ICOM IC-R6 Antenna

[NineSierraGolf]

I recently purchased this little communications receiver and I have been pleasantly surprised at its UHF performance. I like to monitor VHF airband voice traffic in my area, but my home is about 120km from our state international airport. Most of the airband reception is weak with the supplied Icom antenna and could be improved with a decent replacement antenna. I am precluded from erecting an outside antenna and it defeats the object of owning a pocket size receiver. I find that by sitting in a certain part of my lounge, I can receive reasonable well, but not ideal.

The R6 has an SMA connection. I owned the R5 which I sold in 2009 and it too had the SMA, so I bought the SMA/BNC adapter. Tests I carried out at the time indicated the adapter with a telescopic antenna attached didn't improve the reception as well as I expected. The telescopic was a bit cumbersome as well and I was unable to stand the R6 upright because it would topple over.

I have searched on line and found one Airband antenna, a whip, with SMA connection and that is a Diamond SRH 120 which I am having difficulty in getting here in Australia.

Perhaps a member can advise me of where I can buy on line, or, some other brand which is equal to or superior to the SRH120.


Thanks
Steve

 

[questnz]

Check Watson W-901 Waters & Stanton PLC Watson Handheld Antennas
http://www.scannermaster.com/W_901_Airband_Portable_Antenna_p/28-541174.htm

or Maldol AL-500H Maldol AL-500H Air band Scanner Antenna

You may have to ship to Oz from overseas

Chris

 

[Turbo68]

Hi Steve Andrews Communications in sydney advertise on there website the Diamond RH-1230 120mhz-300mhz air band receive antenna it will improve reception but the distance u are from the airport an outdoor antenna would be better i live around 90 km from melbourne airport and use an Icom-AH7000 discone belden-9913 coax cable 12 metres high airband performance is excellent can hear aircraft getting clearance from groud controllers the longest distance i hears was flight watch controllers assisting aircraft in darwin have also custom airband antennas at home from australian companies Polar-214A dipole/Rfi-GP3 Ground plane they also make hand held airband antennas which also use but cannot remember model number.

Regards Lino.
ALINCO DJ-X11,ALINCO DJ-X2000,ALINCO DX-R8
AOR-8200MK3
GRE-PSR400,GRE-PSR500
GRUNDIG SATELLIT-750
ICOM-PCR1000,ICOM-PCR1500,ICOM-PCR2500,ICOM-R3,ICOM-R20,ICOM-R75,ICOM-RX7
KENWOOD-R600,KENWOOD TS-480SAT
PALSTAR-R30A
REALISTIC-PRO2035
TEN TEC-320D
UNIDEN-245,UNIDEN-396,UNIDEN-780
YAESU-VR500,YAESU-VR5000

 

[nanZor]

I would second the recommendation for the Maldol AL-500H - which they make with an sma connector as well as bnc for your situation. I think it would be more or less equivalent to the SRH-120. (Which I didn't know existed!)

The Maldol is super-whippy though, using a very thin flexible conductor, whereas the Diamond looks similar to the venerable R77CA (2m/4440) antenna with a thicker conductor.

This whippiness can be annoying at first, although for protecting the R6's sma connector from undue stress while you knock it about the house, it can be a protection. The thin conductor tends to flex right at the end of the shaft, (and which tends to be a bending point for those super-rough with it).

Yes, it will tip over - however, if you adopt the practice of holding the loading coil with one hand, and the R6 with another and set things down in unison, it isn't too terribly bad and somewhat stable.

I'd love to try the Diamond myself, but have a hard time finding one in the states. The Maldol with sma-connector should be easier to get hold of and work just as well - provided the whippiness doesn't drive you crazy.

 

[W2NJS]

In a way you're beaten before you start on this problem. Fact is that airband comms are usually done at low power, 5 to 10 watts on the ground in the airport, so at 120 km distance you won't hear much, if anything. An aircraft flying at several thousand also uses/requires minimal RF power to make itself heard, owing to its altitude.

 

[NineSierraGolf]

In a way you're beaten before you start on this problem. Fact is that airband comms are usually done at low power, 5 to 10 watts on the ground in the airport, so at 120 km distance you won't hear much, if anything. An aircraft flying at several thousand also uses/requires minimal RF power to make itself heard, owing to its altitude.

That may well be true, but I can receive aircraft on approach and departure from Brisbane quite well. I also hear Brisbane Control clearly on some frequencies. I believe the reason is that there is a VHF repeater net in my State and I am only 1.5km from my hometown airport which is small but has a Tower and runway and is used for RFDS and light aircraft up to executive jet size.

Thanks for all your links everyone, I shall try to find a supplier for an airband SMA.