[K3PZN-List] Wanted: Your opinion on Dual Band 144/440mhz Mobile Antennas

[James Nitzberg]

Dear Andy;

Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

73,

Jim  WX3B


--- Andy Leeds <n3mcb at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> I  have 3 dual band antennas I use (not at the same
> time):
> 
> 1. A low profile loaded 1/4 on 2, 3/4 on 70cm thats
> only redeeming 
> feature is it fits in my garage. Its about 12" tall
> and from the roof of 
> my pickup to the top of the door I have 12-3/8"  so
> I don't have to take 
> it on/off as I go in and out. Mount is a NMO (aka
> Motorola, 3/4" hole in 
> the roof). Performance is horrible - SWR about 1.8:1
> is as good as it 
> ever gets.
> 
> 2. A 1/4 wave on 2, 3/4 on 70cm magmount. I use this
> on top of the 
> police car, it blends in pretty well and nobody
> seems to notice the 
> extra antenna. The motor officers use these on the
> bikes as well mounted 
> back on top of the 800MHz radio case behind the
> seat. These are OK 
> antennas, they don't set the world on fire but they
> are low profile 
> enough the Lt. won't make us take them off.
> 
> 3. A 1/2 2m, ? 70cm - use this when I go on long
> trips and want better 
> performance that the piece of junk #1 antenna. I
> don't know much about 
> it because all its information was in Japanese (hey
> it was $15 at the 
> hamfest). This antenna looks to be a clone of the
> Larsen 2m/70cm old 
> standby dual bander with the center loading coil. I
> see a good 2 s-unit 
> difference once I'm out of town and can hold the
> repeater out to Orlando 
> Airport on it while I loose it on the junk antenna
> about 12miles before 
> I get there.
> 
> My personal mounting prefrence is to drill a hole
> and get it over with 
> (there's a good story about k4ywc and I telling his
> wife n4uwc about how 
> a 12ga slug makes a perfect hole for a NMO mount the
> day after she got a 
> new car) (yes we were kidding, don't try that at
> home) since its easier 
> to route the coax and the antenna won't fly off when
> you get up to speed 
> (my HT almost went out the window one night when I
> hit the tracks a 
> little fast, say 75ish, and the magmount let go). My
> advice is to look 
> for a hamfest special the size you are willing to
> mount on the car and 
> the price you are willing to pay.  I think that most
> of the antenna 
> companies measure gain relative to a wet noodle in a
> leaky chamber with 
> out of calibration test equipment so the gain
> numbers are meaningless.
> 
> 73,
> Andy
>
-----------------------------------------------------
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