I used to run the 150/450/800 but recently switched to the 150/450/700 and for scanning these are the best. I get PAWMCO some 50 miles away pretty clear too.
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Larsen Multi-Band antennas
- Thread starter mmckenna
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I switched to the new style 150/450/800 on my work truck for my 8500's. They seem to work well however my complaint is the paint. Both are all chipped now and are definitely not as good as the old style in regards of the paint. I'm running the old style on my JT that came off my old work truck and still no chips. I feel the base is better on these, although I do get water inside the NMO from time to time that I did not get on the other. I remove them every time i do the car wash. It is possible the older antenna had not as good seal so any remnants from car wash would evaporate and the new one doesn't. Not sure yet. The pogo style center pin is better than the old tin tab in my opinion. Its worked better than the MSI 800 with pogo I used to use. I'll try to snap some pics this week. Overall I'm happy as its much nicer than the MSI all band but wish the paint held up better.
mmckenna
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Yeah, those are my gold standard for crappy antenna designs. I replaced a lot of those.
Larsen had that issue a lot with their older antennas. I stopped using the all black whips after a while.
I’ve got 2 (one spare) been working pretty decently for me so far
Thanks for doing this. I have been wondering how these two models compared to each other, and if either was usable for 2m & 70cm. I wanted those answers, to decide between one of them, or the NMO270.
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I’m using the same antenna on my Yaesu FTM 400XDR. Ran across a good deal like $40 a pop on eBay a few months ago. Passed a couple out to friends who were complaining about their reception using their cheap ham antennas - cured their problems immediately. I am using a Harris 12099-0330-0 Full Spectrum Antenna 1105 1507/09 at work and it is also produces unusually good plots across the board. The Harris antennas can also be found on fleabay for very low prices. I’d recommend either one without hesitation. Although I don’t have a fancy Agilent spectrum analyzer; I’m using a VNA. I do use a lot of Agilent instruments in my day to day as a nerd of science. I’d bet that thing came with the Agilent price too - you guys just thought Motorola was expensive. Ouch! Probably close to the price of gold ounce for ounce.
mmckenna
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Factory reconditioned unit, government pricing, plus we've got some tenacious folks in our purchasing department that will slowly wear down even the most seasoned sales person.
I think it was $17K with a few options. No, not cheap, but it's hard to beat.
prcguy
Member
I do some consulting for a friend in the satellite broadcast industry and he got turned on to the Agilent Field Fox series of hand held VNA/spectrum/antenna analyzers. First he got an 18GHz unit with all the trimmings and loved it, then another so he could connect them via Ethernet on long end to end cable sweeps then a decked out 33GHz version that cost north of $100k. Its kind of scary climbing up into a huge satellite dish on a flimsy ladder carrying one of these and knowing how much it cost to replace if you drop it.
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Lots of Agilent stuff here just no rf spectrum analyzer. Unless I can find a way to make the gas chromatography or FTIR instruments work with a radio. Maybe I can squeeze one into the budget haha. They do make excellent equipment so you have a real quality piece to work with. 8890 GC for any nerds out there.
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mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Last FCC field guy I ran into carried a Field Fox for tracking down interference. Nice sized unit for the job. The unit I have is a bit large for that kind of stuff.
So don't drop it.
No wrist strap, or other attachment options? That is a bit of a surprise.
mmckenna
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Yeah. I've got a radio site that is accessible by helicopter or hike in. I don't rate helicopter rides. Hike in is a few miles and a few thousand feet of elevation gain. Several creek crossings over downed trees and slippery rocks. With a brand new $40K service monitor stuffed in a backpack. I can't imagine trying to explain that loss to some admin dweeb in our office.
prcguy
Member
They have a neck strap I use when climbing. Its still scary balancing on something high in the air while operating the instrument.
So don't drop it.
No wrist strap, or other attachment options? That is a bit of a surprise.
prcguy
Member
That kind of reminds me of a trip long ago where I had to take a large portable HP 8593 spectrum analyzer and full size Tektronix scope hand carried on an airplane. At one point in LAX I was sitting on the crapper with a $40k spectrum analyzer on one side of the bowl and probably an equally expensive scope on the other side, pondering the worlds problems.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
...as one does.
What has all this got to do with the Lason antenans? This should be on another thread.
prcguy
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Did you at least offer to analyze the radio of the person in the neighboring stall? It is the polite thing to do. Especially if they have a Larsen antenna on their radio.
prcguy
Member
When a guy in the next stall starts up a conversation I usually leave even if I have not completed my "task". If someone brings a Larsen antenna in the restroom I would probably turn around and walk out. I think George Michael had a mono band Larsen on him when he was arrested in a Beverly Hills Park public restroom. Definitely a mono band.
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