Low Profile VHF Antenna

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jim202

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Hello,
I'm curious if anyone has used the antenna below and what your results were. I'm in the foothills of Colorado, so my concern is that the height of the antenna might affect my transmission quality.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/OEM-Motorola-...3769&sr=1-44&keywords=low+profile+vhf+antenna


If you want to be heard, stick with the standard 1/4 wave, 19 inch long whip. They work and unless you get one with a really thick rod, they are flexible enough to bend when you go under a low obstruction. Been using the standard whip for years now.

These low profile antennas are expensive and don't work that well. Most people would call them an expensive compromise that has limited range.
 

SCPD

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In a repeated area with good coverage they work well. Now out in no man's land in middle no where with bad repeater coverage I found the whip best but with these low profile antennas unless your using a vehicle repeater system the low profile shouldn't be on trunk they should be on roof in proper mounting points for best performance. I noticed many buying the low profile antennas and putting them on trunk. Under heavy repeater coverage yeah they work. But go into a valley or outside repeater coverage it isn't good on the trunk. Keep a vhf whip on roof or trunk and the low profiles on roof. It depends on the terrain your in and such.
 

SCPD

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They do work though but like said very narrow and if your not going way out past repeater coverage they should be ok. I've heard mixed reviews on this though. Tuning proper and having the proper radio for no man's land is a plus. If your in repeater areas and good coverage go for it.
 

prcguy

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I have a couple of Antenex/Laird versions and they have about 1Mhz BW at 2:1 VSWR and you can really tell the signal level is down from a 1/4 wave whip on the same mount. Basically I can't use them to cover a useable part of the 2m ham band and they give poor performance in areas I travel in where I never had problems with a 1/4 wave or 5/8 wave.
prcguy
 

Project25_MASTR

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Commercial or ham or both?

I used to run around with a 1/4 wave on my jeep around the springs, pueblo, cañon and Salida. Colorado had some very wide coverage repeater networks. What the Cheyenne mountain system covers on 6 or 7 repeaters, takes 15+ repeaters to cover on the salt grass system.

I run a 1/4 wave on my dd now. Tune a .100" whip to 146 MHz, put it on the roof, it'll shoot under a 1.5:1 SWR for nearly the entire VHF band. I still use a 1/4 wave on that jeep, it's just a dedicated 40W aprs radio though.


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FFPM571

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The antenna shown in the amazon link is not the antenna that you will get. What is shown is a 800mhz low profile antenna the VHF looks like an Oil filter and have horrible performance
 

mikepdx

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The low profile antennas work pretty well at 450 & 800
(they're not too far away from a QW).
but at VHF - you can't get something from nothing
- FFPM571's comments are all fact.

IMHO An 18-19 inch quarter wave IS already a short antenna.
 
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gewecke

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Hello,
I'm curious if anyone has used the antenna below and what your results were. I'm in the foothills of Colorado, so my concern is that the height of the antenna might affect my transmission quality.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/OEM-Motorola-...3769&sr=1-44&keywords=low+profile+vhf+antenna

The vhf version of the antenna in the link, is not efficient at all, and nearly useless unless used in close range with several repeaters in one area. Simplex range is very limited since these antennas aren't really very resonant.

The best way I know to use a vhf quarter wave antenna in a low profile or "stealth" application, is to mount one inside your vehicle, in your back window to the package shelf, or upside down from the headliner. The FBI used this method for several years, with surprisingly good results.
It's only noticeable if someone drives upon you from the rear, and only if they realize what they're looking at. :cool:

73,
n9zas
 
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