Diamond X510

Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
16,013
Likes
4,527
Feedback: 1 / 0 / 0
Anyone know if the X510 has to be secured with guy wires?

The install guide does say that you should not exceed 1 10' pipe...if you do then you should guy it.

Anyone have experience with this antenna and install?

Thanks
 
I think it's all a matter of "eyeball engineering". If it looks and feels strong enough to take strong winds, it's fine. Where and how are you installing it?
 
It will be on the gable end of my 2 story colonial....say 30+ feet up.

I have a gable end bracket that a 5 foot piece of pipe is mounted. I was thinking of moving to a 10 foot mast so I can get more altitude. I live around some hills and any height gain I get would be good.

I've got a tree service coming out in a couple weeks. Guy has a bucket truck and will also be helping install the 80m OCF dipole.

One other question is, why is the antenna 17 feet tall? I mean...it is basically 3 times the 1/2 length for 2M. Is it the fact that as long as it is a multiple of 1/2 wave, it is good?
 
I am interested in what kind of performance you get out of this thing. My summer project is to make my "shack" a bit more permanent now that I know this isn't just a fad hobby for me.
 
Does that mean it is basically 3 2M 5/8 wave antennas daisy chained?
On 2meters it's length is 3wavelengths plus 5/8 wavelengths. For impedance matching, SWR, etc., whole wavelengths can be ignored, so it's a 5/8wave antenna with 3 extra wavelengths. On 70cm it's a 5/8wave antenna with 8 extra wavelengths.
 
On 2meters it's length is 3wavelengths plus 5/8 wavelengths. For impedance matching, SWR, etc., whole wavelengths can be ignored, so it's a 5/8wave antenna with 3 extra wavelengths. On 70cm it's a 5/8wave antenna with 8 extra wavelengths.

So if you are ignoring the whole wavelengths, why bother with the added length?
 
Since you're not trying to get atmospheric skip, but just broadcast horizontally, an ideal antenna would radiate all its energy sideways, with none going up into the sky or down into the ground. A simple dipole radiates a fair amount up and down which is wasted. The X510's extra wavelengths of length make the antenna radiate mostly sideways.

A simple dipole has 2.1dB of "gain" over a theoretical isotropic antenna that radiates in a sphere. The X510 has 8.3dB of gain at 2m and 11.7dB at 70cm, so it's focusing most of its radiation horizontally. Notice how it has more gain at 70cm where it also has more wavelengths of length.

That's a nice antenna. It should really "get out there".
 
Since you're not trying to get atmospheric skip, but just broadcast horizontally, an ideal antenna would radiate all its energy sideways, with none going up into the sky or down into the ground. A simple dipole radiates a fair amount up and down which is wasted. The X510's extra wavelengths of length make the antenna radiate mostly sideways.

A simple dipole has 2.1dB of "gain" over a theoretical isotropic antenna that radiates in a sphere. The X510 has 8.3dB of gain at 2m and 11.7dB at 70cm, so it's focusing most of its radiation horizontally. Notice how it has more gain at 70cm where it also has more wavelengths of length.

That's a nice antenna. It should really "get out there".

Hmm, thanks for sciencing it up for me. I would like to see this thing wired to my TM-281 and see what it can do.
 
Hmm, thanks for sciencing it up for me. I would like to see this thing wired to my TM-281 and see what it can do.

You are in luck. I also have a TM-281 I can plug into it. [grin] Not that it helps YOU with your QTH...but yeah...65W out this thing should be cool. Of course, I also have an amp that pumps 5W up to 160W...so I can really blow the doors off pretty much anything. [rofl]
 
You are in luck. I also have a TM-281 I can plug into it. [grin] Not that it helps YOU with your QTH...but yeah...65W out this thing should be cool. Of course, I also have an amp that pumps 5W up to 160W...so I can really blow the doors off pretty much anything. [rofl]

Awesome, I look forward to your review.

What kind of amp are you using and do you use it with the TM-281?
 
I dunno about the 510 but I have a Diamond X500HNA on my house and its been there for a good like 10? years at this point... mounted on like a 10 and a 5 foot heavy duty mast pieces, although I have like 4 radio shack heavy duty mast brackets lagged into the side of my house, though. Wind blows it around like a bastard but its stayed up there through everything, 08 ice storm, the whole bit.

-Mike
 
Well, x510 has been ordered. Looks like a fun setup. Will just wait for the tree guy to come out with his cherry picker in a week or two.
 
Awesome, I look forward to your review.

What kind of amp are you using and do you use it with the TM-281?

Mirage 2518G. It will take power all the way up to 25W and amplify up to 160W. http://www.dxengineering.com/parts/...tpcne5eYtyOWk1ifPoVTifhZDrTFkwbBfBxoCkGfw_wcB

I had it running on the TM-281 first before I got my Icom. It is better with the TM-281 because it messes up the 440 band. The Icom sees it as a dummy load at 440. So, I really have to unplug it from the amp and go direct to the antenna for best results in that band.
 
Mirage 2518G. It will take power all the way up to 25W and amplify up to 160W. http://www.dxengineering.com/parts/...tpcne5eYtyOWk1ifPoVTifhZDrTFkwbBfBxoCkGfw_wcB

I had it running on the TM-281 first before I got my Icom. It is better with the TM-281 because it messes up the 440 band. The Icom sees it as a dummy load at 440. So, I really have to unplug it from the amp and go direct to the antenna for best results in that band.

Didn't realize such thing would cost this much. I assume the 100 extra watts made a significant improvement on your ability.
 
