Help Identifing type of antenna

[Flatshovel]

Hello all. I have a question, what kind of antenna is this in the picture? I think it is a repeater antenna but Im not sure of what band or frequency? This thing was given to me. There is nothing wrote on the antenna so I don't know. Here are the specs of it below that I took with my tape measure.
The antenna measures 184.5 inches from top of the loop to the bottom of the loop. The loops are 12.5 inches apart from each other vertically. The loops themselves are 11.25 inches from top to bottom and are 2 inches wide. Would anyone know what band this thing might be on and if It can be used on 144mhz?
I know one thing this thing is heavy!!. I wish I had a antenna analyzer to see. Anyone have any ideas on this thing. Im guessing it is a repeater antenna but im not sure?

What do you guys think?
Thanks,
Joey
KI4HNN

 

[scrotumola]

That looks like a decibel products DB420 a very nice UHF antenna

Here are some of the other more popular Db products exposed dipoles in vhf and uhf

http://kollmanradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=4582

The one you would need for 2 meter work is the DB224-E or 222

 

[KC0QNB]

Well it is a collinear dipole array, given those dimensions I am guessing UHF in the 450 range.

 

[KC0QNB]

Darn got outclicked

 

[prcguy]

Yup, looks like a DB-420, probably the granddaddy of all UHF antennas. It's setup now for a figure 8 pattern and if you rotate the top set of elements 90deg from the bottom set of elements it will be an omni with 9.8dBD gain.
prcguy

 

[fineshot1]

I wish someone would give me one of those.

If the harness is still intact and undamaged this is one fine performing antenna on uhf.

Other than a yagi it does not get much better than this.

 

[Flatshovel]

Thanks to all that replied, yep the harness is still intact. Im glad to find out that the antenna is UHF because I don't have a UHF antenna setup at the house only vhf at the moment for my amateur radio setup. I had thought about donating this thing to my local amateur radio society so they may use it on one of their UHF repeater setups. Thanks for helping me identifiy it, if I was going to use it on 440mhz how do you tune the thing?

Thanks,
Joey

 

[jon_k]

How did someone just GIVE you a $500+ antenna?

Wow. I need to meet your friends.

 

[nd5y]

Tif I was going to use it on 440mhz how do you tune the thing?
Joey

As far as I know you can't tune them. To do that you would have to change the dipole length and spacing and the harness dimensions.

 

[prcguy]

I had two at one time, one cost me $75 and the other was free. When I cleaned my tower up a few years ago I gave them both away.
prcguy

How did someone just GIVE you a $500+ antenna?

Wow. I need to meet your friends.

 

[zz0468]

How did someone just GIVE you a $500+ antenna?

Wow. I need to meet your friends.

There's a million of 'em hanging unused on towers all over the place. Make friends with the tower riggers and they'll steer more antennas your way than you'll know what to do with.

 

[blueangel-eric]

There's a million of 'em hanging unused on towers all over the place. Make friends with the tower riggers and they'll steer more antennas your way than you'll know what to do with.

that's for sure. i know someone who made friends with the local 2 way shop that does radios for the city departments like police and fire etc. he ended up with gobs of antennas. many he's chopping up for parts for homemade projects

Eric Burris

 

[BaLa]

We had something similar where I used to work.
Had my scanner hooked up to it a few times, it worked great.

 

[N1BHH]

Those antennas don't require tuning as such. They are designed to cover a range of frequencies, such as 450-470 or 430-450, anything like that. They are broadband in that they can be used to combine multiple repeaters, receivers or transmitters at a given site, as a money saver. You don't need to have one antenna for each radio device, multi-couplers help distribute energy to/from a number of devices. That antenna will have a very effective UHF band coverage, your ears will be happy. Take every other set of dipoles, which is what they are, and offset them 90 degrees relative to the one above and you will have super omni directional coverage. As it is, that antenna will exhibit a bidirectional pattern.

 

[Flatshovel]

Thanks for getting back to me so quick. The guy I got the antenna from told me it was give to him but he is not sure where it come from. I have no Idea what I am going to do with it at the moment but Im glad I know now what band the antenna is set for.

Thanks again,
Joey