Antenna Recommendation

[TigerScan2000]

Basics: I have 50 feet of LMR400 and a 40 foot Mast. I am looking for a very good Omni Directional 800mhz Antenna.

Have tried a discone and was not to pleased. Any suggestgions / recommendation.

Thanks,
TS

 

[mmckenna]

A purposed built 800MHz base antenna with some gain will beat the pants off a discone.

Dig around on e-bay for a known good brand of commercial antenna. Skip the hammy/hobby/consumer grade stuff.

 

[TigerScan2000]

Thanks for reply

Any specific recommendations or links. I don't mind spending a couple hundred, if something good is in that range. I'm wanting to do it right the first time, so to speak.

Thanks,
TS

 

[mmckenna]

If all the agencies/systems you want to listen to are in the same direction from your home, then a Yagi type base antenna would be a good choice:
Motorola as Antenex UHF 800MHz Base Antenna with 7 Elements 48" Long 13" Wide | eBay

If you want an omni-directional antenna to pick up radio systems from different directions, I'm not seeing anything good on e-Bay at the moment, but here are some ideas for a new antenna:
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=391993
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=363896
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=19714
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=72447
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=354252
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=51117

Or, you can try these guys:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-fg8066-8224.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-fg821-18503-3308.html

 

[AZDon]

700 or 800 MHz

Yes, go to Ebay and pick one out, some systems are transiting from 800 MHz to 700 MHz to obtain more spectrum, I opted for a 700 MHz yagi. If you end up finding a good deal on a 800 MHz antenna, go for it, though its 100 Mhz off you will be just fine.

 

[bharvey2]

Yes, go to Ebay and pick one out, some systems are transiting from 800 MHz to 700 MHz to obtain more spectrum, I opted for a 700 MHz yagi. If you end up finding a good deal on a 800 MHz antenna, go for it, though its 100 Mhz off you will be just fine.

+1 on this. I have two different 800mhz yagis (one at home, one at work) that pick up the EBRCS 700mhz system in the SF East Bay just fine.