Whistler Scanner Antennas

[Machria]

I just checked Whistler's website and both of their antennas being discussed are zero stock and not even one review good or bad.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the same basic antenna design in available on Amazon and/or ebay if you want one in a hurry. Or just email whistler and ask when back in stock , if ever ....

I thought there was supposed to be this awesome antenna about to hit the market any time.

Something about "Based off an old favorite" Haven't heard anything else of it?

huh? The antenna listed, is the new "Whistler antenna", that was/is based on previous designs...

 

[iMONITOR]

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the same basic antenna design in available on Amazon and/or ebay if you want one in a hurry. Or just email whistler and ask when back in stock , if ever ....

huh? The antenna listed, is the new "Whistler antenna", that was/is based on previous designs...

I was one of the first to point that out (see Post #15). No, I don't want one. I think Whistler were buying up some old inventory and selling them off until they were gone.

 

[AerialEars]

I measured my desktop/mobile four element Whistler antenna, WMM-460, on my nanoVNA and here is the data for the lowest SWR measurements I found:

127.1575 MHz - 1.32
314.0000 MHz - 1.04
438.0000 MHz - 1.03
452.8000 MHz - 1.10
859.8000 MHz - 1.12
909.2000 MHz - 1.03

Looks like it's a good transmitting antenna on 70 cm and 33 cm ham bands. Interestingly, SWR was about 3:1 on the 2 meter band. Also looks like a great airband antenna.

 

[CycleSycho]

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Good reference materials. (What is the relationship between SWR and receive performance?)

The question and 4(?) answers, good reading.


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[MichaelBhere]

I just checked and it seems the WMM-460 is back in stock

 

[scannerjunkie]

That's affirmative. the WMM-460 is in stock and I just ordered one and got the email with order number. should have it In a few days.

 

[BC2001]

That's affirmative. the WMM-460 is in stock and I just ordered one and got the email with order number. should have it I a few days.

Hope you like it! I really like mine.

 

[scannerjunkie]

Thanks BC2001. looking forward to its arrival.

 

[AerialEars]

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Good reference materials. (What is the relationship between SWR and receive performance?)

The question and 4(?) answers, good reading.

 

[Machria]

I measured my desktop/mobile four element Whistler antenna, WMM-460, on my nanoVNA and here is the data for the lowest SWR measurements I found:

127.1575 MHz - 1.32
314.0000 MHz - 1.04
438.0000 MHz - 1.03
452.8000 MHz - 1.10
859.8000 MHz - 1.12
909.2000 MHz - 1.03

Looks like it's a good transmitting antenna on 70 cm and 33 cm ham bands. Interestingly, SWR was about 3:1 on the 2 meter band. Also looks like a great airband antenna.

Nice! I have 2 of the NanoVNA's on my desk, but haven't had enough time to get it on this antenna to check it out. Will do soon, I'm almost to that on my list of things to do. How do you like the Nanovna? Pretty amazing little thing for $50!

Good reference materials. (What is the relationship between SWR and receive performance?)

The question and 4(?) answers, good reading.

I just looked over those answers really quick. I am by no means an expert of any kind on this subject, BUT, most of those answers are in direct conflict with what an actual expert (antenna design engineer) has told me. His quote to me is, for our purposes (scanners and basic HAM radio setups), SWR readings DO correlate closely to receive performance.

I just checked and it seems the WMM-460 is back in stock

Awesome, I need another one for my office downstairs in the house. Getting tired of moving it up and down the stairs!

 

[Ubbe]

His quote to me is, for our purposes (scanners and basic HAM radio setups), SWR readings DO correlate closely to receive performance.

Theoreticly it should be a close relationship.

My Diamond X510 dualband antenna didn't perform as good as I wanted it to for scanner use. I bypassed the 1pF capacitors in it that connects the different elements together and bypassed the SWR coils and capacitors in the bottom. The SWR where terrible but both the amateur bands and all other bands like VHF air got considerable better with much higher signal strenghts and it has turned into an excellent all band antenna.

