I had a Super Mag around that era. Outstanding antenna. Out did my Astro plane! If I'm not going to receive anything signals under 50Mhz, I shouldn't screw on the vertical element on the Diamond 130? Will it make a difference either way??
J Pole antennas
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paulears
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If the band you want emphasis on is the one the vertical enhances, use it, but if it doesn't, dont.
WX9RLT
Ham, Scanners, GMRS
Remember "Height is Might"
You can have a j-pole outside and up in the air, and it will most likely outperform a discone in an attic.
You can have a j-pole outside and up in the air, and it will most likely outperform a discone in an attic.
Perhaps on the frequencies it is tuned for. For wide coverage the discone wins.
That isn't surprising considering for the bandwidth of a J-Pole that is pretty far out of band.
I've used both a J-Pole and a Slim-Jim for railband monitoring, and my experience is they do very well and have a low noise floor. If you don't need a wide bandwidth range personally I think they offer a good bang for the buck. I have no experience transmitting with one.
Why is it "obvious" the MP antenna is a bad choice for the OP? The bandwidth is 25MHz - 6GHz and will likely work well.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Because it's a bastardized discone/biconic antenna. They can claim it'll work 25MHz to 6GHz, but I can say the exact same thing about sticking a paperclip in the antenna jack. It -will- work over those frequencies, but not very well, and the transmitters would need to be very close.
Gimmick antennas absolutely have their following, and I'm sure it's the "best" antenna for someone out there. But these antennas are not black magic. There's physics involved and not all these gimmick antennas live up to their claims.
Thank you for your question. It is obvious as the OP noted what frequency range was of interest and what was not. Pulling in signals one does not want invites RFI. Additionally, by removing the vertical on top of the discone, it works better to the desired range requested of 150-470 MHz. Perhaps experience and attention made it obvious to some.
As to that MP antenna, mmckenna has noted about it. Still, others with significant experience have tried it and compared it to a discone. They have repeatedly conveyed their thoughts in the past on this forum. While I do not memorize everything, I do my best to pay attention to posts by a few members. I even double check their posts at times and learn more. The constant analyzing makes this hobby interesting to me.
As to that MP antenna, mmckenna has noted about it. Still, others with significant experience have tried it and compared it to a discone. They have repeatedly conveyed their thoughts in the past on this forum. While I do not memorize everything, I do my best to pay attention to posts by a few members. I even double check their posts at times and learn more. The constant analyzing makes this hobby interesting to me.
And of course you own an MP antenna so you know how well they work in the real world? My guess is you have no clue about how well these antennas perform and label everything foreign to you as a gimmick. Maybe you should stick to using your paperclip because you are comfortable with it.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
You are certainly welcome to think whatever you want. I'm not here to argue with anyone. You asked a question, and it sounds like you don't like the answer. That's OK with me.
Like I said, "I'm sure it's the "best" antenna for someone out there." That may be you.
I've had a lot of antennas over the years. I have a $3000.00 discone installed at one of my high sites, as well as a lot of high end commercial antennas for various VHF, UHF and 800MHz systems. I learned rather quickly what antenna designs work, and which ones don't. Antennas have been very well studied over the years, looking at how they work and in which applications they work best. It's pretty well established and well accepted.
Is there room for more research? Certainly.
But when I'm setting up systems at work, I know what antennas work in particular applications. I haven't found that any manufacturer has a secret sauce that bends the rules of physics, although I know they like to claim it.
There are a lot of these gimmick antennas, and they have their fans. If it works for you, then that's great.
I do not have that particular MP 08-ANT-0861 antenna and I presume you do. Can you provide some test results on how well it works in the real world? Perhaps frequency ranges from 25-125MHz, 125-500MHz, 700-1000MHz, and then 1GHz to 6GHz? As to the results perhaps something like received signal strength and the transmitter distance and power. A sweep using an analyzer would be nice too. I have read different feedback about that antenna, but you clearly favor it and noted its frequency range. I would definitely like to know about your experience using it in those frequency ranges. I am sure others would as well. Thank you.
