ph03nix42
Member
Im looking for the best "most economical" antenna for hearing vhf/uhf/800 without drilling into my car. Not sure if i like the idea of the RS-cellular look unit but something to that effect, just a more limited range of reception.
ph03nix42 said:Im looking for the best "most economical" antenna for hearing vhf/uhf/800 without drilling into my car. Not sure if i like the idea of the RS-cellular look unit but something to that effect, just a more limited range of reception.
lowboy654 said:Ok here it is this little antenna is a lot of bang for the buck a lot of people here use it and it seems to work great i have spent a lot more and got a lot less, it works great in the 800 mhz range all the way down to 150 mhz, i can get 800mhz from over 30 miles out with this thing.
http://www.rffun.com/catalog/scanants/1190.html
So's the water you wash the car with if you mix fine pumice into it.MetalCarnage said:Ugh the dreaded paint shredder magnet antenna
A good wipe with your hand. You can feel the grit.RISC777 said:So... we could almost change the topic to another title... but, what is the best way to clean a mag mount before you slap it on to some painted car paint?
I quit using mine, but curiousity has now set in.
Al42 said:A good wipe with your hand. You can feel the grit.
Or just keep an iron disk (cut from a tin can, maybe) on it when it's not in use. Take the disk off the magnet and the particles fall off the disk.
That's what I was getting at, Al, is with the strength of most of those magnets what way or ways are there to get something off if it won't come off just by wiping it. The 'mini' mags with the smaller diameter and magnet aren't always going to be as 'strong' as a non-mini. The tin can lid or such is a good idea, so long as it's good and flat and not too curved from cutting it out/off of the can it was part of. A little flat aluminum sheet cut to size maybe ... or, hey, just put it on the vehicle and never, ever take it off. (MetalCarnage...some of that dirt is what holds my car together, can't take the chance on washing it. )Al42 said:A good wipe with your hand. You can feel the grit.
Or just keep an iron disk (cut from a tin can, maybe) on it when it's not in use. Take the disk off the magnet and the particles fall off the disk.
The little ones use new material that's much stronger than the old magnets we're used to - they have at least as much holding power as a 3" diameter old-style mag mount.RISC777 said:That's what I was getting at, Al, is with the strength of most of those magnets what way or ways are there to get something off if it won't come off just by wiping it. The 'mini' mags with the smaller diameter and magnet aren't always going to be as 'strong' as a non-mini.
A coffee can has a 3-1/2" flat area in the center of the lid. A European can opener gives you a nice 800 MHz grounding aheet as well as a keeper, but even just cutting out the center area (and polishing the edge so it's not knife sharp) will work nicely.The tin can lid or such is a good idea, so long as it's good and flat and not too curved from cutting it out/off of the can it was part of.
Aluminum is non-magnetic. You want soft iron - it'll "keep" the magnet (to keep magnetism, magnets should have a magnetic "short" across them), keep it clean by covering it, but lose its magnetism as soon as you take the magnet away from it, so the particles all fall off. The typical "tin" can is actually TOO magnetic - it retains a little magnetism after you remove the magnet.A little flat aluminum sheet cut to size maybe
icebone said:The Valor ProAm PMM3B was recommended in another forum, and everyone here seems pretty hot for it. I'm wondering, is it a really noticeable gain over using the stock ducky on my handheld? Haven't used a magmount except for CB, and i wasn't too pleased with the gains -- if any -- i got from that.
cheers
-icebone
Another great idea I saw on here recently was to use a piece of Vinyl (similar to what they use for grafix etc...) under the mag (after you have cleaned it of course:wink: ), once your done with the mag, just peel off the vinyl. Sounded like a great way to protect your paint.RISC777 said:So... we could almost change the topic to another title... but, what is the best way to clean a mag mount before you slap it on to some painted car paint?
I quit using mine, but curiousity has now set in.
. . . DOH ! *mental smack of the forehead *Al42 said:Aluminum is non-magnetic.
Good point and thing to remember. So something thin but what a magnet will hold to.Al42 said:The typical "tin" can is actually TOO magnetic - it retains a little magnetism after you remove the magnet.
That's a good idea also. Easily cut to shape with a razor blade/knife. Just find a printing company and see what they've got in the dumpster. (I worked at one for a few years.) Note that some adhesive vinyls have adhesive that stick more or harder than others, especially the 3M products. And you'll know if the mag is clean or not because you'll feel bumps through the vinyl. And those vinyls are pretty tough so one application could last a good while. You see all these different "vehicle wraps?" that's the vinyl I'm thinking of. Might want to clean the adhesive from the magnet once in a while also, acetone works well for that (and the acetone hardening the rubber isn't an issue since the rubber on those magnets is pretty hard to start with - or acetone followed immediately with some 90% isopropyl alcohol, not 70%).bluesman905 said:Another great idea I saw on here recently was to use a piece of Vinyl (similar to what they use for grafix etc...) under the mag (after you have cleaned it of course ), once your done with the mag, just peel off the vinyl. Sounded like a great way to protect your paint.