Brand new to ham radio, 1st antenna advice

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bterrier

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Hello everyone,

Looking to for a first antenna so I can listen in on some radio traffic. Looking for some antenna advice. I would like a commercially produced antenna if possible because I would like it to be as unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing as possible. Any suggestions?

Btw, I am looking for a 2 meter antenna. Or possible a 2m/70cm dual band antenna.

Also I am looking to stay as inexpensive as possible (and still get decent results/reception) being that this is my first antenna and want to try it out before I start investing too heavily. I did see a firestik 2mckb.....is this any good?

Thanks in advance
 

mmckenna

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Base antenna?

Look at the Diamond X50A. Small dual band antenna. Good reputation.

I would not waste the effort on the Firestick antenna.
I did a search on it, and I can't find an actual photo of it, only drawings. The drawings look like it's a really cheap antenna, and will probably give you issues in the long run.
Putting up a base antenna takes a lot of work, and can be risky. Don't put that labor and risk into something you'll have to replace in a year or so.

Also, don't overlook the coaxial cable. Don't skimp on the cable.
 

K4EET

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Base antenna?

Look at the Diamond X50A. Small dual band antenna. Good reputation.

I would not waste the effort on the Firestick antenna.
I did a search on it, and I can't find an actual photo of it, only drawings. The drawings look like it's a really cheap antenna, and will probably give you issues in the long run.
Putting up a base antenna takes a lot of work, and can be risky. Don't put that labor and risk into something you'll have to replace in a year or so.

Also, don't overlook the coaxial cable. Don't skimp on the cable.

What he said ^^^ ...

73, Dave K4EET
 

millrad

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Another possibility might be the Diamond X30A base antenna for VHF/UHF. Should be dependable and easy to assemble. I have used Tram and Diamond dual band base antennas and always been satisfied.

htps://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/diamond-x30a-4868
 

TheSpaceMann

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Why not try building a 2 meter dipole or ground plane? You can put one together in just a few minutes, for next to nothing! Lots of plans online. :)
 

belvdr

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Why not try building a 2 meter dipole or ground plane? You can put one together in just a few minutes, for next to nothing! Lots of plans online. :)
Some folks, myself included, would prefer to buy an antenna than mess around with building it.
 

jaspence

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New antenna

Some folks, myself included, would prefer to buy an antenna than mess around with building it.

For a new ham, this is a good idea. Tuning a home built antenna isn't difficult, but for a good start an all ready tuned one will likely give much better results. Once you get more involved, you can use your creative skills.
 

bterrier

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Base antenna?

Look at the Diamond X50A. Small dual band antenna. Good reputation.

I would not waste the effort on the Firestick antenna.
I did a search on it, and I can't find an actual photo of it, only drawings. The drawings look like it's a really cheap antenna, and will probably give you issues in the long run.
Putting up a base antenna takes a lot of work, and can be risky. Don't put that labor and risk into something you'll have to replace in a year or so.

Also, don't overlook the coaxial cable. Don't skimp on the cable.


Yes, base antenna. I’ll take a look at the x50a....thanks. I agree with you on the firestik. I thought maybe it would be decent because I hear of people using firestik brand for cb use and/or building dipole antennas from the firestiks.
 

bterrier

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Another possibility might be the Diamond X30A base antenna for VHF/UHF. Should be dependable and easy to assemble. I have used Tram and Diamond dual band base antennas and always been satisfied.

htps://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/diamond-x30a-4868


Any idea of how the x30 compares to the x50. I want to have a decent antenna, but I am on a tight budget because I am just starting out. Maybe the x30 is the way to go? Unless the x50 is a huge leap in performance over the x30
 

gonefishn1

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The X50 has more gain so it really depends on your location and how far you need to reach out with it to get into a repeater. Unless you just want to talk local simplex. I sent you a PM and You can give me a call if you want.
 

bterrier

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Some folks, myself included, would prefer to buy an antenna than mess around with building it.


Yes, while I agree that I will learn from building an antenna, at the moment that would bring in too many variable to go wrong. For now I just want to get everything working. Even with all commercially produced equipment, I still need to learn how to operate everything, set it up, tune it, etc.

I also think that commercially produced equipment looks nicer than the diy stuff, especially for outside equipment which is easily viewed from the street.

Maybe I will start building equipment in the future once I get a better idea of how it all interacts.
 

mmckenna

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Does this antenna do gmrs as well? Or are there 2 versions?

