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Dipole Antennas
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THE SCORPION DIPOLE ANTENNA
DHS/TSA…better known as The Dept of Homeland Security has deployed not only our Dipole system mounted on a tripod with great success, our standard finish is used on their Scorpion mobile installs also.
The performance of this small aperture dipole system is surprising. The Dipole at height, is directional. By rotating it 90 degrees you will have full 360 degree coverage. At ground level it performs as an NVIS antenna on 40 and 80 meters.
This Dipole system is fully adjustable from 10 to 80 meters. We supply two 5 ft whips to cover 10 through 80 meters. Typical VSWR for 10 through 80 is 1.5:1 or less with the 5 ft whips or using the Scorpion Cap Hats™ for a smaller foot print. Note: If you enjoy the lower bands and would like better performance, use two of our Caphats or two of the 102 inch CB whips available from Radio Shack.
RF Choke for coax.... Is NOT SUPPLIED ....we recommend our customers to purchase the Balun Designs balun Part #1115 for their Dipole installs. (Note: The 1115 Balun offers the highest impedance available for common mode currents on the HF bands. This choke decouples the coax from the antenna, so the antenna will not see the coax as an active radial or counterpoise wire.)
An optional antenna controller for our dipole system are two of the Ameritron SDC-102 screwdriver controllers. These units have 10 memory programmable buttons along with a digital display and adjustable antenna motor over current protection.
SPECIFICS AND CONFIGURATION
We use 6061-T6 machined Aluminum for our dipole center mounting fixture. The mounting fixture center has been machined to accept a 3/4 X 10 TPI X 2 inch piece of stainless threaded rod that our threaded pipe adaptor screws onto. The Supplied 1 inch threaded pipe adaptor can be seen in our accessories page and our Dipole photos. Note: Customer supplies the 1 inch threaded pipe for mounting the antenna on a tripod or mast. This antenna will work great for the operator that lives in an HOA better known as Home Owners Association. All of our dipole systems can be installed either in an attic, a tripod or mast mounted.
Configuring two opposing verticals into a dipole is nothing new or revolutionary. “Hams” have been using short verticals (ham sticks) and configuring them into dipoles to gain the benefits of a dipole in a small, portable, good performing package. Since a dipole has some directivity, orientating the dipole is easy, giving the operator some choices. Our Dipoles have several advantages over the “ham stick” verticals approach to dipoles. So naturally, being hams ourselves, we took the next step and configured a pair of high performance, tune-able, verticals into a dipole arrangement. We found our Scorpion Antennas perform as expected of a dipole and then some.
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Typical SWR 1.5:1 or less
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Weight 38 Lbs
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All of our antenna line are supplied with UHF connectors
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SA-680 Dipole covers 10 through 80 meters
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Dipole length retracted: 81”, Extended: 117”
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Dipole rated at 1500 watts PEP
THE SCORPION DIPOLE ANTENNA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Price is relative to function, performance, and this Scorpion Dipole solution does fit many space restriction requirements with good performance. So if price is on your mind, you may think twice about discounting this configuration. The small foot print has many advantages for those interested in a different approach with good performance.
Tune ability to resonance at a specific frequency across the entire 10-80 or 10-160 meter bands. Remember, this configuration uses 2 Scorpion Antennas where each antenna acts just like the two ends of a pre-cut & tuned "wire dipole". (Unlike a vertical, there are no elevated ground plane Stingers (ham sticks) involved). Each of the Scorpion Antennas is tunable independently to the desired or "working" frequency. A dipole where the two sides of the dipole are remotely tuned to resonance independently.
The center support mount is machined to accept the standard Scorpion Antenna. There is some special consideration to ensure both antennas are isolated from the mount (earth ground) such that both antennas are indeed acting like a true dipole.
The dipole mount is then, attached to a "rotor" and or in combination directly on a pole, tripod, or tower. Don't forget when dealing with strict limited and or "out of sight" HOA or other space requirements, this dipole can be mounted in a stationary direction in an attic. The point is this dipole is directional and can be rotated or mounted stationary in what ever your direction of choice may be.
PCommon feed point. Both antennas are fed just like a dipole, two seperate #10 gage wires connect to each antenna and on each side of the current Balun. The coax is connected at the bottom of the Balun.
Covers from 10 to 80 meters .... continuously. Tuning each of the Scorpion antennas happens continuously by simply pressing the Up or Down on the remote antenna controller. There are no other loads or physical changes that need to be added to the antenna ends, tune and go!
The Dipole is not a light weight, it's heavy at 40 lbs. Breaking down the dipole for transport to another location is very quick and easy. The design considerations were as a Home installation or an RV'er dream of "portable". With a proper carrying bag one person is able to take the dipole on a hike to a hill side or a mountain top. Setup and tear down is very close to setting up the Scorpion Home antenna only no counterpoise antennas to deal with. Depending on the height of the mast or tripod, at 8-10 feet, one could walk under the Dipole or Home package antennas without fear of friends or family members coming in contact with either of the antennas.
The dipole is definitely a head turner the Quality and Finishes are exceptional. The machine work is first class with very close attention paid to every detail. In reality, the motorized dipole is a very simple antenna to setup, tune and operate! Tuning the Scorpion dipole has an advantage over non-tunable or fixed wire dipoles. Each side of the Scorpion Antenna is tuned to the "best" fit resonant working frequency. This is like cutting each end of a "wire" dipole to the exact length by "trial & error" and running back and forth from the shack to antenna. It's done with 2 "up & down" buttons inside the shack. No running, no trimming 1 inch here and then "oops," add the inch back in. It's a Great Solution with good performance, easy of use, with many space saving and mounting choices.
SHIPPING DETAILS
The Dipole System is typically shipped in three containers.
Note: Two 6″ Dia. by 60 inch length cardboard tubes is used for shipping the main antennas. Total weight on average is 28 to 30 Lbs for each antenna. The basic antenna kit is placed inside the main antenna tube. Each antennas shipping and handling through UPS is $75.00 each. The dipole center mounting fixture, with control cables is shipped USPS.
USPS Shipping and handling, $25.00 / Total shipping for the Dipole. $175.00
Two 58 inch whips are supplied with the dipole.
Please contact Balan Designs for their 1115S Balun “with studs on each side” with a backing plate for your tripod or mast mounting size. Model 1115 - 1:1 Balun, 1.5-54 MHz, 3/5kW - Balun Designs
We have tested the Dale Audio TS-88B Black aluminum speaker stand at trade shows and swap meets that we attend. This is the strongest and best built tripod we have found, and for a price of $109.00, this tripod is a true value. We have many customers using this tripod with great results.
Ultimate Support Tote Bag
$49.99
Size: 10.5″ x 60.5″
Carrying tote for one speaker stand
Reliable zipper and enhanced pulls
Two carrying hand grips combined with velcro
Includes hang tag pouch for name, address, etc.
Size: 50″ Long – Dual Compartment
Deluxe Speaker Stand Bag to carry 2 speaker stands less than 50″ in length
2 independently zippered and divided compartments
Heavy Duty Nylon Exterior w/ Removable Shoulder Strap
Interior Dimensions per Compartment: 50″ X 6″ X 6″