Tactical Scanner Antenna

[prcguy]

I know many off the shelf scanners and portable wide band receivers are used on the battlefield but I've always wondered what antennas were used with them. I came across this little gem and and it seems to work very well so far with a Yaesu VR-5000 and Yupiteru MVT-7100.

The antenna is stated to cover 300KHz to 3GHz and its 37" long extended and 18" long folded up. Connector is a female N.

It does work ok on HF and even down on the AM broadcast band and much better than any long whip attached directly to the radio.

Here is a link to the mfr and I would be scared to know what they cost new.
Welcome to Radio Reconnaissance Technologies
prcguy

 

[rbhawks22]

Where can I get one?

Thanx

 

[prcguy]

I found it on Ebay, otherwise its the first one I've seen. Been researching it and the US military purchases a lot of them and its also part of a SIGINT monitoring and direction finding system, the AN/PSQ-9.
prcguy

Where can I get one?

Thanx

 

[rbhawks22]

Hi PRCGUY, would you be willing to send the ebay link. I searched and was unable to locate the antenna.

Thank You

 

[prcguy]

I bought it several months ago and can't find the link either.
prcguy

Hi PRCGUY, would you be willing to send the ebay link. I searched and was unable to locate the antenna.

Thank You

 

[rbhawks22]

Thank you anyway. How is the performance?

 

[prcguy]

Its good so far using it indoors but without any baseline to compare with. Maybe next week I'll take it outside and grab some spectrum analyzer plots with it compared to a R/S Discone.
prcguy

Thank you anyway. How is the performance?

 

[lockdown96]

I found them and they cost 800 dollars a very good buy

 

[lockdown96]

price

Hi Scott,

Good morning. Scott this antenna is priced at $725.00 each. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have questions. Take care.

Regards,



Timothy N. Resler

VP, Contracts & Accounts

Radio Reconnaissance Technologies Inc

59 Jack Ellington Road

Fredericksburg, VA 22406

P: 540-752-7448

F: 540-752-7449

It's called the flex master

 

[prcguy]

That's not as bad as I expected, thanks for inquiring.
prcguy

Hi Scott,

Good morning. Scott this antenna is priced at $725.00 each. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have questions. Take care.

Regards,



Timothy N. Resler

VP, Contracts & Accounts

Radio Reconnaissance Technologies Inc

59 Jack Ellington Road

Fredericksburg, VA 22406

P: 540-752-7448

F: 540-752-7449

It's called the flex master

 

[Skypilot007]

For real, this antenna costs $700-800 dollars?

 

[LtDoc]

37" long and works from daylight to dark...hmm. If you define 'tactical' as -very- short range, then I might say it's probably possible. I've also seen the same thing done with a 50 ohm resistor and a couple of lengths of flexible wire used as an antenna. Below something like 50 Mhz it's still a rubber-duck...
- 'Doc

 

[prcguy]

The spec sheet that came with the antenna states its a trap antenna for VHF/UHF and it may have some gain in the 1.5 to 3GHz range. Comparing it to an Austin Condor giant rubber duck on a Yupiteru MVT-7100 it works a whole lot better and does pick up HF and AM broadcast which the Condor does not.

I don't know whats inside the antenna but so far it seems to be more than a 50ohm resistor and some wire. Being "Tactical" has nothing to do with short range and describes it's rugged construction and intended purpose.
prcguy

37" long and works from daylight to dark...hmm. If you define 'tactical' as -very- short range, then I might say it's probably possible. I've also seen the same thing done with a 50 ohm resistor and a couple of lengths of flexible wire used as an antenna. Below something like 50 Mhz it's still a rubber-duck...
- 'Doc

 

[hockeyshrink]

make something black, call it "tactical" or "special ops," and you can mark it up 200%

 

[JoeyC]

and anyone who pays $725 for one, is foolish, if not stupid. LoL

 

[nanZor]

I guess the expense that you are paying for is rugged dc-to-daylight coverage, and being able to toss it onto any field radio that you have adapters for, by unskilled personnel who don't know the difference.

Looks like a handy backup to have in the military toolkit. While the regular radio-op may not make this his first choice for HF, if the op is not available, or the normal antennas are missing/damaged, non-radio-savvy members might be able to use this to get some sort of signal out regardless of what radio they have on hand.

Just don't lose your adapters!

 

[prcguy]

I guess you have never dealt with military contracts and all the tracking and traceability of components and processes. The paperwork in many cases cost more than the item being made.

The antenna is very well designed for rapid deployment and survivability. Its not made by any fly by night company nor is it a cheap PVC pipe with a few wires in it like the Snooper antennas sold on Fleabay. I can't think of any other antenna like it.
prcguy

and anyone who pays $725 for one, is foolish, if not stupid. LoL

 

[prcguy]

It's sold as a receive only antenna.
prcguy

I guess the expense that you are paying for is rugged dc-to-daylight coverage, and being able to toss it onto any field radio that you have adapters for, by unskilled personnel who don't know the difference.

Looks like a handy backup to have in the military toolkit. While the regular radio-op may not make this his first choice for HF, if the op is not available, or the normal antennas are missing/damaged, non-radio-savvy members might be able to use this to get some sort of signal out regardless of what radio they have on hand.

Just don't lose your adapters!

 

[nanZor]

If I may correct myself: (oops - looks like you caught it first!)

... to get some sort of signal out regardless of what radio they have on hand...

It is receive-only. Still, definitely tactical - most of us think of HF as being long-haul, but in the field that is not always true. If it saved my life somehow, cost would be my last concern. Looks like you could pull this out of a bag in 30 years and it would work as well as day 1.

 

[Bob_61]

and anyone who pays $725 for one, is foolish, if not stupid. LoL

That is our government !!