Predator 10K Dual Coil Antennas---three versions?

[Foxhunter]

[ external image ]

I have a collection of about 50 different mobile and base antennas. Pictured above are some of my coil-type mobile antennas. I've been meaning to ask this for a while but hadn't got around to thinking of it 'til now.

A few months ago I was looking at and comparing two of my different Predator 10K Dual Coil mobile antennas. One has a longer shaft than the other, one has a 17-inch shaft and the other a 12-inch shaft. One is a SW dual coil version and one is a plain dual coil.

The dual coil versions naturally all have two coil sections. I noticed though that on each antenna, the upper coil sections each have different amount of turns. The antenna with the gray coating in the coil sections has 5 complete coil turns, and the antenna with the black coating in the coil section only has 4 complete turns. This indicates that one is a plain dual coil and one is a SW dual coil.

The Predator 10K website lists two different dual coil versions but it lists the one as having "two additional wraps" instead of only the one additional wrap that one of mine has. So the SW version should have two additional wraps apparently rather than the one additional wrap that mine has. Was there an early and a later version of the SW?

Anybody owning these two, do you have 2 additional turns as described on Predator's website? Or do you have the 1 additional turn like I noticed I have? Am curious. Not extremely critical or life-threatening, but am wondering about the discrepancy. Were there two different versions made of one of the "dual coil" antennas?

Here's two pic's of the two, side-by-side against the stone wall

[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[jessejamesdallas]

Actually...The "Gray" Dual Coil you have, is probably 4 to 5 years old. It has the older design coils, that connect to the insulator on opposite sides of the antenna...And from Looking at that SW Dual Coil, it's a "First Run" edition that I suspect is at least a year and a half to 2 years old also.

All the New 10K's produced since last summer (possibly last Spring) all have the coils connecting to the insulator on the same side of the antenna, instead of opposite sides...

This would account for having more wraps than the ones you have...

Kale is constantly trying to improve on the 10K's, and when I get a New Coil design (or antenna) from him to test, I try to test the things with all the different shafts, and different mounting options, using my Suburban, Ford Van, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Altima...This way, I can try a Roof Mount, Trunk lid mount, Toolbox Mount, and a fender mount!

Allot of the designs don't work out, and you guys never get to see, but when we think a Coil design change is for the better, then the New design takes the place of the older versions...

Just like in this picture of 3 Single Coil 10K's, notice the difference's in wraps in the coils.
[ external image ]
The one on the left, and the middle one, are both just regular Single Coil 10K's...But the one on the left is about 5 years old, where the middle one is like what you would get if you ordered one today.

The one on the right, is the "Comp" 10K...(the latest version...There were a few "First-Run" Comps that had the coil connecting on opposite sides of the insulator also, before they were all changed to connect on the same side of the insulator)

By the way, the reason for the change, was it seemed to help in tuning...