* I previously read your experience comparing it to a RadioShack discone, but I wonder if that particular discone or its coax had some functional issues. Anyways, I look forward to reading your results, especially above 500 MHz and below 88MHz. Even if it performs poorly above or below those frequencies, it would be helpful to know either way.
* I previously read your experience comparing it to a RadioShack discone, but I wonder if that particular discone or its coax had some functional issues. Anyways, I look forward to reading your results, especially above 500 MHz and below 88MHz. Even if it performs poorly above or below those frequencies, it would be helpful to know either way.
prcguy
Member
I own a Super-M Ultra base antenna model 08-ANT-0861 rated for 25MHz to 6GHz if that is the model you guys are in a friendly discussion about. That antenna is an overpriced over exaggerated example of a bad antenna design that should never have happened. Its sort of a Discone but not really. I understand what the designer had in mind and see how his ideas are implemented, but in this case I think its more wishful thinking than actual science. It might also work over some of the advertised range, which is a joke, but what good is it if the match is ok but the radiation pattern points in places where there are no radio signals? Its also an adaptation of a mobile antenna using an NMO mount and a bare aluminum hub with set screws on top that will collect water and corrode the hub into white dust in short order. The top element to NMO interface is flimsy and prone to breakage.
I've compared mine to several other Discones from Radio Shack and others and it doesn't receive anything any better than any other Discone of similar size. It suffers from the same degradation in the 700-900MHz range that every body else does like Radio Shack, Diamond, Sirio, Tram/Workman, you name it. The loss at 800MHz is about 10dB compared to a very small Discone that is designed to cover about 400MHz on up where the 800MHz range radiation pattern has not pointed up in the sky as the larger Discones always do. So yea, it covers 700-900MHz as far as a reasonable VSWR but its got about 10dB loss at the horizon compared to a tiny 1/4 wave ground plane made for 800MHz. I won't even bother testing it to 6GHz, waste of my time.
I also live in a very hilly area and was able to subject this antenna to the so called multi polarized spatial diversity and it doesn't do anything any different than a Radio Shack Discone following mobiles and hand helds as they move around my neighborhood full of multipath and dead spots.
When I first got the Super-M Ultra Stupid I rebuilt parts of it so it wouldn't fall apart then gave it a bunch of coats of grey paint to seal up all the set screws and bare aluminum parts. It was up for a couple of months while I tested it then I took it off the roof a couple of years ago and since I cant' take it apart due to all the paint holding it together, its become a thorn in my side moving the completely assembled thing around the garage a couple of times a week because its big and gangly and always in the way. Would someone please come over and buy this POS off me real cheap and get it outta my sight?
How's that for a review? Did I give it a real world test? Am I clueless? Any questions???
I've compared mine to several other Discones from Radio Shack and others and it doesn't receive anything any better than any other Discone of similar size. It suffers from the same degradation in the 700-900MHz range that every body else does like Radio Shack, Diamond, Sirio, Tram/Workman, you name it. The loss at 800MHz is about 10dB compared to a very small Discone that is designed to cover about 400MHz on up where the 800MHz range radiation pattern has not pointed up in the sky as the larger Discones always do. So yea, it covers 700-900MHz as far as a reasonable VSWR but its got about 10dB loss at the horizon compared to a tiny 1/4 wave ground plane made for 800MHz. I won't even bother testing it to 6GHz, waste of my time.
I also live in a very hilly area and was able to subject this antenna to the so called multi polarized spatial diversity and it doesn't do anything any different than a Radio Shack Discone following mobiles and hand helds as they move around my neighborhood full of multipath and dead spots.
When I first got the Super-M Ultra Stupid I rebuilt parts of it so it wouldn't fall apart then gave it a bunch of coats of grey paint to seal up all the set screws and bare aluminum parts. It was up for a couple of months while I tested it then I took it off the roof a couple of years ago and since I cant' take it apart due to all the paint holding it together, its become a thorn in my side moving the completely assembled thing around the garage a couple of times a week because its big and gangly and always in the way. Would someone please come over and buy this POS off me real cheap and get it outta my sight?