/Ubbe

 

[Machria]

Ube,
I just looked at that antenna online (x510) as I wasn’t familiar with it. It doesn’t look like it has multiple elements on it, other than the 3 ground plane vanes at the bottom. Is that what your referring to? And does that thing have capacitors connecting those to the main element?? And if so, is that how they normally do that? I had no idea... as mentioned, I know very little about “how” antenna’s work and are built, I am only familiar with what works from experience over the years. But I hope to learn a little bit (a VERY little bit!) playing around with the NanoVNA. I have enough knowledge about the subject to know it is super complicated, and about 10 levels over my pay grade. I’ve listened to engineers discuss these topics for hours with me understanding about 30 seconds of the hours of the material discussed. Antenna resonance (or whatever you want to call the subject) is just CRAZY complicated With a lot of moving parts that all affect each other. I

 

[Ubbe]

It's a coliniar vertical antenna and the elements are stacked on top of each other to get an omni coverage.

It's 3 stacked 5/8 wave elements for the 145MHz band 8 stacked 5/8 for 400MHz and some of those elements where connected to each other by two 2pF capacitor in series to get 1pF. They attenuates a lot at VHF but are probably needed to get a good SWR but at a cost of lower signal levels. Also the bottom coil and the capacitor net are also needed to get a low SWR but also reduce the total signal level. The modified antenna works great on all bands I monitor, even at 69MHz.

When you stack 2 elements you ususally double the signal, 3dB and when stacking 4 elements you get 6dB gain. Finally 8 elements will double the gain again to a total of 9dB.

/Ubbe

 

[spacellamaman]

sometime last year i ordered a mag mount antenna from scannermaster (can't even remember which one now) and received, much to my surprise, an antenna that looks exactly like the WMM-460, which from what i could tell was not even something in their product line. well it certainly was more interesting than the one i ordered and had it been available i would have bought it instead anyway, so i kept it.

2 ridiculous things about it :

A: its sex appeal mounted on top of a honda civic (ridiculously low that is)

B: it works quite well for my purposes Mil Air 225-400, 118-150, Mil Trunked 380 AND 30-87mhz.

it is the best antenna i have for Mil-trunked 380 and low-band Rx only gets edged out by a 48in whip or a CB antenna of standard coiled 3+ foot long style.

hope that helps anyone on the fence, but expect some sideways glances.

 

[Machria]

Thanks for info Ubbe...

I just received my 2nd Whistler WMM-460 via UPS. Sitting in my C19 detox area..... . I’ll open it up tomorrow and set it up in my “shack”. The 1st one is kept upstairs hidden in my living room. I love these things, they really do work nicely.

 

[BC2001]

I just got my second WMM-460 as well. I plan on using mobile sometimes.

 

[scannerjunkie]

Received mine a week or so ago. boy this thing really pulls in some of the distant analog signals I was not hearing before and cleaned up some of the analog signals I once had static with. and its in my basement. I could only imagine how well its works above ground and or mobile. I have a drop ceiling in my basement and hung it upside down on the metal strip between the ceiling tiles using the magnet. works better that way than having it on my desk. as for digital signals I really don't have a issue receiving so this will stay on my BCT15X.

 

[spacellamaman]

I just got my second WMM-460 as well. I plan on using mobile sometimes.

lemme know if you hear anything ..funny... at certain speeds. it took me forever to find the right position for it. between 50-65mph i would start hearing this high pitch whistle, brain rattling loud at 60mph and quieter, somewhat on either side of it. driving past houses would bring out dogs ferociously nashing their teeth at me, ones where previously they sat on the porch snoozing. untill i got it just right, my options were drive under 45 or 70+, and both were bad options.

 

[Machria]

Just started playing around with the NanoVNA-H analyzer... No real clue what I am doing of course, but sure is interesting looking at all the different antenna's I have...

Here is a full band scan for the basic coverage of the TRX1, on the Whistler WMM-460 antenna with 1001 point sweep. Not very detailed across that big of a span, but looks interesting...

 

[KevinC]

Just started playing around with the NanoVNA-H analyzer... No real clue what I am doing of course, but sure is interesting looking at all the different antenna's I have...

Here is a full band scan for the basic coverage of the TRX1, on the Whistler WMM-460 antenna with 1001 point sweep. Not very detailed across that big of a span, but looks interesting...

View attachment 84739

Not doubting your sweeping skills or the antenna performance, but that looks a little suspect to me.