Base Antenna Question

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DaveA

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I need to monitor Police & Fire Depts in towns about 20 to 30 miles away ( between 460 MHZ to 484 MHZ ) and was wondering what base antenna would pick up these signals better between the ANTENNA SPECIALISTS MON731 and the DIAMOND D-130J SUPER DISCONE ANTENNA ? Does anyone own one of these antennas? If so I have a few other questions on that exact antenna.
 

JohnWayne

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I would go with a commercial antenna such as the Antenex FG4603 or FG4605 or something similar from any good manufacturer. The performance of a band-specific antenna will be much higher than that of a multi-band antenna. Don't forget decent coax, weatherproofing, and grounding.

I used to sell the Antenex (among other brands) antennas, so I could probably answer any specific questions you have about them.

Jeff
 

DaveA

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I will also need to monitor vhf frequencies so a UHF only antenna is not a choice for me. I would like to know which antenna between the two I spoke about would be better on the UHF frequencies. Also do either of the 2 antennas come with coax? I know the MON731 comes with about 10 feet of rg-58 at the base of the antenna and then you have to add on to that. I would like to use 9913 coax for my feed line and was wondering if that coax would fit either antenna.
 

timmer

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I have a Diamond D-130j and have used it for 10+ years. I am very satified with it. It shoud do the job for what you're wanting to recieve. You could also go a little cheaper with a Scantenna. It gets all kinds of good reviews on this site and other places, too. If you want to go even cheaper and smaller, the Grove Omni runs about $30.00 and doesn't take alot of space to mount. No radials, 66 inches long, very light weight. Also, a scanner beam antenna pointed in the direction of the signal you want will just about guarantee you of hearing what you want to hear. They run about $65.00.
 

gewecke

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try the diamond N-50. It's a amateur radio ant. for 2m. and 70cm.
pretty wide banded on vhf and uhf. I use mine for GMRS also w/ a 1;1 vswr!
It's only 5'6" long and easy to mount. About 99$ new.
73's!
 

MB

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JohnWayne said:
I used to sell the Antenex (among other brands) antennas, so I could probably answer any specific questions you have about them.

Jeff

Jeff,

Performance wise, what is the difference between these two VHF-Hi Antenex antennas?

FG1523 152-156 3dBd Omni Fiberglass Antenna
VG1506 150-174 6dBi Voyager Adjustable Omni Antenna


I am looking for a really good high gain VHF-Hi base antenna.

How would the above two compare to this:

Hustler Base G Series G7 150-2 7dBd

http://www.new-tronics.com/main/html/base_g_series_g7_150.html
 

JohnWayne

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The FG and VG series are two different antenna designs both electrically and mechanically. Here are the basic differences between the two models you mentioned:

  • The FG1523 is 3dBd gain, while the VG1506 is 3.85dBd (6dBi-2.15=3.85dBd).
  • The FG is factory-tuned with no user intervention required for a <2:1 SWR across the 152-156MHz range. The VG has must be tuned by the user, and the 6dBi models have a bandwidth of about 3% of the center frequency, so about 4.65MHz at 155MHz, or 152.675-157.325MHz. Don't concern yourself too much with the bandwidth if you are not transmitting; either antenna will work fine for the VHF scanner range.
  • The FG construction features a fiberglass radome with the radiating element epoxied inside. This makes it pretty rugged and ideal ideal for icy and windy conditions. The VG is 6061 aluminum tubing, so I wouldn't use it for any environment with strong winds or icing potential.
  • The FG has a recessed N connector, while the VG's connector is exposed.
  • The FG will be a stock item at any decent Antenex dealer, but most will probably not stock the VG. The lead time on them used to be about two weeks, but I dunno how fast or slow things are running over there now that Antenex is owned by Laird.
  • The FG lists for about $250, while the VG is about $210. Street prices should be less than that.

For most people in the $200 price range, I would recommend the FG1523 over the VG1506. It is more durable, easier to assemble and install, and it is factory-tuned so you won't need any special equipment to get it up and running.

If you want to save a few bucks and have just about as good performance, there is a model FG1505 which lists for about $165. It is similar to the VG1506 except the gain is 5dBi or 2.85dBd, and it is a stock item at most dealers.

Personally, I wouldn't buy the Hustler. They are not in the same league as the commercial antenna manufacturers. The thing just looks kinda cheap to me.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Jeff
 

kb2vxa

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Hi Dave and all,

I won't offer yet another opinion, only my experience. Being a ham first and scanner buff second I simply use my Diamond 2M/220/440 high gain vertical on the scanner. It receives very well on VHF Hi, (2M) MilAir, (220) and UHF/T Band (440) so take it for what it's worth. Note; the bands in parenths are the adjacent ham bands for comparison only.

There are a number of ham antennas available with comparitive specs at competitive prices so if you want to go that route it's simply a matter of personal preference. Then guess what? If you decide you want to talk instead of just listen you just need a license and a rig, you already have the antenna.
 
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