-- o ICOM

Number 29 on your Feedback card
73 Review by Marc Stern ;\,1BJ. H
Wilson 1000
Mobile Antenna
Wilson Antenna
2 Commerce Center
Henderson NV 890 14
(800)541-6116
Price Class: $90
Get into some 10m mobile QRO with this whip.
NOW that we are nearing the peak of what
promises 10 be the best sotar activity
in history, many operators are discovering
the fun of the 10 meter band. It's a band
which combines the attributes 01 HF and
VHF, and offers lots of prime DX. With such
recommendations. is it any wonder that 10
meter rigs are selling like hoi cakes. and
that Novices are on the air using their phone
privileges?
10 Meter Antennas
One of the more interesting aspects of 10
meters is the antenna. There are so many
possibilities that it can boggle your mind. For
example, you can convert a tcs-rcn CB whip
10 10 meters (11 meier CB to 10 meter Ham).
you can convert one of the many maqneucmount
or shortened 10 meter antennas, or you
can buy a 10 meter antenna made specifically
for the band.
One of the better 10 meier antennas that
we've found latety is the new Wilson 1000.
Wilson, long a manufacturer of quality communications
antennas, is a name that many
will remember fondly as one of the pioneering
firms in VHF c ommunications. Although
Wilson has been out of the radio manufacturing
business for a few years, it has remained in
the antenna business. The firm's long experience
shows up in the 1000.
For starters, it just doesn't look like other 10
meter antennas on the market. Maybe it's the
big base loading coil, Of the GO-inch-plus tapered
17-7 steel radiator or, maybe, it's the
Pl-259 connector in the base of the antenna.
Who knows? All we do know is that the antenna
works very well. In a comparison test with
the American Antenna HAM-l0, we found that
the 1000 performed as well as or belter than
the HAM-l0, and was far less prone to noise
pickup. (The test setup was: a clear parking
lot; our car; Uniden HR-2510 and Clear Channel
AR-3500; and a field-strength meter.) Using
an atteneatcr. we cranked the power back
to about one Watt and tested the antennas.
The results were interesting-the Wilson performed
better, especially toward the lower end
of the band.
That is one of the interesting points about
the Wilson 1000: It arrives set up to work in the
tower end of the band. We still found the
VSWR too high for our liking, and trimmed the
radiator about 5 inches to make sure that the
antenna was resonant.
It is fa irly flat
a cross the entire
band, although the
VSWR does climb at
the high end, near
29.600 MHz.
On the air. asos confirm the poin t that the
Wilson 1000 is a fine performer, on a par with
full quarter-wave mobile Whips. It is a loaded
antenna, which effectively increases the a of
the antenna circuit and limits its bandwidth.
To keep these tosses to a minimum, Wilson
uses quality constructions techniques. including
a wide base loading coil that is made out of
10 gauge, silver-plated wire. The tap point is
determined by a computer. The antenna is
made of a quality, high impact plastic, and the
connectors are standard Pl-259/S0-239,
which should assure a tight fit and years of
use.
Remember, if you are thinking of this antenna,
thai such quality construction doesn't
come cheap. At $89.95, the Wilson 1000 is not
inexpensive. However, given its construction
and performance, it's a purchase worth considering.
fJ)
ANTENNA ANALYSIS
n.e ne.. !.IN program -..ul anaIyno al~t any an\.t'nna
mad~ of wi~ or tubinc. Compu\.t' ro.....ard pin, ~·iB ,
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JC'"l'phiCfJ """"n. !>I N can wmpu\.t' the inter""tion a mona:
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over 100 file. , indudinjl" IIbrarie. of anlenna a nd plot
fil••, a file editor, and nten. i"e drumentation. MN i.
an . nhanced, ea.y·l.o·U"" veroion of MIN t N ~:C for lIlM ·
PC. $75 ($liD CA & f" ....ijl"r\).
YAGI OPTIMIZER
The ~markabl" new YO proeram automatically adj ...
Yqi .lement l.net,," and . pacinp to ma.imize ro an:l
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pat\.t'..... al band "",ntt'l' and~ a~ updato: