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Motorola CDM1550LS* 450-512MHz

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RBPD207

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I recently purchased a Motorola CDM1550LS+ 450-512MHz and Im looking for a low profile antenna and I'm having trouble finding one.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for an antenna for this unit?

Thank you!
 
mmckenna

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How low profile do you want?

1/4 wave antenna will be about 5 or 6 inches. While maybe not as short as you want, the thin whip blends i pretty well.
There are "puck" antennas that are an inch or so high.

The puck type antennas are not always great performers, but they'll work if you don't expect too much.

You can sniff around here and see if you find something you like:
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayItems.do?groupId=90270&subgroupId=91070
 
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I would really like a phantom but I don't believe they would work for this application unless I'm mistaken...
 
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mmckenna said:
How low profile do you want?

1/4 wave antenna will be about 5 or 6 inches. While maybe not as short as you want, the thin whip blends i pretty well.
There are "puck" antennas that are an inch or so high.

The puck type antennas are not always great performers, but they'll work if you don't expect too much.

You can sniff around here and see if you find something you like:
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayItems.do?groupId=90270&subgroupId=91070
Click to expand...

I would really like the phantom but I don't believe any of them would work for my application unless I'm mistaken....
 
mmckenna

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No reason why it won't work. If it's designed for the frequencies you need, you should be OK. Just be realistic about the performance. Low profile antennas won't work as well as a standard whip.

I used to have a CDM1250 UHF in my truck. The 1/4 wave whip is 5 inches tall, and on top of a full size vehicle, it's hard to see.
 
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mmckenna said:
No reason why it won't work. If it's designed for the frequencies you need, you should be OK. Just be realistic about the performance. Low profile antennas won't work as well as a standard whip.

I used to have a CDM1250 UHF in my truck. The 1/4 wave whip is 5 inches tall, and on top of a full size vehicle, it's hard to see.
Click to expand...

https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=87818&eventPage=2

How much performance do you think I would lose if I used this type of antenna?
 
mmckenna

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How much performance you lose depends on what you are comparing it too. The basic comparison is usually to a 1/4 wave antenna. They usually claim similar performance to a 1/4 wave, but you'll likely see less. These are physically shorter than a 1/4 wave, so they won't work as well. The more "low profile" they are, the less well they will work. There isn't any magic that goes into antennas, it's all dictated by physics.

If you are really on the edge of the system coverage, this antenna is probably not a good choice. They are a "compromise" antenna. You are trading some performance for lower profile. A 1/4 wave antenna is going to be really cheap, like $10. They blend in well, with most vehicles. I'd recommend starting with the $10 quarter wave antenna and see how it works. If the performance is satisfactory, then you could try the lower profile antenna. If the performance of the 1/4 wave isn't up to what you need, then you'll know it's not a good idea. Either way, you'll only be out $10.
 
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mmckenna said:
How much performance you lose depends on what you are comparing it too. The basic comparison is usually to a 1/4 wave antenna. They usually claim similar performance to a 1/4 wave, but you'll likely see less. These are physically shorter than a 1/4 wave, so they won't work as well. The more "low profile" they are, the less well they will work. There isn't any magic that goes into antennas, it's all dictated by physics.

If you are really on the edge of the system coverage, this antenna is probably not a good choice. They are a "compromise" antenna. You are trading some performance for lower profile. A 1/4 wave antenna is going to be really cheap, like $10. They blend in well, with most vehicles. I'd recommend starting with the $10 quarter wave antenna and see how it works. If the performance is satisfactory, then you could try the lower profile antenna. If the performance of the 1/4 wave isn't up to what you need, then you'll know it's not a good idea. Either way, you'll only be out $10.
Click to expand...

Any links for the antenna you're talking about?
 
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mmckenna said:
How much performance you lose depends on what you are comparing it too. The basic comparison is usually to a 1/4 wave antenna. They usually claim similar performance to a 1/4 wave, but you'll likely see less. These are physically shorter than a 1/4 wave, so they won't work as well. The more "low profile" they are, the less well they will work. There isn't any magic that goes into antennas, it's all dictated by physics.

If you are really on the edge of the system coverage, this antenna is probably not a good choice. They are a "compromise" antenna. You are trading some performance for lower profile. A 1/4 wave antenna is going to be really cheap, like $10. They blend in well, with most vehicles. I'd recommend starting with the $10 quarter wave antenna and see how it works. If the performance is satisfactory, then you could try the lower profile antenna. If the performance of the 1/4 wave isn't up to what you need, then you'll know it's not a good idea. Either way, you'll only be out $10.
Click to expand...

https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=87818&eventPage=1

I think this is the one I want but can't seem to find the "Motorola style mount"
 
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