New Antenna Coming Soon based on Old Favorite.
- Thread starter digitalanalog
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digitalanalog
Active Member
"The Searcher I" has also logged 5 hits in the 200-400 Mhz range as well, there is not much milair traffic where I am located but I did receive 5 hits in those bands, the AT 197 does WAY better with the weaker signals.
GTO_04
Member
Happy to see this! We need a good omni base station antenna designed for scanners!
GTO_04
GTO_04
Now we're really talking $$$$$$$. Even if digitalanalog could afford it, what would you compare it to unless you did the same for the ST2.
digitalanalog
Active Member
Military double discone?
This is a military Harris RF-9070 Double Discone
How does this look anything like my antenna?
Azimuth and elevation patterns to tell you What?
digitalanalog
Active Member
you people are never going to leave me alone about testing are you?????????????????????????????????????????
even if I could afford it? lololol
Even if I did, you more then likely would not understand the test results anyway, as My Tester has pointed out Many times....
even if I could afford it? lololol
Even if I did, you more then likely would not understand the test results anyway, as My Tester has pointed out Many times....
prcguy
Member
Hey, I have two of those Harris RF-9070s. Nice antenna but hard to come by and it only covers about 90 to 470MHz but it has a little gain.
Sir if you want to be in a commercial business then you are going to have to act like one. I spend on wants not have to have and I am beginning to not to want. A good DISCONE cost $100 you are asking twice that you have to prove it is worth it. You say tough crowd again I say you are asking double what a good DISCONE cost with nothing to back it up. You say we would not understand it? I am not a GM Engineer but I understand Horsepower and how a motor works. You are the one that started this project and made this choice. WE JUST WANT OUR MONEYS WORTH.
A lot of us would understand the test results and could help those that don't understand them.
Unfortunately now, I'm reluctant to spend any money on an antenna that doesn't have test results. About the only thing you can do is send out as many free antennas as you can so people can review the design, test it with what equipment they have and let us know how it performs against other antennas.
digitalanalog
Active Member
Yes Sir, you just want your money's worth?
Buy your $100.00 discone.
Remember, this is as I mentioned originally " a Very Limited production antenna " because they are hand made, I do not intend on living in my basement building antennas. I am not a commercial business and these antennas are not commercially made and never will be by me. The only ones guaranteed to get one are those on the Mailing List, and the very interesting fact is only one person on the mailing list has ever commented in this thread.
"WE WANT OUR MONEYS WORTH". Moneys Worth is in the eye of the beholder,
what is worth something to one person may not be worth it to some one else.
Thank you for your continued support, your comments are always welcome.
(the above comment is me acting as commercial business like as I can)
digitalanalog
Active Member
You want me to build these antennas and send out as many as I can for FREE so they can be tested?
Do you have any idea how much it cost to build an antenna like this?
WOW
Yes, as many as you can. If you can only afford to send out one or two, then so be it.
Without test results or a few reviews, all you've got is a bunch of parts that look like an ST-2 that cost a whole bunch of money.
It wouldn't be difficult, or expensive for that matter, to mount the ST2 and use a cheap VNA to see the return loss. Then mount the Searcher I the same way, using the same feedline and connect the VNA and get its return loss. You can pick up a cheap VNA for less than $100. No shipping antennas back and forth to a test facility. It would provide folks here a reasonable result to compare the two antennas, but most importantly, it will allow you to fine tune the Searcher I to improve the design before the results are posted. You get a full sweep at one shot from the start to the stop frequencies.
After reading all 14 pages of this thread it appears that some RR members here are interested in how the original Scantenna antenna design compares to a generic discone antenna design. Bob Grove (W8JHD), formerly of Grove Enterprises and Monitoring Times magazine, posted the following information in the "Ask Bob" section of the July 2006 issue of Monitoring Times (see page 22). Keep in mind that his comments were made comparing the original Scantenna antenna to a generic discone antenna. The following is a direct quote as to what Bob had to say in his magazine column:
1. The discone has a predictable level of performance – it is like a quarter-wave ground plane on any frequency within its design range (typically an 8:1 bottom-to-top frequency ratio).
The Scantenna, because of its larger aperture (signal-capturing area) has gain over a discone on virtually all of its design frequencies, but because it’s a dipole cluster, it is more periodic – that is, it doesn’t perform evenly and continuously from top to bottom in frequency like the discone does.
2. Because the discone sits atop the mast, it has much better uniformity in its non-directional (omni-directional) pattern. If the Scantenna could be suspended in free space (or above the mast) it, too, would be non-directional in response, but it sits alongside the metal mast, so there is some reflectivity from that mast which results in minor directivity.
1. The discone has a predictable level of performance – it is like a quarter-wave ground plane on any frequency within its design range (typically an 8:1 bottom-to-top frequency ratio).
The Scantenna, because of its larger aperture (signal-capturing area) has gain over a discone on virtually all of its design frequencies, but because it’s a dipole cluster, it is more periodic – that is, it doesn’t perform evenly and continuously from top to bottom in frequency like the discone does.
2. Because the discone sits atop the mast, it has much better uniformity in its non-directional (omni-directional) pattern. If the Scantenna could be suspended in free space (or above the mast) it, too, would be non-directional in response, but it sits alongside the metal mast, so there is some reflectivity from that mast which results in minor directivity.
digitalanalog
You forget I was one of the first to say I would spend money before you posted a price. I still want a NEW ST2 ANTENNA BUILT LIKE A TANK but you have changed your tune slightly giving me concern I have over $20,000.00 invested in this hobby money is no problem to me BUT I WANT MY MONEYS WORTH. I did not know we had a BUY LIST NEVER SEEN IT I could careless what your web site looks like I get my info from here. I have news for you your attitude is making buyers question buying this. If you look at POST #25 I stated I would be in for 1 if not 2 before you ever posted a price but I guess I am not on the list I have no way of knowing. Also I defended you all through this post until you changed then I changed. I would still buy this antenna if it works as good as the ST2 but I want to see FACTS.
You forget I was one of the first to say I would spend money before you posted a price. I still want a NEW ST2 ANTENNA BUILT LIKE A TANK but you have changed your tune slightly giving me concern I have over $20,000.00 invested in this hobby money is no problem to me BUT I WANT MY MONEYS WORTH. I did not know we had a BUY LIST NEVER SEEN IT I could careless what your web site looks like I get my info from here. I have news for you your attitude is making buyers question buying this. If you look at POST #25 I stated I would be in for 1 if not 2 before you ever posted a price but I guess I am not on the list I have no way of knowing. Also I defended you all through this post until you changed then I changed. I would still buy this antenna if it works as good as the ST2 but I want to see FACTS.
Unless tolerances are tight or it's made somewhat idiot-proof, performance results could vary due to incorrect user assembly. So how important is reception really? I believe as long as it fits within certain specs and performance is comparable to the ST2, it's worth the asking price. Never had an ST2 but only hear good things about it, so I might buy two, in fact, if the folk(s) willing to take this project on aren't run out of town first.
I own 2 and need replacements for both but as stated make it work the same not asking for anything else.
Firekite
Member
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I must be behind the curve. This requires a login.
Seriously, what got shut down? The entire project is kaput? The website? The testing? What’s the latest and greatest?
PS I’m moving soon and will be on the lookout for a better scanner antenna setup than my cheap dual-band mag mount on a cookie sheet. I’d rather do it only once, so I don’t mind paying a little extra for a quality antenna. This, Omni-X, or a quality discone are pretty much what it comes down to. Most likely roof mounted with attic as a backup plan. So if this is out of the running because it’s being scrapped, that makes it easier. Just not sure if that’s really the case.
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