Diplexer needed??

[topgun1986]

Hello all!! I'm new to Amateur Radio, passed technician exam last week; now just waiting on call sign to show up in database. Until then, I'm trying to get my home/base station setup.
Here's my dilemma....

I recently purchased an ICOM IC2400A, VHF/UHF dual band transciever, which will hopefully be arriving UPS today (fingers crossed)....

I have a centerfire discone (which supposedly is made for VHF/UHF dual band) installed on my antenna tower, which I originally purchased for another piece of equipment....

So my question is with only (1) feedline coming in from this dual band antenna...
I BELIEVE my ICOM IC2400A will have separate inputs for a VHF antenna & UHF antenna...

Is a Diplexer my only solution to hook this (1) feedline into my dualband transciever?
Or can I hook my (1) feedline to either one of the inputs and recieve only that frequency?

As far as looking for help elsewhere, I have done the search here with no luck, and my local ham club does not meet until next week. Hoping to get on air as soon as my call sign shows up in the database.

 

[SCPD]

According to the specs on this discontinued transceiver there are two antenna connectors. One for VHF and one for UHF. A diplexer is the simplest solution. Switching antennas between the connectors will work until you forget to change it some day

 

[W2NJS]

Comet model 4160 diplexer. Available online from most ham stores, or commonly found on eBay for less than the $60 or so that the stores get for the unit. Be sure you get the one with SO-239 connectors, and you will also need two short lengths of RG8X with PL259 connectors on each end.

 

[AK9R]

The Comet CF-416A has an SO-239 connector on the common port (which would connect to the feedline from your antenna) and it has short cables which terminate in PL-259 connectors on the high- and low-pass ports (which would connect to the VHF and UHF ports on your radio). This would eliminate the need for the jumpers W2NJS mentioned.

 

[topgun1986]

Thanks for the info & models recommended. Will immediately start shopping around!

 

[NDRADIONUT]

The mfj model is about 25 bucks and works well....

 

[AC2OY]

Congratulations!! Maverick....LOL You'll get your call in about 7-10 days keep checking the FCC database once you get it.....it's on like Donkey Kong!!!!

 

[rapidcharger]

Meh. The thing with diplexers is for the money you can just buy another antenna. A decent one.

Heck, you can get an Ed Fong J-Pole on ebay for $25 and those work extremely well. At least then you'll get another antenna out of it. Unless your antennas are a hundred feet up, (in which case the coax would be really expensive) I'd just get a separate antenna. That's just my 2 cents.

 

[topgun1986]

My antenna is 100' from transciever, so a separate antenna & feed line would probably me more than a diplexer.

But that does raise a good question from a newly licensed ham regarding signal strength...

Would I be better to extend my feed line (LMR400 or RG8) and connect to a 40' high antenna or...
Cut the length of my feed line in half and connect to a 30' antenna?

Basically feed line loss versus antenna height question.
Hope my question makes sense.

 

[ab3a]

Guideline number 1 with antennas: Get it as high in to the air as possible.
(Corollary to Rule 1: If it stayed up last winter, it ain't high enough )

Guideline number 2: If it is longer than 50' of RG-8 on UHF, get something better. LMR-400 is better.
See Coax Cable Loss
and http://www.timesmicrowave.com/products/lmr/downloads/22-25.pdf

The diplexer loss should also figure in to this discussion. Yes, there will be some loss. That's generally what separates the cheap diplexers from the expensive ones. However, one good diplexer with a single transmission line with a decent antenna at higher altitude is probably your better choice.

73,