply made fiberglass antenna with two coils and
number 12 bare copper wire running up the center of the two bottom
sections. The have a reputation of flaking their paint and absorbing
water after a few years. The Crossbow's blue paint fades with time, but
has lasted me ten years before I gave it away. My original one is still
in use. My brother's A-99 snapped in a high wind after he had it up 2
years!
73 from Steve
web...@voyager.net
Steve Philpott wrote:
>
> On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
> wrote:
>
> >GHOSTRIDR <GHOS...@Prodigy.Net> wrote:
> >
> >>I haven't checked the newsgroup in a while and was woundering if we ever
> >>decided if the croossbow was any good? How about the gain and does it
> >>have any ears? thanks in advance
> >
> >1. overpriced
> >2. poor performer in its catagory
> >3. low power handling ability <200pep
> >4. have you ever heard of the phrase "piece of shit stick"?
> >
> >However, it is blue. This could help keep the SWR down
> >by matching the color of the sky to the antenna:)
> >
> >Brett
> >
> >
> I am running a Crossbow and have got a 1.1 match and love it... I have
> talked on ship and locally from Barrie to Collingwood and Wasaga
> Beach..... I even talk to Bradforn All BTW are about 30 to 45 mins
> outside of Barrie.... I have no complaints and think it is one of the
> best non splatter antenna's going....
>
> Wheels
them at some Radio Shack stores. I just purchased one at a reduced price
at $34.00
Gene
Rich
You obviously haven't had very many base antennas, the Crossbow is not
worth the trouble to put it in the air. There are much better antennas
for less money.
Steve Philpott
On Sun, 16 Mar 1997 11:19:21 -0800, Rich <coa...@earthlink.net>
wrote:
I have run several different antennas and found the crossbow is
better.. The Antron 99 splatters I walk over TV's and cordless phones
ect... on my neighbours..... I put up the crossbow and the splatter
stoped.... The only best antenna on the market I will honestly say is
a beam.... But when you are located in the center of a city and talk
all over the place it makes it a little hard on a beam.....
Wheels Channel 1 Barrie, Ont
Michael volz
Rich wrote:
> web...@voyager.net wrote:
> > Steve Philpott wrote:
> > > On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>I haven't checked the newsgroup in a while and was woundering if we ever
> > > >>decided if the croossbow was any good? How about the gain and does it
> > > >>have any ears? thanks in advance
>
> You obviously haven't had very many base antennas, the Crossbow is not
> worth the trouble to put it in the air. There are much better antennas
> for less money.
Like what? I'd be really interested to know, I have a lot of school age
friends that want a base antenna, but aren't sure if it's worth the
amount of money a A-99, Bandit, etc. costs. Maybe not much money to a
radio op, but to someone who's just starting and isn't sure if they will
be in radio for a long time, it's a lot.
73 Mike
Ken Finney
> >> I agree it is a top performer , it is discontined but you can still find
> >> them at some Radio Shack stores. I just purchased one at a reduced price
> >> at $34.00
Can someone post the Radio Shack part number?
MN Maniac
>>You obviously haven't had very many base antennas, the Crossbow is not
>>worth the trouble to put it in the air. There are much better antennas
>>for less money.
>Ummm... at thirty-five bucks?
The only reason they're $35 now is because they're closing them out. Why?
Because they seem to have had a problem selling these pieces of junk for
$79.99.
Is it a coincidence that the Crossbow's replacement is an exact clone of
the A-99?
-Drew in Sunny Central Florida-
CB Radio KADF-6895 since September, 1976
Amateur Radio KF4DDM since September, 1995
Kill the code requirement or kill the hobby. Your choice.
Radio Personality since August, 1983
Scanner Freak since portable radios with "Police Band" were high-tech
Check out my SEVENTIES Web site at http://167.142.101.43/drew/
Steve Philpott
Ok the part Number for the Crossbow is.. cat. No 21-967
replacement wip # is part No 5-0462-1
hope this helps
Wheels Chan 1 AM Barrie Ontario
Nick Marsh
web...@voyager.net wrote:
>
> Steve Philpott wrote:
> >
> > On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
> > wrote:
> >
> > >GHOSTRIDR <GHOS...@Prodigy.Net> wrote:
> > >
> > >>I haven't checked the newsgroup in a while and was woundering if we ever
> > >>decided if the croossbow was any good? How about the gain and does it
> > >>have any ears? thanks in advance
> > >
> > >2. poor performer in its catagory
> > >3. low power handling ability <200pep
> > >4. have you ever heard of the phrase "piece of shit stick"?