How's that for a review? Did I give it a real world test? Am I clueless? Any questions???
Due to the paint, you have clearly ruined a toasted marshmallow holder. -5 Cool grandpa points. Set it in the yard and put a potted plant on it. See how long it takes your wife to ask if it is an antenna, or is she pretty hip to your shenanigans?
prcguy
Member
The wifee is PO'd over the Ultra Stupid antenna and all the other crap clogging up the garage. At least I just sold a 600lb 6ft rack thing in the middle of the garage that has been a test of our marriage and I'm waiting for a shipping company to come pick it up.
Yes, I replaced an aging Radio Shack discone antenna with the MP Antenna 08-ANT-0861. During my upgrade I also replaced the RG6 feedline with LMR400. The change of antennas (and feedline) helped increase my RX range. The antenna is mounted on a Rohn telescoping mast and sits at about 25 feet. My 8-bay tv antenna is mounted directly below the scanner antenna. With the exception of 6 meters, I tend to avoid transmitting on VHF/UHF so I don't know how well this antenna performs on the TX side. The LMR400 feeds an Electroline EDA-2800 8-Port distribution amplifier. My system includes several Uniden scanners, numerous RTL-SDRs, and a SDRPlay RSP1. I am also an old-school ham and hunt DX with my HF station and antennas.
My real world experience with this antenna is it performs pretty much as expected. The advertised gain is 3 dBi so I don't expect anything too crazy. I live in Oneida County NY (Upstate) and can hear pretty much everything in the county as well as five of the contiguous counties (Oswego, Onondaga, Madison, *Otsego, and Herkimer). I also see solid VHF signals from Cayuga County (two counties over). My biggest limitation is to the North in Lewis County where I am terrain limited. *The Otsego P25 system is encrypted, but I can "see" it.
I monitor VHF and UHF almost exclusively. I don't listen too much on VHF-Low as there isn't a lot of activity here. I recently started listening to airband stuff and truly enjoy it. I am blessed as I can hear aircraft communicating with Cleveland, New York and Boston Centers. I also periodically hear Toronto and Montreal bound aircraft talking to these centers. Besides the airband, I spend a lot of time listening to activity between 150 and 470 Mhz. The antenna performs well here as noted in the previous paragraph. There isn't a lot of 700/800 MHz stuff in Upstate NY, so I can't say how well this antenna performs in these bands. In additional to the usual reception of Police, Fire/EMS, Businesses, Utilities, etc., I also have a dedicated Pi4 monitoring ADS-B. I am seeing aircraft squawking as far as 125 nm - 150 nm.
The antenna I am using is well built and is constructed with stainless steel and aluminum. It has been a few years since I had it on the ground, but I don't recall anything painted. If I get a few minutes free this week, I'll lower the antenna and check the construction to see if there are any notable hardware issues. This antenna has survived numerous Upstate NY winters without any issues. We get real winters here.
I don't know if this helps you, but that is my experience. I don't own an analyzer, so real world experience is what you get. 73.
Just leave that antenna in the back of your truck and it will probably disappear one day when you drive east into the city. I also saw that deadfall trap/rack on eBay. Congratulations on shifting it.
I only found people quoting the Mfg. frequency range specs, but never using it below 88 or above 500 MHz. ADS-B 150 miles is not difficult with something above the roofline and not many people really need/want further than that. I think I'm going to purchase one of the DPD Production X antenna models when I nab a vacation place and compare it to a discone. An all-in-one would be fine for my needs for that. If it sucks I still have the discone.
I only found people quoting the Mfg. frequency range specs, but never using it below 88 or above 500 MHz. ADS-B 150 miles is not difficult with something above the roofline and not many people really need/want further than that. I think I'm going to purchase one of the DPD Production X antenna models when I nab a vacation place and compare it to a discone. An all-in-one would be fine for my needs for that. If it sucks I still have the discone.
Trying to put up the Diamond D130 before the snow flies. I can give it a fair assessment in the spring. It will be up about 35’ with LMR400 connected to a BCD 996P2.
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