Sirio Gain-Master

[Rodney-Haines]

I recently purchased a Sirio Gain-Master.  It was a little pricey, but I liked the idea of being able to work 10, 11 and 12 meters without adjustments; particularly when the SHTF.

http://www.sirioantenna.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=194

It's currently resting in my yard, waiting for the rains to stop.  We are not putting it up very high; only 16 feet of mast pipe.  Mostly because the wind max is not very high on this antenna.  And you can tell because it is a VERY long antenna. 

I saw good reviews on YouTube videos, mainly increased signal strength AND lower signal-to-noise ratio.  My current Sirio ground plane is picking up a lot of AC noise from a local transformer.  I can knock it out 80% of the time with my noise blanker.  However, I am hoping this Sirio nullifies the remaining 20% of the noise.

I will give comparison reports once we get it up, hopefully tomorrow.

73, RH

[gil]

I've had good luck with the Imax2000, which works on 10,11,15m all without a tuner...

Gil.

[Rodney-Haines]

Gil;

You might be too young to remember the "Super Mag" antennas of the 1960's and '70's.  But those antennas were SO broad-banded, and the company didn't know it! (Or knew about it....and didn't care)

The "Maggies" only catered to the CB community, never testing sales in the ham radio markets. 

The antennas were 2:1 or less VSWR from the lower end of 21 MHz to the upper end of the 28 MHz band.

73, RH

[gil]

Hello Rodney,

Right, I do not remember... I do remember the K40 mobile antenna from my teenage years in the 80s,  and the firestick.. My home antenna back then was a Shakespeare. It's still on my parent's house roof more than 20 years later!

Gil.

[Rodney-Haines]

OK.  FINALLY got the lil' bugger up and running.  I am not as spry as I use to be, so it takes me a little longer to go through all of the antenna installation steps.  What use to take 24 to 48 hours now takes four or five days.

In head to head competition between the new Sirio Gain Master and the Sirio Skylab (similar to the old Star Duster and Golden Hawk in design), the Skylab is still winning locally on CB - hands down.  At least by a couple of S units.  I attribute this to the Gain Master's lower installation height.  The base of the Gain Master is at 16 feet while the Skylab is at 25 feet.

I also believe that this antenna was designed for DX work, which has been the general discussion on the Internet and the reason why I purchased the antenna.  The antenna advertises a lower take off angle, which favors DX contacts and not so much the local contacts.

I tried it out on ten meters this morning.  It is very apparent that the Gain Master antenna was designed for ten meter operation.  My transmit reports are much better, and my receive is also better.  I am receiving stations on this antenna that I am not picking up with my more sensitive transceivers and the Skylab.  20+ S-9 in Brazil.  I also worked a couple of Floridians, who I have been unable to contact in the past, but was able to do with ease today.

I don't notice this huge reduction in signal-to-noise, as others have reported on YouTube reviews.  Same signal-to-noise as the Skylab.

12 meters loads up, but SWR is 2 to 1 and power output is about 80 watts.  This is as advertised.

The next big question, is it worth $189?  For me, yes.  First of all, I do have it lower in height than any antenna on my property.  That takes away from local signals.  Other then that, the broadband nature of the antenna, coupled with the concept of not having to raise and lower a ten meter antenna just to adjust rings, or gamma matches or any other SWR decreasing mechanism is a BIG PLUS for me.  Just raise the Gain Master up into the air and plug and play!  No tuning required!

I also want to see how this antenna holds up during a wicked Great Lakes winter before I raise the antenna height.

BTW, assembly of this antenna took less than an hour.  A breeze....

73, RH