• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Commscope DB222-A Dipole

Status
Not open for further replies.

Floridarailfanning

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
419
Location
East Tennessee
Does anyone have any insight or experience with the DB222-A? I'm considering going with the 150-158MHz version for a project I'm working on since it has decent gain in the offset config. and 36° verticle beamwidth but I'm curious what feedback others have.

It would probably end up getting mounted around 230ish ft on a 36-inch side arm.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,344
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
There have been lots of complaints about the phasing harness on newer versions going bad prematurely. The old versions can be fine at 30yrs but newer ones can have problems right away. Maybe look at a Sinclair version?

Does anyone have any insight or experience with the DB222-A? I'm considering going with the 150-158MHz version for a project I'm working on since it has decent gain in the offset config. and 36° verticle beamwidth but I'm curious what feedback others have.

It would probably end up getting mounted around 230ish ft on a 36-inch side arm.
 

jeepsandradios

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
Messages
2,059
Location
East of the Mississippi
Just replaced our 30 year old SAR antenna at one of our sites. The actual antenna loop had broken off on both sides. As said 30 years in CNY winters I couldn't complain. We did replace it with the new model. Time will tell, but I installed one at home 3 years ago and no issues as of yet.
 

rescue161

KE4FHH
Database Admin
Joined
Jun 5, 2002
Messages
3,636
Location
Hubert, NC
I replaced an old Phelps Dodge dipole with a Sinclair SD214-SF2P2SNM 4-Element Dipole (1/2 wave). The old PD or Decibel antennas for that matter had an external phasing harness and they are fairly narrow banded. The Sinclair has an internal harness and covers 136-174 MHz. The Sinclair has been in service near the ocean since 2017 with zero issues. The old antenna with the external harness had tons of corrosion at every connection. Just food for thought.
 

KM4OKT

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Nov 29, 2015
Messages
29
Location
Virginia, EM86
I replaced an old Phelps Dodge dipole with a Sinclair SD214-SF2P2SNM 4-Element Dipole (1/2 wave). The old PD or Decibel antennas for that matter had an external phasing harness and they are fairly narrow banded. The Sinclair has an internal harness and covers 136-174 MHz. The Sinclair has been in service near the ocean since 2017 with zero issues. The old antenna with the external harness had tons of corrosion at every connection. Just food for thought.

Seems like I remember the Coast Guard using the Sinclair VHF dipoles on the Rescue 21 sites with UHF fiberglass omnis.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,344
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Several years ago and after the 2nd fiberglass Station Master got blown apart by lightning on a mountaintop repeater site, I was on a crew to replace that with a Sinclair VHF 4-bay dipole array out of USCG stock.

Seems like I remember the Coast Guard using the Sinclair VHF dipoles on the Rescue 21 sites with UHF fiberglass omnis.
 

n4dbm

Newbie
Joined
Jun 9, 2018
Messages
37
There was a period of about 10 years that, as mentioned above, the quality of the phasing harness diminished greatly. I believe this has been addressed, and CommScope has the issue under control. I would have no reservations installing a DB222 in a permanent location that I knew I wouldn't be touching again.

If you really want to get picky, you can loosen the band clamps holding the elements to the mast and coat mating surfaces with no-oxide compound. Even though aluminum and stainless steel isn't supposed to react, it does sometimes in certain environments, and a light coating of no-oxide will reduce or eliminate corrosion.

The second thing - even though I highly respect CommScope's provision to preserve the fiberglass tape to the mast by covering it with foil tape - over the years - 10 or more - the foil tape will begin to deteriorate, sometimes crumbling in the hot sun and then flapping in the wind. Loose foil flapping in the wind causes all sorts of issues, including major duplex noise on your own repeater (if this is for a repeater) or noise for someone (or everyone) else near the antenna on the tower. I usually wrap OVER the foil tape with Scotch 33. This way, when the tape rots off after 20 years, you'll have nice new foil tape underneath ready for another decade of service.

Just a few thoughts. Sinclair and Comprod antennas with enclosed harnesses are even better, but at twice the cost, that's also a consideration.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top