Tag Archives: OPEXT

FROM I-MAX 2000 TO MAX OPTIMIZER

Image: Logo from Solarcon in the old days

SOLARCON ANTENNA RESEARCH
Long long time ago in the city of Holland Ohio in USA the Solarcon factory proudly introduced a new antenna the “I-MAX 2000“. This was the big brother of the Solarcon A99. In those days still known as Antron A-99 (Aka Atron A-99).

Photo: original carton for I-max 2000

I-MAX 2000
The CB and 10 Meter HAM people loved the new antenna and many were sold. One company did not like the name, this was the IMAX group of cinema’s.
Their lawyer wrote a letter to Solarcon and the wise people from Solarcon decided it was better to change the name to MAX 2000.

Photo: The new packing for MAX 2000

MAX 2000
Max 2000 is a wide band antenna. During the years the number of 10 meter users went down and it was more CB users that purchased this high end antenna. Many also added the the (I)MAX-GPK , a nice groundplane kit.

ANTENNA LENGTH OF (I)MAX 2000
The packing of MAX 2000 was designed based on the maximum dimensions of UPS cartons for easy and cheaper shipping. When UPS changed her ‘rules’, the carton was made a little shorter, but the antenna was still having the same length. Funny is that many people keep saying that the new model was shorter and that was the reason for a bad SWR. Sorry guys, the length never changed.

Photo: The packing of Max-Optimizer

MAX OPTIMIZER
The original IMAX-2000 was designed for 26 – 33.5 MHz. But now, because more CB operators were buying Max-2000 it was needed to make a MAX-2000 only for 27 MHz. That means a bit longer antenna length. The result is the brand new MAX OPTIMIZER.

Photo: Original specs from (I)MAX 2000

MAX-OPTIMIZER

So recently the MAX OPTIMIZER was introduced. Same box as MAX 2000, just a sticker on the top or bottom. The models MAX 2000 and MAX OPTIMIZER are nearly identical.
BUT the MAX OPTIMIZER has one more section, and that makes it a bit longer, approx 30 cm.

Photo: Specifications of the MaxOptimizer



OPTIMIZER SECTION

Photo: The Optimizer section

If you are using an (I)MAX 2000 and want to modify it to a MAX OPTIMIZER you can purchase this extra section and install between the sections of your existing antenna.
The name of the product is OP-EXT , “optional extension”. The price will be around 50 – 60 euro.
Ask your local dealer for the OP-EXT and have better SWR on the regular CB band.

Photo: OP-EXT can be installed between the sections of MAX 2000
Photo: one end has 3/8×24 Female Thread
Photo: one end has 3/8×24 Male Thread

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Photo: Most recent Solarcon logo