• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Looking for a Dual Band Mobile NMO VHF/UHF Ham&Public Safety Freq.

Status
Not open for further replies.

MAS063

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 18, 2006
Messages
13
Location
Seekonk, MA Area
I am looking for a Dual Band Mobile NMO mount VHF/UHF with Ham and Public Safety frequencies for both the UHF and VHF. I don't transmit a lot on the Public Safety but once and a while I will need to.

I have an NMO mount: I need 2 antennas. One will be mounted on hood edge with a multi axis mount (so antenna won't have a lot of ground plane.)
2nd will be on roof at first with a Magnet Mount. I have a leased vehicle and don't want to put a hole through so still working on another option for that antenna to mount but will use a magnet mount to start with.

Any help ideas that can be provided would be great!!!!!!

Preferred for UHF: 380 to 490 or so. Acceptable 440 to 490.
VHF 140 - 174+

Thanks,
Nick
 

mmckenna

I ♥ Ø
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
23,618
Location
Hiding in a coffee shop.
1/4 wave antennas are very broad banded and work well in this sort of application. It does require a separate VHF and UHF antenna to do it right.

There are dual band commercial antennas, but not sure they'd have the bandwidth you need. Larsen, Laird, etc. make a few that will work.

Having done things like this before, I can tell you that a good option is to use a diplexer (this is a dual band radio, right?) and use a VHF 1/4 wave whip tuned for center of the band and a separate 1/4 wave UHF whip tuned for the center of that band.

There are some amateur radio grade dual band antennas that will do this, but if you are using this for public safety use, get the right stuff. It'll last longer.
 

mrweather

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,251
Agreed about the commercial/public safety antennas. Will outlast any ham-grade antenna.

But, Comet made a "search and rescue" antenna at one time that covered 2m and 70cm ham as well as traditional public safety bands.
 

sdu219

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
109
Location
Brockton,MA
Comet Original CA-2X4SR (PL259) CA-2x4SRNMO (NMO) 140-160 / 435-465 MHz Dual Band Amateur Mobile Antenna
For search and rescue. Still available.
 

Project25_MASTR

Millennial Graying OBT Guy
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
4,166
Location
Texas
I almost bought a CA-2x4SRNMO and someone here on RR contacted me and said they didn't work very well.
prcguy
Ripped mine out of my roof when I hit a tree branch. Now they have a spring but at the time there wasn't one available.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Check out comtelco. They have some 1/4 wave models that cover 20-30Mhz.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
 

cmdrwill

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
3,984
Location
So Cali
It may be a nice antenna, but not very useful for the OP's purposed VHF/UHF needs... :confused:

May be referring to the bandwidth of one of the VHF or UHF one quarter wave antenna with the large diameter rod. I have one with a 3/16 dia rod.
 

krokus

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
5,966
Location
Southeastern Michigan
Ripped mine out of my roof when I hit a tree branch. Now they have a spring but at the time there wasn't one available.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

I liked the antenna, but damaged the roof of my Jeep. It covered the frequency range well, but get the spring version.

Sent via Tapatalk
 

kb5udf

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
801
Location
Louisiana
Comtelco

I'll second the suggestion for these, great bandwidth on vhf/uhf. I've used them for years. You can purchase these muiltiband mobiles from rfwiz.
 

robertmac

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,290
I almost bought a CA-2x4SRNMO and someone here on RR contacted me and said they didn't work very well.
prcguy

I have 2 of these and find they are one of the best antennas I have used. Cannot comment on transmit outside amateur frequencies but they are certainly excellent at receiving outside and inside amateur bands. In fact, I use them more than a Larsen antenna that lot of people rave about but I find sub par. And unlike rules about transmitting with an amateur radio outside amateur bands, there is no regulation about using antennas. But always check SWR or other antenna characteristics for frequency being used.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top