New CB Radio Beam Antenna, 5 Element Long John replaces old MACO Comet

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In this video I replace my old trusty Maco Comet (1/2 of a Comet) with a new HyGain LJ 115 5 element Beam. #cb #cbradio #cbantenna A few years back MFJ bought HyGain Antenna co. I think in order to raise profits they, shall we say cheapened up on materials a bit. And cut Boom length from 24' to 16'
I was shorted 5 of the 1 1/2 bolts and 3 of the 3/8 Nuts.
As far as the assembly instructions go, it is easy to put together, so simple even a hammy ham couldn't screw it up.
This is a Rerun.
NOTE 4-29-21.... Yes this video is a few years old, however I still own the LJ115, And yes materials are JUNK! However I am going to put it back up at my new location this summer but before I do that I am going to add some support to it. So Stay tuned for the "resurrection" of the LJ115

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28 апр 2021

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Комментарии : 53

@markhill9912 6 месяцев назад

I've thought about breaking out the TIG welder and ending the movement of joined parts, lol. As for the boom to mast mount, I'd go to my neighbor who's a metalargist that has all the equipment and materials to make me a nice strong and sturdy bracket. That's a very important part holding all that aluminum up in the air through wind, rain, snow and ice! Although, I always lower my antennas to the ground at the first threat of a winter storm.

@BLACKHEAT1028 3 года назад

Damn, one man crew 👷🏻‍♂️

@indianachrisUDX1313 6 месяцев назад

Running Antenna Playlist! Cheers!

@tazironworker6019 Год назад

Had oen in 1986 great antenna !

@miguelsalami 2 года назад

Remember the ole saying "They don't make em like they use too"

@orange70383 3 года назад

I remember in the late 1960's my Dad putting a set of stacked Mosley beams on his rohn tower. I recall it was quite a process installing everything and getting it up in the air. He talked on a set of Browning's and occasionally shot skip using a Knight T-175 amplifier.

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

Your Dad must of had a big signal! Wow what a setup.

@cbradioghosttalk1986 3 года назад

Very nice setup. I bet that really does work well. Thanks for sharing as always. Waiting for more. 73s NY202

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

More to come!

@Arnold7221 3 года назад

Yeah good call dumping the Maco with Gamma Match, and going to Hy-Gain type antenna using the Hairpin matching system. I have rebuilt Maco and the Hy-Gain type antennas with bullet proof brackets and such. Hope that new beam works out for you. Good luck.

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

Yes, I like the Hy Gain match system.... However, the Maco build quality is far better than the Hy Gain.

@anamerican481 Год назад

The old nascopie 4 element beam had a square main boom, it took 2 of us to pick it up

@imken2392 Год назад

the bracket is meant to capture the head of the bolt to keep it from turning...too bad they used some cheep china steel.

@earnieb5318 2 года назад

I've a new Comet, still in box, waiting one to install What SWR did you have on it and did you run Vertical, Horizontal, of harness for for both polarities?? I bought the harness but still haven't decided on how to polarize antenna.

@390WagonMaster 2 года назад

I have used both Vert/Horz and each takes it own run of coax. I liked having both and used a switch box to go back and forth. One of my vertical elements fell off in a bad storm, and already using a ground plane I didn't feel the need to keep the vertical section going as I had locals all around me. The omni was less of a PITA. Swr was around 1:1 and 1:3 in the CB Band. That Comet is a great antenna. Enjoy

@earnieb5318 2 года назад

@@390WagonMaster Macon makes a polarization harness using 50 and 75 ohm coax. One freed from transmitter to Tee connector at antenna end which feeds both vertical and horizontal elements simultaneously....they call it CIRCULAR polarization. I bought the Maco harness for that. Wondering if you had ran that and how satisfied?

@390WagonMaster 2 года назад

I would NOT suggest that. You should stay true V or H. Did that back in the early 80s It hurts your overall performance. IMHO. Cheers

@arildoaparecidocosta5729 3 года назад

A melhor do mundo tenho uma Brasil bazuka Foz do Iguaçu pr Brasil

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

A Antena funciona muito bem, mas não bons materiais. Você vive em uma bela parte do mundo dos anos 73

@gogeorge7 Год назад

Hey is your Hygain still up and running? Performing? Thinking about buying the same one.

@390WagonMaster Год назад

I took the tower and beam down on July 4th 2019 I moved to another state, I now live in a high canyon wind location, not sue the beam will live long if I put back up without extra support. Was thinking of trussing the boom. I also get lots of snow at this location so between the wind and snow I'm thinking of going back to a Maco 3-4 element. Performance wise the antenna was a slight improvement over my old Maco Comet.

