Best mobile antenna?

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ph03nix42

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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.
 

MetalCarnage

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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.

I was looking for the same and i came across a mount which required no drilling, just clamped onto the trunk lid, if anyone could help out, i dont remember where the site was
 

phoenix

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RISC777

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I got my PCTEL Maxrad that covers everything (118-940MHz), 1/4 wave (vehicle's the groundplane), 24" field tunable, trunk lip mount with 17' cable, BNC connector with shipping for right at half that.:)
 

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lowboy654

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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
 

MetalCarnage

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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

Ugh the dreaded paint shredder magnet antenna
 

blackbelter

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The Best antenna for the money. I can even use it to transmit on 2M/440.
Valor ProAm PMM3B
THE Best!
 

Al42

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MetalCarnage said:
Ugh the dreaded paint shredder magnet antenna
So's the water you wash the car with if you mix fine pumice into it.

Mag mounts MUST be cleaned every time they're put on the car. Why does everyone think that the magnets on a mag mount only attract car bodies? They attract microscopic ferrous particles that are all over in the air. Even just sitting in the trunk of the car. Some of those particles are carbides - almost as hard as diamond, so they'll cut right through paint, undercoat - and even the steel of the car body. Don't remove them at your own peril.
 

RISC777

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Off topic - mag mount cleaning

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.
 

icebone

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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
 

Al42

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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.
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.
 

MetalCarnage

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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.

And dont forget to wash the car too, since there is lots of dirt on the paint to unless u just got a car wash
 

RISC777

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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. ;) )
 

mrhowes

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I agree with Lowboy. I use the antenna on my car. Paid $13 plus shipping. It is a great little antenna. Pickes up 800MHz (Apco-25) well. Also great mutli band performer.

As to the mini (Hershey kiss) style magnets not holding, I have had this one on top of my car, and driven up to 75 MPH and it has never moved. The antenna mast itself (due to its "thinness") has little wind resistance.

I like this one. Sure there may be better ones, but bang for buck (cheap but good performer) this one works nicely.
 

Al42

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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.
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.

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 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.

A little flat aluminum sheet cut to size maybe
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.
 

edgeman

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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

I'm using one of this these, but I had to return it as the cord developed a short. This is a good company to deal with. They had a new antenna to me within a week. Has anyone else had this problem?

As for performance here in Las Vegas, I use the antenna indoors have noticed better aircraft and Highway Patrol reception. I can hear both sides of aircraft traffce more than with just the rubber ducky.
 

bluesman905

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Durham Region, Ontario Canada
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.
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

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Al42 said:
Aluminum is non-magnetic.
. . . DOH ! *mental smack of the forehead *

Al42 said:
The typical "tin" can is actually TOO magnetic - it retains a little magnetism after you remove the magnet.
Good point and thing to remember. So something thin but what a magnet will hold to.

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.
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%).
 

Avix-Magister

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I used a 2 liter soda bottle, cut the top and bottom off, cut it lenght wise. dropped my wilson CB magmount on it. cut around with exacto knife, epoxy on to base, sticks to the roof of my Subaru Forester fine.

duct tape will work to protect as well. just leave enough to peal it off.

and thanks for the recomendation of the Valor ProAm PMM3B, now I have to come up with with 2 more reasons to put antennas on the car (CB, GPS, Scanner already), tinted windows. (makes the local conspiracy nuts believe I'm the guy who controls the black helicopters...)
 
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