Best Lowband Mobile Antenna?

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reconrider8

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im looking into buying me a mobile lowband antenna for my car preferably NMO as i have an austin spectra now but i would like to get a dedicated lowband antenna just to work skip and such. I know the Larsen NMO40 is one option but what do you guys think would be the best bet? actual use? im mai\nly trying to pull in 42-48 i would say thats most of the lowband Hp stuff and what not but i may go down to 39 and see whats there also
 
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mark40

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I don't have experience with the Spectra for comparison, but I've used a dedicated scanner paired with a Laird lo-band antenna for mobile scanning with great results; quite often able to pick up mobiles from the adjacent county L/C. I'm sure most would validate your intuition; using a dedicated lo-band ant will provide the best lo-band results.

While I don't have the Larsen NMO40, have other Larsen antennas that I'm very pleased with them (NMO27B and NMOQC).
 

popnokick

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The best low band antennas are the longer ones. The attempts to squeeze low band performance into an antenna 3 ft or less are always compromises that many will be unhappy with. Get the longest low band whip you can.
 

prcguy

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Most VHF lo antennas are fairly narrow band and will only cover about 2MHz. This will probably do what you need if you trim the whip slightly:
Laird Technologies - PR and News - Laird Technologies Releases New WPC39S0B-001 Wideband/Lowband Land Mobile Radio VHF Antenna
prcguy




im looking into buying me a mobile lowband antenna for my car preferably NMO as i have an austin spectra now but i would like to get a dedicated lowband antenna just to work skip and such. I know the Larsen NMO40 is one option but what do you guys think would be the best bet? actual use? im mai\nly trying to pull in 42-48 i would say thats most of the lowband Hp stuff and what not but i may go down to 39 and see whats there also
 

Rt169Radio

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A CB antenna might work, the CB freqs are down in the lowband area.
 

jhooten

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Just for a point of interest, 2808/frequency( in Mhz) = length of antenna in inches for cutting a cb whip down.

Cutting chart for the laird should be included, if one is required. The one linked to says "Operates from 39MHz to 46MHz, with no tuning required".
 
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prcguy

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The center of band for the Laird is 42.5MHz and your desired center of band is 45MHz. For a full size 1/4 wave antenna this is about 3.5" difference but its hard to say if cutting that much off the Laird would be the right approach and mounting conditions may affect the resonant frequency.

I would mount the antenna and measure with an antenna analyzer the trim the whip in small steps to see how it reacts. I suspect it will tune fine a few MHz up.
prcguy

With that being said about how long would you trim it to?
 

mm

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I use the 26 to 30 mhz version of the laird wideband and it is a very nice antenna along with a higher frequency model that I don't remember the model number but it covers~47 to 54 mhz.

If you decide to go with the wpc39s0b-001, 39 to 46 mhz model you won't be dissapointed in the performance. It is a bit more expensive than a larsen but well worth it and ' Power Works' has them for a good price.
 

mm

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That whip is similar but if you buy from Power Work the price is better. Google Power Work.
 

Sweetbritches

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Low band antenna

I love skip and on my 2004 crown vic have a rebuilt motorola low band antenna i got for free from a motorola two way shop most users are not on low band anymore I replaced the bolts and nuts with high strength ones we use on the farm and an adapter the wip goes into from motorola shop and the plastic base which was good but made it look new again. The whip is about 72 inches and has a spring maybe 6 inches works fine for 39.5 up to 43 but i can use it to even hear hams on 29.6 from texas and oklahoma. The man told me theyu cut long using the lowest freq and if close to a rear window post allow extra lenght the formula was for police cars it is 3084/ freq from plastic base to tip of top of the whip also i ean across a loaded coil havent used it though i hear mississippi42.08,42.12,42.16 texas hams and 30.45 california 39.14 to 45.70 mhz missouri42.0 to 42.94 and NE,OK,NCand TN if u need the actual freq just ask and lots of low band fire on 33.??


im looking into buying me a mobile lowband antenna for my car preferably NMO as i have an austin spectra now but i would like to get a dedicated lowband antenna just to work skip and such. I know the Larsen NMO40 is one option but what do you guys think would be the best bet? actual use? im mai\nly trying to pull in 42-48 i would say thats most of the lowband Hp stuff and what not but i may go down to 39 and see whats there also
 

prcguy

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A full quarter wave whip on top of a large van roof would have at best less than 0dBd gain and any of the shortened loaded types will have less gain than that. With VHF lo its generally the bigger the better, so if a 2ft tall antenna at say 40MHz is advertising more gain than a 4ft model, somebody is just making up gain numbers to sell more antennas.
prcguy


What about gain on the antenna are there and good gain antennas out besize the laird?
 

Sweetbritches

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A full quarter wave whip on top of a large van roof would have at best less than 0dBd gain and any of the shortened loaded types will have less gain than that. With VHF lo its generally the bigger the better, so if a 2ft tall antenna at say 40MHz is advertising more gain than a 4ft model, somebody is just making up gain numbers to sell more antennas.
prcguy


I agree 100% donna
 
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