Unlikely it's going to do GMRS well. 70cm amateur band stops at 450MHz. GMRS is at 462 and 467, and that is enough of a difference to make it an issue.


Also, those antennas are simply a twin-lead style J-pole antenna stuffed in a piece of PVC pipe. Not worth $36.00. If you want something commercial that is going to work off the shelf, don't buy home built stuff off e-Bay.
 

bterrier

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Unlikely it's going to do GMRS well. 70cm amateur band stops at 450MHz. GMRS is at 462 and 467, and that is enough of a difference to make it an issue.


Also, those antennas are simply a twin-lead style J-pole antenna stuffed in a piece of PVC pipe. Not worth $36.00. If you want something commercial that is going to work off the shelf, don't buy home built stuff off e-Bay.
Thanks for that information. I will likely go with a diamond x30 or x50. I know you had recommended the x50, but I am curious what your opinion is of the x30? I am asking because it is close to half the price. I'm sure the x50 is a better antenna, but do you think the x30 is a good enough antenna to start? Or should I go with the x50 right from the start?

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mmckenna

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I think the x30 is probably a great choice. I almost bought one a while back. Needed something lower profile and the X50 was a bit big.

Never did buy it, but I think it would have worked well for my needs.
 

bterrier

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I think I will probably go with the Diamond X30. What type of coax should I be using for this?

What are my mounting options with this antenna. Trying to figure out if I should mount it directly to the house or find another way to install.

How do I ground it etc? I just want to make sure I am installing the antenna in a safe way. I want to protect my house and equipment.
 

mmckenna

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I think I will probably go with the Diamond X30. What type of coax should I be using for this?

Depends on how long your cable run is and what your budget is.

What are my mounting options with this antenna. Trying to figure out if I should mount it directly to the house or find another way to install.

They are designed to be mounted to a mast. That mast could be a 50 foot tall push up mast, or it could be a 4 foot length of conduit bolted to the gable end. Depends on where you want to mount it, how much money you have, what your neighbors and/or wife will say, what your skill/comfort level is, etc….

How do I ground it etc? I just want to make sure I am installing the antenna in a safe way. I want to protect my house and equipment.

The support mast should be grounded. The clamp mounts will ground the antenna base to the mast. Ground wire should run as straight as possible down to a ground rod. Ground rod needs to be bonded to the house electrical ground rod per NEC rules. Where the coax enters your home, you should have a lightning arrestor, like a Polyphaser, attached and that should be grounded to the ground rod. You'd want your radio chassis and all your station equipment grounded to the same ground point as well.
 

bterrier

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Depends on how long your cable run is and what your budget is.

Would rg8x be decent for 2 meter? If so, how long of a run could I make with it?

They are designed to be mounted to a mast. That mast could be a 50 foot tall push up mast, or it could be a 4 foot length of conduit bolted to the gable end. Depends on where you want to mount it, how much money you have, what your neighbors and/or wife will say, what your skill/comfort level is, etc….

Can I mount multiple antennas on 1 single 4ft mast? or will it cause some sort of issue? The wife would probably be happier with it mounted on a standalone mast and not on the house, but I’m not sure I can do that without a permit. So I am thinking I may mount to the gable end of the house. What kind of hardware do I need to mount a mast to the side of the house?

Also, I understand the higher you mount the antenna, the better the performance but can I mount the antenna on the ground? or would it not be worth doing?

support mast should be grounded. The clamp mounts will ground the antenna base to the mast. Ground wire should run as straight as possible down to a ground rod. Ground rod needs to be bonded to the house electrical ground rod per NEC rules. Where the coax enters your home, you should have a lightning arrestor, like a Polyphaser, attached and that should be grounded to the ground rod. You'd want your radio chassis and all your station equipment grounded to the same ground point as well.



The gable end of the house is where my ground rods for my electric service are located. Can I ground directly to these rods or do I need a separate ground rod for the antenna? and then tie in that rod to the existing ground rods?

Is there a less expensive lightning arrestor that still works? Ive seen some online for around $8, but I am skeptical that these would actually perform as required. I know polyphaser is good, just trying to cut corners for the initial install if at all possible, but don’t want to sacrifice safety so if necessary I will purchase the polyphase brand. Regardless I would upgrade to a polyphase in the future once everything is up and running


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