COMPACtenna SCANNER

[iMONITOR]

I am very happy with this antenna for the last 3 weeks I have been making regular trips to Memphis I got to test with my bmax1000 on one 325p2 and this antenna on my 2nd 325p2 both programmed alike and this antenna has better range.

How well is it constructed, if you can even tell? Someone had one get water in it. It may have been an earlier generation.

 

[jaspence]

I purchased a dual band model for my CS800D at the Hamvention. I have found it to work as well as the standard loaded coil mag mount, and I can now drive into my garage. The price is not cheap, but it is much better than other similar antenna that a member of our club has tried. On air contacts have been positive and no one knows the difference unless I tell them or they see it.

 

[buddrousa]

How well is it constructed, if you can even tell? Someone had one get water in it. It may have been an earlier generation.

If you use a mno gasket doesn't get wet. Looks solid built found no reason to take it apart.

 

[TailGator911]

I am currently in Canada taking the long way home and hitting some national parks. I have had the scanner and tri-band versions mounted on top of the Winnebago Via on my rails and they are very good low profile antennas, but I have found that my little Diamond D220R discone is much better for monitoring than the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tri-band is amazing for 2m and 440 ham bands, just as good if not better than my Cushcraft AR-270b at home on the roof. Both of them have endured very well this entire trip thru some heavy downpours and storms and adverse conditions. I joined in on a ham net in Alaska hitting a repeater almost 30 miles from me outside of Anchorage. Perfect antennas for the top of the RV. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of both. The scanner version is okay, but the D220 has proven to be top dawg on this trip. Would recommend both of them for sure.

JD
kf4anc

 

[iMONITOR]

I have found that my little Diamond D220R discone is much better for monitoring than the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tri-band is amazing for 2m and 440 ham bands, just as good if not better than my Cushcraft AR-270b at home on the roof. Both of them have endured very well this entire trip thru some heavy downpours and storms and adverse conditions. I joined in on a ham net in Alaska hitting a repeater almost 30 miles from me outside of Anchorage. Perfect antennas for the top of the RV. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of both. The scanner version is okay, but the D220 has proven to be top dawg on this trip. Would recommend both of them for sure.

JD
kf4anc

I have a Diamond D220R sitting on top of a steel file cabinet in my office and it performs very well. I think I was one of the first few people to use one for scanning. I started inquiring about the D220 with out the R suffix years ago. Several people here on RR seem to think it would not perform well because it was tuned for 2m & 70cm bands but I found it to make a great antenna for receiving aircraft bands both VHF and UHF.

 

[TailGator911]

I have a Diamond D220R sitting on top of a steel file cabinet in my office and it performs very well. I think I was one of the first few people to use one for scanning. I started inquiring about the D220 with out the R suffix years ago. Several people here on RR seem to think it would not perform well because it was tuned for 2m & 70cm bands but I found it to make a great antenna for receiving aircraft bands both VHF and UHF.

Yep, I have found it to be a very well rounded antenna for all bands in the receive dept. I have fashioned a mount for it on a camera tripod to use at campsites and it is very good on 2m/440 transmit just using my Yaesu FT2-DR. If I had to choose only one antenna to take with I believe it would be the Diamond D220R for sure.

JD
kf4anc

 

[JoshuaHufford]

I am currently in Canada taking the long way home and hitting some national parks. I have had the scanner and tri-band versions mounted on top of the Winnebago Via on my rails and they are very good low profile antennas, but I have found that my little Diamond D220R discone is much better for monitoring than the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tri-band is amazing for 2m and 440 ham bands, just as good if not better than my Cushcraft AR-270b at home on the roof. Both of them have endured very well this entire trip thru some heavy downpours and storms and adverse conditions. I joined in on a ham net in Alaska hitting a repeater almost 30 miles from me outside of Anchorage. Perfect antennas for the top of the RV. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of both. The scanner version is okay, but the D220 has proven to be top dawg on this trip. Would recommend both of them for sure.

JD
kf4anc

So do you have the discone mounted on your camper while traveling?

Would you be willing to compare the tri band to the scanner version to something around 160Mhz? I'd like to get one of these antennas, my main interest is the railband, would be curious to see which one performs better. The specs say the scanner version but specs don't always show what it does in the real world. NOAA radio would be a good test when you are in range of them.

 

[TailGator911]

So do you have the discone mounted on your camper while traveling?

Yes, I have it mounted directly in the middle between the luggage rails, at the middle of a load-lock bar. Truckers will recognize this tool as a ratchet-type aluminum bar that cranks at the middle to create a bar that blocks and keeps your load (in the trailer) from shifting. I improvised and used one to span between the 2 parallel luggage rails and locked it in tight, then mounted the D220R in the middle with an inverted mirror mount. Works like a champ! It is about approx. 10 inches higher than my rooftop air compressor and I have smacked it a couple of times but it has held fast.

Well, I have done the comparisons when deciding which antennas worked well for me in my mobile situation, and decided that the D220R won hands down against the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tribander and the scanner version are neck-and-neck for rx. But, I did not check in the 160mhz band at all. I will be back home in a few weeks and might just check that out.

JD
kf4anc

 

[JoshuaHufford]

Yes, I have it mounted directly in the middle between the luggage rails, at the middle of a load-lock bar. Truckers will recognize this tool as a ratchet-type aluminum bar that cranks at the middle to create a bar that blocks and keeps your load (in the trailer) from shifting. I improvised and used one to span between the 2 parallel luggage rails and locked it in tight, then mounted the D220R in the middle with an inverted mirror mount. Works like a champ! It is about approx. 10 inches higher than my rooftop air compressor and I have smacked it a couple of times but it has held fast.

Well, I have done the comparisons when deciding which antennas worked well for me in my mobile situation, and decided that the D220R won hands down against the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tribander and the scanner version are neck-and-neck for rx. But, I did not check in the 160mhz band at all. I will be back home in a few weeks and might just check that out.

JD
kf4anc

Thanks I would really appreciate the comparison!

 

[JoshuaHufford]

Also forgot to ask. What version of the scanner antenna do you have? I think there have been a few different versions?

This is the one I was thinking of getting. COMPACtenna

 

[prcguy]

I just tested my tri-band amateur version and its amateur band only looking at the VSWR. It also favors being at or near the edge of a roof or having less ground plane than other type antennas. Put in in the middle of a big flat roof and the VSWR on 2m will be at least 2.5:1 or worse. The 220 and 440 bands are not affected as much with larger ground planes.

Yes, I have it mounted directly in the middle between the luggage rails, at the middle of a load-lock bar. Truckers will recognize this tool as a ratchet-type aluminum bar that cranks at the middle to create a bar that blocks and keeps your load (in the trailer) from shifting. I improvised and used one to span between the 2 parallel luggage rails and locked it in tight, then mounted the D220R in the middle with an inverted mirror mount. Works like a champ! It is about approx. 10 inches higher than my rooftop air compressor and I have smacked it a couple of times but it has held fast.

Well, I have done the comparisons when deciding which antennas worked well for me in my mobile situation, and decided that the D220R won hands down against the COMPACtenna scanner version. The tribander and the scanner version are neck-and-neck for rx. But, I did not check in the 160mhz band at all. I will be back home in a few weeks and might just check that out.

JD
kf4anc

 

[TailGator911]

Also forgot to ask. What version of the scanner antenna do you have? I think there have been a few different versions?

This is the one I was thinking of getting. COMPACtenna

I have one tribander 220/440/2m, and the Scan III version scanner antenna.