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Tuesday 11 July 2017

More InnovAntennas Fun

Well,

You may remember my sharing an instruction sheet from an InovAntennas purchase back here and basically explaining how poor I though the instructions were. Well, here's another excellent example:


So, credit where credit is due - this time I didn't actually have any missing parts for the antenna itself; however I did have some spare bits for the antenna (some extra end caps and element clamps) and unfortunately the antenna to boom mounting plate and associated u-bolts are missing completely.

But lets take a look at the instructions:

  1. The title tells me it's a 1.4m antenna; I assume that's the boom length, but, oh no, the boom is 1.7m long.
  2. The bottom of the page tells me the boom is 1.7m long - so which is it? Let's get a tape measure and check.
  3. The bottom of the page also also tells me that "guy and supports are supplied" - I don't think so.
  4. So let's look at the shortest element - there are three numbers 1705mm, 1405mm and 903mm. So I think one of these (the 1705) is the distance from the boom end, the 903 is the element dimension - no idea what the 1405mm is - perhaps this is for the 1.4m antenna mentioned in the title that I haven't got? If that 1703 is the distance from the boom end then the first element is nearly a foot from the boom start - that can't be right either.
  5. Then we have the added information "X-POL SIZES"; you have to assume this is for a cross polarized variant perhaps?
But once again, no actual information on which bolts or other bits to use where. One of the driven element clamps is metal - now I assume that's not at the end the feedpoint is and it seems the feed is at the back. I assume I need a coax balun near the feedpoint but that's clearly guesswork as there is no information on that aspect at all.

Local conditions.

2 comments:

  1. Another absolute disgrace! It is a mix of dimensions for an XPOL as you say, with the offset between H and V elements 300 mm.
    I have said it before, why do you keep on spending serious money on this? There are far better solutions at a fraction of the price available, designs freely available, easy to get parts, and build it yourself. If I was paying their prices, I would expect -some- quality checks to at least ensure all the parts are supplied.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just don't learn, do i?

    ReplyDelete