Didn't realize such thing would cost this much. I assume the 100 extra watts made a significant improvement on your ability.

It helps when you are trying to crush people causing problems, or get into repeaters that have notoriously deaf RXes, etc.... [laugh] I loved having the 160W brick in the mobile, I had that thing set up to do about 100W or so with a low input feed into it..... nobody ever bitched about my signal "fluttering" or anything on a repeater. If you can hear it you can usually work it reliably with one of those in line.

-Mike
 
It helps when you are trying to crush people causing problems, or get into repeaters that have notoriously deaf RXes, etc.... [laugh] I loved having the 160W brick in the mobile, I had that thing set up to do about 100W or so with a low input feed into it..... nobody ever bitched about my signal "fluttering" or anything on a repeater. If you can hear it you can usually work it reliably with one of those in line.

-Mike

Hmmm, interesting...
 
It helps when you are trying to crush people causing problems, or get into repeaters that have notoriously deaf RXes, etc.... [laugh] I loved having the 160W brick in the mobile, I had that thing set up to do about 100W or so with a low input feed into it..... nobody ever bitched about my signal "fluttering" or anything on a repeater. If you can hear it you can usually work it reliably with one of those in line.

-Mike

This and it does help for longer distance communications. If you notice, it gives you 20db of gain on the pre-amp side as well as letting you really reach out and touch someone. I can hit a guy over in Wilmington. He's at 100W and I'm at 160W and we are both full quieting. That's about 25 miles from my house.

I can also hit KA1RCI. That repeater is 44 miles from me.
 
So basically that amp and this antenna, and I should be cranking considering what I am already capable of with my 281 and blackbird jpole.

Thanks guys, I had other stuff I needed to spend money on. [laugh]
 
You are in luck. I also have a TM-281 I can plug into it. [grin] Not that it helps YOU with your QTH...but yeah...65W out this thing should be cool. Of course, I also have an amp that pumps 5W up to 160W...so I can really blow the doors off pretty much anything. [rofl]

Did you ever get around to tinkering with this? I have a few weeks at home coming up and I want to hard mount some antenna's.
 
Did you ever get around to tinkering with this? I have a few weeks at home coming up and I want to hard mount some antenna's.

Yep...the X510 went up last Friday. So far, so good. I am noticing more sensitivity than my X50. Have not had a chance to do any longer distance stuff, but the simple fact that I added 5 feet to my mast AND the antenna is 12 taller than the X50, I think I've added some distance. Now, if I can just get to Pepperil over the hills, that will be the ultimate test.
 
Yep...the X510 went up last Friday. So far, so good. I am noticing more sensitivity than my X50. Have not had a chance to do any longer distance stuff, but the simple fact that I added 5 feet to my mast AND the antenna is 12 taller than the X50, I think I've added some distance. Now, if I can just get to Pepperil over the hills, that will be the ultimate test.

I see HRO in Salem has this antenna in stock, I am tempted to take a ride down there when I get home and pick one up. Looking forward to your findings.
 
I see HRO in Salem has this antenna in stock, I am tempted to take a ride down there when I get home and pick one up. Looking forward to your findings.

If you know anyone in Central MA who wants to try a simplex connection, let me know. We can setup a sched and see how things go.
 
If you really want to reach out with 2m and/or 70cm you should get a cushcraft a270s for relatively short money. It's small and light. http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3297 and you'll need a small rotor. The one issue in doing this is that people using FM typically use vertical polarization and with SSB they use horizontal.
 
If you know anyone in Central MA who wants to try a simplex connection, let me know. We can setup a sched and see how things go.

Can you hear the waltham 2m repeater? If you can I might be able to reach you. I"m slightly below that antenna on the east side of the hill but I have a beam.
 
Can you hear the waltham 2m repeater? If you can I might be able to reach you. I"m slightly below that antenna on the east side of the hill but I have a beam.

I get Waltham really well. Hell, I get that one on my HT when I'm at the top of the hill in my subdivision.

Whenever you wanna try, lemme know.

I tested it with some guys up in Pepperil and was disappointed that I didn't get them. I assumed my X50 just sucked. I upgraded and was hoping with the added height I'd be good...but no.

Well, not so fast...I was seeing weird behavior with my 2m amp. When I was on HF and I'd key up with the amp on, it would engage. Weird. It definitely should not be doing that. So, I revisited all of my cabling and sure enough, the jumper between my amp and my radio was really loose; almost to the point of not being connected. Surprised the thing even worked. Tightened everything up and now no problem with the amp when I'm on HF.

Sadly, the fire alarm chirp is also back. It had disappeared but most likely wasn't ever gone...just the fact that my amp wasn't feeding the antenna fully. So, I need to retest. Waltham would be a hell of a test.

PM me and we can setup a time to test.

Oh, and can someone tell me what 160W output to an antenna with almost 9db of gain would translate to in effective wattage? [grin]
 
WW2JS runs a simplex net on Tuesday at 10pm on 146.565 out of Leicester.

Yeah, I know. He's problematic as he doesn't like increasing his power output. I can hear him in the noise (sometimes).

I'll listen again tonight if I can hear him.
 
If you really want to reach out with 2m and/or 70cm you should get a cushcraft a270s for relatively short money. It's small and light. http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3297 and you'll need a small rotor. The one issue in doing this is that people using FM typically use vertical polarization and with SSB they use horizontal.
That "one issue" is rather significant. I'd pair the A270S with something like a Diamond X-50A for 2m/70cm for vertical polarization.
 
Back
Top Bottom