new antenna

[cassidy1190]

Ok I just got enough money aside for a nice new antenna. I had a discone from radio shack, which pretty much sucked. I am told that the best all around discone is by far the diamond model featured here:

http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/d130j.html

I can get pretty much all my local stuff with the stock antenna but I also want to pick up milair transmissions and my state police (on 800MHz) better.

I like it because it has stainless steel rods (not aluminum) and its frequency rage is much wider than radio shacks. I think this is what I’ve wanted all along.

So should I get it? I have my finger on the purchase button ready to click but I don’t want to do anything stupid like what I did when I bought the cheep radio shack discone.

 

[N_Jay]

Ok I just got enough money aside for a nice new antenna. I had a discone from radio shack, which pretty much sucked. I am told that the best all around discone is by far the diamond model featured here:

http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/d130j.html

I can get pretty much all my local stuff with the stock antenna but I also want to pick up milair transmissions and my state police (on 800MHz) better.

I like it because it has stainless steel rods (not aluminum) and its frequency rage is much wider than radio shacks. I think this is what I’ve wanted all along.

So should I get it? I have my finger on the purchase button ready to click but I don’t want to do anything stupid like what I did when I bought the cheep radio shack discone.

A discone by nature covers about 3X to 4X its lowest designed frequency.

The whip on top tries to extend the lower end by making it work like a ground plane.

Most commercial antennas are aluminum or copper and not stainless steel because stainless steel is a poor conductor.

You did not say what type or how long your cable is. You are likely to get more gain out of new/better cable than a change in antennas.

Have fun.

 

[cassidy1190]

Well if you refer to some of my previous posts, I already have really good cable LMR-400. Its the antenna that is my problem. Just wanna know if the d130j is a good antenna. I would mount it on my roof(chimney mount) and I would have a 10-20ft cable. I have a preamp handy if I do ever need it.

 

[cassidy1190]

I realized that the radials arent stanless steel only certain parts of the main component are. :lol:

read this for all the specs:
http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/pdfdocs/D130J.pdf

 

[N_Jay]

Well if your pold antenna is not broken, the you are likely not going to get much difference from another discone.

If the disc-cone part is smaller it might get higher frequencies a tad better.

If the disc-cone section is bigger it will get lower frequencies a tad better but higher frequencies a tad (or much) worse.

If the old antenna is broken, then it could work better across the board.

 

[cassidy1190]

yeah Id say the thing is broken 2 elements are snapped off and when I tried to repair them I just made them worse. I am getting better reception on the stock antenna :lol:

 

[Highlander_821]

Those radio shack discones break if you look at them the wrong way.

 

[cassidy1190]

learned that the hard way :lol: . I think i am gonna go with the diamond discone.

 

[kb2vxa]

Diamons are a scanner's best friend.

Hi guys,

I say go with Diamond, expensive but good antennas. One caveat, if memory serves that "whip" on top is for the 6M ham band and will need a bit of lengthening for VHF Lo Band. Borrow an MFJ SWR analyzer from a ham who has one and tune a LITTLE at a time until it resonates in the middle of the band. If all else fails take it to a commercial radio repair shop and have them retune it, those antennas were made to transmit using about 50W and if they have more specialized equipment like an analyzer they can do it without transmitting a test signal. No other modification is needed.

BTW, I emphasized "little" because I have seen hams trying to resonate antennas and belt one right out of the ball park and wonder why it still doesn't work, it's off on the other side now. You have to make small adjustments to track the point of resonance until it falls where you want it.