> > >
> > >However, it is blue. This could help keep the SWR down
> > >by matching the color of the sky to the antenna:)
> > >
> > >Brett
> > >
> > >
> > I am running a Crossbow and have got a 1.1 match and love it... I have
> > talked on ship and locally from Barrie to Collingwood and Wasaga
> > Beach..... I even talk to Bradforn All BTW are about 30 to 45 mins
> > outside of Barrie.... I have no complaints and think it is one of the
> > best non splatter antenna's going....
> >
> > Wheels
> them at some Radio Shack stores. I just purchased one at a reduced price
> at $34.00
Isn't the Crossbow and A-99 pretty much the same antenna? I took a
Crossbow apart once cause some guy put 1KW into it. The matching network
in the base was burned up. Mostly what I saw was fiberglass coated
aluminum tubing, not wire like used in the A-99.
I also don't follow the "splatter" theory. Antennas can't cause
splatter. They may (due to faulty design) create spurious output
frequencies but the construction would have to be sloppy. Poor solder
joints that rectify and mix your signal usually create spurious freqs.
A good omni directional base antenna should concentrate your signal
toward the horizon in a donut shaped pattern. I don't see how the
crossbow or a99 prevents RF from being absorbed by the earth with out a
decent radial system. Maybe if it were center fed?
The original Penetrator (Hygain CLR II ?) was one of the best all round
omni's I've ever seen, followed by the AS Super Mag. Stardusters are 1/4
wave ground planes with 3 instead of 4 radials and the droop angle is
more severe.
Just my 2 cents worth...
--
73 from
Nick Marsh
WB4SQI
Ashland, KY
Steve Eklund
Michael volz wrote:
>
> Rich wrote:
> > web...@voyager.net wrote:
> > > Steve Philpott wrote:
> > > > On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
> > > > wrote:
> > > >GHOSTRIDR <GHOS...@Prodigy.Net> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >>I haven't checked the newsgroup in a while and was woundering if we ever
> > > > >>decided if the croossbow was any good? How about the gain and does it
> > > > >>have any ears? thanks in advance
>
> >
> > worth the trouble to put it in the air. There are much better antennas
> > for less money.
>
> friends that want a base antenna, but aren't sure if it's worth the
> amount of money a A-99, Bandit, etc. costs. Maybe not much money to a
> radio op, but to someone who's just starting and isn't sure if they will
> be in radio for a long time, it's a lot.
> 73 Mike
Despite all the negative comments about the Crossbow, it is a good
rugged antenna for anybody who plans to use only the legal 4 watt limit
on AM and 12 watt P.E.P. limit on SSB. I have tested and compared this
antenna to the Bandit and A-99 and there is almost no difference in
performance between the three. Radio Shack says that the antenna will
handle 25 watts maximum. This is the antenna's weak link. If you are
talking about strictly performance, the Crossbow will perform the same
as any end-fed 1/2 wave antenna. Anybody who does not belive that is the
victim of CB hype which runs rampant, especially when it comes to
antennas.
73 from Steve
WA8ULX
Yea there Replacment is another piece of Junk just like the A-99
tbru...@aol.com
>>You obviously haven't had very many base antennas, the Crossbow is not
>>worth the trouble to put it in the air. There are much better antennas
>>for less money.
In defense of CrossBow antenna owners, I have to say that they're one of the best as well as most UNDERATED antennas on the market. I had mine put up almost 5 years ag. It's been through all kinds of weather with winds as high as 50 miles an hour. It's weaved from side to side, but never gone down.
Reliability, well with my crossbow, I've spoken ALL over the country as well as parts of the world up on the 'other' channels.
Just a thought.
73's,
Tom
tbru...@aol.com
Politically Incorrect, & proud of it!
Michael volz
Nick Marsh wrote:
>
> web...@voyager.net wrote:
> >
> > Steve Philpott wrote:
> > >
> > > On Sat, 08 Mar 1997 00:16:16 GMT, G...@Provide.Net (Brett Collins)
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >GHOSTRIDR <GHOS...@Prodigy.Net> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> A good omni directional base antenna should concentrate your signal
> toward the horizon in a donut shaped pattern. I don't see how the
> crossbow or a99 prevents RF from being absorbed by the earth with out a
> decent radial system. Maybe if it were center fed?
>
> Nick Marsh
> WB4SQI
>
> Ashland, KY
When you have a vertical with no groundplanes, the RF would be shooting
more towards the clouds then towards that distant station you're trying
to hear. The ground radials lower your radiation angle, give a little
gain, etc.
73
Mike
KG8UK
Nick Marsh
I thought that's what I said. It's like running a dipole in the vertical
plane, most of the signal goes places where it does no good. Put one of
these on a tin roof and watch it talk....
Nick