Okay Guys here's the Deal. Im a GMRS operator i have a Kenwood TK-805D in my 1st floor apartment and a Kenwood TK-840 radio in my car form Storm Spotting for our local Emergency Mgt. We use GMRS for Spotting to communicate directly to the Emergency Comm. Center. I recently purchased a Antentex Phantom Antenna and a Antentex Mobile to Base antenna Converter Kit. My plan is to use the Phantom antenna and antenna converter kit on my Kenwood TK-805D in my apartment because i cant have any outside antennas. Is this the Correct approach to take for my base shack setup? if so, Where should i set it up in my apartment? i have an attic in my apartment because its only a 1 story complex. i need suggestions on what to do and what to use. the local Radio Shop suggested the Phantom antenna and Mobile to base converter kit. So i went ahead and ordered it from The Antenna Farm :: , Your Two Way Radio Source! which is the same place i purchased the Tram 1177 UHF High Gain antenna and Magnetic base for my mobile application in my truck. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks,
Antentex Phantom antenna
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methusaleh
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1) Forget the magmount, you need a good permanent installation on the vehicle.
2) Besides fattening their wallets, I don't know why the shop would recommend the Phantom with what I presume is an NMO ground plane kit. I would think the angle of radiation would be superior with a simple, cheap, home-tuned whip antenna. Then again I am not overly familiar with the Phantoms. I do know that UV light breaks down the plastic very quickly after a few years.
2) Besides fattening their wallets, I don't know why the shop would recommend the Phantom with what I presume is an NMO ground plane kit. I would think the angle of radiation would be superior with a simple, cheap, home-tuned whip antenna. Then again I am not overly familiar with the Phantoms. I do know that UV light breaks down the plastic very quickly after a few years.
Well the radio shop told me the phantom antenna was a indoor antenna. They also told me that I needed a ground plain kit. So that's why I purchased the mobile to base antenna converter kit. Any suggestions on where to set this in my apartment? Or if this is even the right antenna set-up for my appalication? I don't want to damage my radio because of a bad antenna set-up. Thanks, KZZA 3175
Howdy
Several prior post have recommended to use the top of your refrigerator if it is safe and provides several feet separation from the Antenna to humans to reduce RF Exposure to people around...another recommend getting a metal file cabinet and I used a up-right moving dolly that worked fine and we Mobile too.
Depends on room options and building in safety seperation too.....
Hope this helps....
Several prior post have recommended to use the top of your refrigerator if it is safe and provides several feet separation from the Antenna to humans to reduce RF Exposure to people around...another recommend getting a metal file cabinet and I used a up-right moving dolly that worked fine and we Mobile too.
Depends on room options and building in safety seperation too.....
Hope this helps....
There's really no such thing as an "indoor antenna" -- antennas weren't really made to be indoors. There are only base and mobile antennas that the user adapts for indoor use. Some HF antennas are marketed as "indoor antennas" but they are just antennas that are high-gain or have radiation patterns that are somewhat better for indoor reception compared to traditional antennas for the HF bands.
So when these people offer you suggestions for your situation, they have read your question, and are trying to answer it. Settle down and take their suggestions into consideration. These are legitimate suggestions that apply to your situation.
With that said, there are many, many threads on this forum about your same exact situation.
The Phantom series of antennas are quite possibly one of the worst antennas that you could find for indoor use. Most, if not all of the antennas, are "unity gain" which means there's really not much gain at all. What you need is quite simply a high-gain mobile antenna for the GMRS band (higher the gain, the better the performance). Get it as an NMO mount, get an NMO mag mount, and put it on some sort of ground plane as others have suggested it. I also live in a first floor apartment and have this set up. I have mine sitting on a window sill.
knightrider
Member
I just looked at the website and saw several "Phantom" antennas listed. Did not look at each one, so I don't know all the specifics of them. The one I did look at claimed 3db gain... Maybe, maybe not... You do not say how far you are from the repeater, which would help a LOT. Also if you have access to the attic, that would be the best place to mount. I saw that the antenna I looked at ( ETRAB4503) is suggested to have a 12.3 - 13.5" ground plane. As a mag mount, it can be set on the fridge as suggested, can be set on a cookie sheet, attached to a rafter in the attic, or on a tall file cabinet. Most suggestions so far will work to an extent for you, but knowing how far you are from the repeater, the height of the repeater antenna, and the local terrain will help to determine which is best for your situation. I realize the best would be an outside antenna (I have MANY on 3 towers, from 40' to 110'), but this is NOT the norm, or even feasible for a lot of folks, as is your situation. If you already have the antenna, go ahead and use it, or at least try. You probably would have been as well off to use a simple 1/4 wave ground plane, but since you've already purchased this gear, use it. If in the attic, you will need more coax I am sure. Here, we can get into another debate over using the simple coax coming with the antenna, and needing an adapter to add more. This will cause many to jump in, and start fussing about losses and so on. Oh well, work with what you have, and can get, it WILL work!! Maybe not with an S-9 signal into Tehran, but should still be pretty noise free to the repeater. Later on, read, ask more questions, and make it better. I would also suggest you get ready to be prompted to get an ultimate SWR of 1:1... More than likely, that's NOT going to happen either! The lower the better, but as a Storm Spotter, you have more to be worried about than the perfect SWR. Your radio should be smart enough to take care of itself in the case of high SWR, by reducing it's power, or shutting the xmit off altogether. I am a Ham Radio Operator, setup many portable stations for the hurricane evacuations, as well as a Storm Spotter in Central Texas. We get the evacuee's, and the tornadoes from the 'canes. Every now and then, we get our own storms to that actually start here 
At any rate, we don't always have ideal situations, stations, etc. If you have to strive for the very best, try contesting, that seems to keep a group happy, and they can spend the Tens of Thousands of dollars on the perfect setup. Somewhere in here, I keep getting the idea of the very lowest part of the intestinal tract, and some get that way about radios and antennas. Me?? If it works, work with it.. If not, experiment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Knightrider...
At any rate, we don't always have ideal situations, stations, etc. If you have to strive for the very best, try contesting, that seems to keep a group happy, and they can spend the Tens of Thousands of dollars on the perfect setup. Somewhere in here, I keep getting the idea of the very lowest part of the intestinal tract, and some get that way about radios and antennas. Me?? If it works, work with it.. If not, experiment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Knightrider...
hockeyshrink
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Are you using a repeater?...Do you need an omnidirectional radiation pattern from your apartment?
If you are using a repeater, consider a yagi pointed towards the repeater. If you're lucky, you have a window facing the repeater, so you can point the yagi out of the window. The UHF yagi is pretty small, and you can mount it to a tripod.
Concur with above re SWR. Be aware and do your best.
Every installation is an adventure, especially the stealth ones!!
Edit: Oh yeah, I would dial the TX power back to what is minimally needed to hit the repeater. Don't drive 30 watts into the window (and apartment) if you can hit that sucker with 5.
If you are using a repeater, consider a yagi pointed towards the repeater. If you're lucky, you have a window facing the repeater, so you can point the yagi out of the window. The UHF yagi is pretty small, and you can mount it to a tripod.
Concur with above re SWR. Be aware and do your best.
Every installation is an adventure, especially the stealth ones!!
Edit: Oh yeah, I would dial the TX power back to what is minimally needed to hit the repeater. Don't drive 30 watts into the window (and apartment) if you can hit that sucker with 5.
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