@Arnold7221 3 года назад

Hello 390 What model Hy-Gain Beam Antenna is that? Is that a older CB Beam Antenna? Jay in the Mojave

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

The 3 element is an old Maco I bought new back in the mid 80s. The Hy Gain I bought new around spring 2017. Thanks for watching .... 390 SLC

@Diesel420Va Год назад

I have a 5-element long john with a 17' boom. do you have any element lengths you could give me?

@390WagonMaster Год назад

You betcha..... Here is a link to the owners manual. weird address but legit......... cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0289/7782/3843/files/LJ-115_manual.pdf?v=1586534157

@ScottsRadios 3 года назад

I've wanted to put up a Maco Shooting Star for many years. It looks really good I hope you make a lot of good contacts on it.

@ScottsRadios 3 года назад

I have a Sirio Sy27-4. It does pretty well for me for a small boom 4 element antenna.

@UDX-21 3 года назад

Do they still do Maco's like that now? I just built a flat 6 from a Lazer 500, and it didn't have those nipples. Don't get me wrong , I like nipples- LOL., but haven't ones like those in a while. Thanks for the video as usual, very professional, and over the top on presentation. I like to watch and learn from you. Your friend 21

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

Apparently they no longer use the nipples, sad because this setup worked well. I gave that beam to Catbox, I hope he is enjoying the nipples Hahaha. Thanks for your kind words my friend. Take care.

@irishhandyman2009 9 месяцев назад

Maco is junk. Just built a Y quad. Thin aluminum boom that crushes even you tighten the driven end elements. They drop 2" from center of boom to ends. $280 for something that I doubt will survive a mudwest rain storm, much less high wind, sleet or plain ole ice storm. Wish I had the ole PDL 2 my Dad had back in the 70s- late 80s. Performed well and took all the weather the midwest could throw at it.

@rocklickranch2804 2 года назад

Rerun or not I still enjoyed it. What kind of match and were you happy with the performance over the Comet?

@390WagonMaster 2 года назад

The 5 does a bit better than the comet, but if one lives in a high wind location, best to get a Maco. IMHO

@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee 3 года назад

I’ve always said the people that engineer brackets and other things similar to that , never actually put it together , just on a computer , and are too dump to account for tools fitting in the angles where fasteners are needed to be secured . It makes no sense , which most engineers lack common sense and hands on skills anyway . Hope it holds up well and talks good , it looks like a great antenna for 300 bucks !! I think that’s what you said the price was

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

We call those guys, IMAGINEngineers

@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee 3 года назад

@@390WagonMaster I just laughed really hard , never heard that one but I'm gonna use it in the future !

@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee 2 года назад

@@390WagonMaster I just revisited this video from 8 months ago or so , at the time I was still toying with the idea of a beam setup but wasn’t decided on what brand . How are they performing? It looks great . I can tell you from my recent install I finished in December , Maco imagineering isn’t much better today . I had saddle clamps that would not secure elements no matter how tight you torqued on the bolts , so I drilled and put self tapping stainless steel screws in , holes weren’t lined up, I had 3 or 4 missing key bolts and nuts and a bracket , and extra of others , I had to buff out burrs and hillbilly engineer my boom flange areas to get them to slide into each other . Absolutely terrible . If not for my experienced friend and antenna/radio enthusiast , several trips to Home Depot and the autoparts for self tapping screws , muffler clamps , sandpaper , drill bits , etc and etc ,, it woulda been a disaster . Also I paid an extra 150 bucks for the 5K watt gamma match and they sent the standard 2K .. I ended up going direct fed via a balun like you but I didn’t have to use a hairpin match . I’ll email you some pics of the genius idea my buddy made if you want . My SWR’s are 1.1- - 1.2 on 11 meter . And 1.4 or better from 26.000 up to 28.600 . Almost unbelievable. 73’s

@chrishorst6993 3 года назад

How tall is your tower

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

38ft cranked up 42 to 45 ft from the ground to the boom

@almartiniii1541 2 года назад

@@390WagonMaster when you want to upgrade, let me know. That tower is exactly what I'm looking for!! 😉

@chazwozza67 2 года назад

Or you use your ring spanner from the other side or you bolt from the other side lol

@neutralobservation9418 3 года назад

Order a Hy Gain soild Aluminum boom to mast bracket. Problem solved.

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

I will check that out.

@lizzyfan1986 2 года назад

Mighty Fine Junk

@TAKEONEURBANPRODUCTION 11 месяцев назад

Should of got ma5b

@390WagonMaster 11 месяцев назад

Agreed. Oh well... lesson learned. I thought I would pass the word. Cheers

@drumminsonlive9199 3 года назад

Should’ve called Maco...

@390WagonMaster 3 года назад

Hahaha, that's a good one. Cheers

@sleeve8651 8 месяцев назад

Funny you can just wish Two antennas don't interact with one another, and they don't ! Wonder what else we can wish away ? Maybe if we all try hard enough, maybe that'll work with Biden ?