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New style APX8500 all band antenna

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mbnv992

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I never knew this but apparently there’s a newer designed all band Motorola AN000131A02 antenna. Just got it in today.

I have a picture of the new one below. Anyone have any experience with these newer style NMO antennas vs the older ones ? 31F14AD7-0165-4ECC-ABC5-9EF18D775B73.jpeg7412C528-33FA-43C4-9E69-157AF886B4C1.jpeg
 

KK6ZTE

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Neither will win a beauty contest... Is the new one all spring down to the base?

I've heard of more than a few disintegrations when the old style was mounted on fire dozers that hit branches.
 

mbnv992

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Hahaha you can say that again. When I took this one out of the box it weighed a lot more than the original design, and it looks even more goofier with that massive spring at the base.
 

mmckenna

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You'd be better off getting the triplexer and having 3 separate antennas if you're using all 3 bands.

I agree, or get the Larsen Tri-Band antenna. It's got normal proportions and a spring at the base. I've been running one for a little over a year on my work truck, and it's been down some nasty roads with low tree branches.
 

W9WSS

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I purchased a Browning BR-137 for my 536HP in my vehicle. It performs well on UHF, VHF, and the 700 & 800 MHz. bands (Illinois Starcom21 P25 statewide trunked system). It's 21" from the base to the tip, and the loading coil at the bottom is very robust with a firm rubber gasket where it makes contact with the vehicle's body.
Browning BR-137 Full.jpg

Browning BR-137 Base.jpg

Browning BR-137 Tip.jpg
Browning BR-137 052222-01.jpg
 

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K2NEC

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I agree, or get the Larsen Tri-Band antenna. It's got normal proportions and a spring at the base. I've been running one for a little over a year on my work truck, and it's been down some nasty roads with low tree branches.
I was told by a radio tech that came to install some 8500s for us that the Motorola all band antenna was the only antenna that could be used with the 8500, everything else would void warranty. :rolleyes:
 

mmckenna

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Motorola Donkey Dongs. Something an engineer dreamed up on paper who has never seen a vehicle install.

Should have added:
Proof that the uglier an antenna is, the better people think it will work.
I think that's going to be my 'other' retirement plan. Make butt-ugly antennas and sell them to hobbyists for fun and profit.
 

Skypilot007

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They are awful looking antennas, the new one is just as bad. I rarely see them on any emergency vehicles in my area. I personally wouldn't put that antenna on anything! It's absolutely ugly! The copycat Browning Chinese knockoff is just as bad!
 

W3AXL

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Any of the all-band options are awful on UHF. The radiation pattern essentially just shoots straight up. A standard VHF quarter wave on its 3rd harmonic outperforms them all from the testing I've done.

They should really just be called VHF/800 antennas.
 

n1ofj

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Any of the all-band options are awful on UHF. The radiation pattern essentially just shoots straight up. A standard VHF quarter wave on its 3rd harmonic outperforms them all from the testing I've done.

They should really just be called VHF/800 antennas.
agreed. Performance on UHF is horrible. Tried several "tri-band" antennas. Better off with 3 separate antennas.
 

rescue161

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We use the older beer can with the whip on all of our installs and our system is UHF (380 MHz). They seem to work okay, but I'm sure three separate antennas would be much better.
 

12dbsinad

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We use a dual or tri band coupler with seperate antenna's. Works 100 times better. Had a federal fish & game officer come to me with one of those all band antennas in his hand, and a aluminum roof that had been torn open like a tuna can on his Ford P/U after his garage door wasn't all the way up at his residence and it hit that gigantic base. We did some body work and installed separate antenna's (Stico Flex-whip) QW's. All band antennas go in the dumpster.
 

n3obl

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12dbsinad... Do you use the motorola triplexer or another brand?
 

12dbsinad

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12dbsinad... Do you use the motorola triplexer or another brand?
We indeed use the Motorola Multiplexer and we've also used the Comtelco DBD3 Triplexer, those work very good, low insertion loss.
 
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