All Band Antenna?

[lbfd09]

Backgound -
Many, many years ago a small company called Antenna Specialists had a VHF/UHF antenna that provided some gain and was at that time a bit pricey. When the 800 mHz became more active for use scanner users they added a version that included this band also. There were many mounting versions of this antenna with it's NMO base it was sold as a base, trunk lip, or a hole drilled in the car. It have tremendous pickup ability, I do not know how much gain it provided, but it permitted on to hear just about all of the Bay Area CHP bases when in Sonoma County.

I want to think that one of the models was "MON-31" and one package that I found in an old box "MONR-33."

Question -
Who makes such a antenna today with a similar performance record?

 

[prcguy]

Antenna Specialists was never a small company and they still make the MONR33, check out:
PCTEL, Inc. Base Mount Monitor Antenna Mobile Antennas
There was a version with a coaxial sleeve near the base tuned for 800MHz reception called the Micro Choke or something similar. These are long antennas and on VHF low they resonate at or very near the old CHP 42MHz frequencies. I keep a few around for that low band rainy day.
prcguy

 

[eastrocks400]

Larsen Tri-Band... Supposed to cover VHF high, UHF 450-470, and 800. I feel it works great on VHF low, and just average or a little bit better than stock on everything else.

 

[RF-Burns]

Antenna Specialists was never a small company and they still make the MONR33, check out:
PCTEL, Inc. Base Mount Monitor Antenna Mobile Antennas
There was a version with a coaxial sleeve near the base tuned for 800MHz reception called the Micro Choke or something similar. These are long antennas and on VHF low they resonate at or very near the old CHP 42MHz frequencies. I keep a few around for that low band rainy day.
prcguy

PCTEL has none of the MON Antennas left. I called 2 weeks ago and spoke to Laura and she said they had only 4 left.I bought all four. So there are no more MON antenna that you can buy anywhere, unless you can find a company who had bought some back in the day and never sold them, but as for PCTEL they are not producing them any longer nor have they since 2005. I was just very lucky to call when I did.

 

[prcguy]

The MONR33 style antennas show up on Ebay occasionally, I purchased two that way. The Larsen tri-band doesn't come close to the MONR33 performance on VHF low band.
prcguy

 

[lbfd09]

I see I am not the only one who remembers these cool antennas.

As well as the great lo band reception I notice they perform exceltlen on the 800 band, especially the version with the "800 coil" on it.

Makes one wonder why a company buys another.... to make greater products or.... to eliminate the competition.... But that's worthy of discussion in the philosophy of business section.

From everyone's feedback make I wonder how the Comet and Diamond tri-band (6m/2m/440) antennas for the ham community? I would think one might be able to make some kind of coil, like what was on some of the old Antenna Specialist's antennas, for the 800 frequencies.

I still have some 5 or 6 of the Antenna Specialist's antennas; almost enough for each of my scanners.