Scanner/Ham Discone Antenna, A good buy?

[Chev_am]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...es&origkw=Antenna&support=support&tab=summary


I've been looking for a good antenna that can recieve well on CB 25-29Mhz and Scanner Frequencies. I'm also looking to get a Ham license too. Is this a good overall antenna? If i'm in Schenectady, NY how far do you think it'll recieve/Transmit? Thanks for the Feedback.

 

[SCPD]

This is a good deal. Unless there is propagation also called skip you can only receive line of sight, IOW if you can see it from your antenna top you can receive it. for 11/10 meters a antenna tuner will probably be required so you will need a radio with at least 20 watts AM 100 watts SSB.
For listening and transmitting on 225 MHz and above make you sure use a low loss cable, it can be hardline or RG-316 unless the cable run is less then 15 feet then RG-58 or 8 is also fine.

 

[ReceiverBeaver]

There are numerous threads on here in the past where discones are discussed. You can look them up with the [ word search ] box up at the top of the page.

Discones are wide-banded but that comes at the cost of having no gain. None. You can do far better for a dedicated 10-11 meter home base antennas. The widely available and used Antron 99 is a popular and good choice. It's a heavy duty home verticle with good gain. This antenna will kick a discone's butt 9 ways to Sunday.

 

[prcguy]

The RS Discone is an actual antenna from about 100MHz to maybe 800MHz and the little whip on top resonates sharply at around 50MHz. Anywhere else it’s a wet noodle. Despite the advertising claims of 25-1300MHz, you wouldn’t want to transmit on one of these below 50MHz even with a tuner. When you say an Antron 99 with kick a Discones butt, you have to qualify that with the type of Discone. Any CB antenna will work better than a RS Discone at 27MHz, even a short CB mobile antenna stapled to the side of your house. A large Discone designed for 25MHz an up will hold up against an Antron 99, which is a only a ½ wavelength vertical with a lossy matching section at the base. I had an Antron 99 and also have several huge Discones that cover down to 25MHz and have compared them.
prcguy

 

[Highlander_821]

The RS Discone I had was a piece of garbage. It shed elements like my beagle sheds dog hair. Do yourself a favor and buy a Diamond Discone if you want a discone. I've had mine up for 3 years now, no problems. My RS din't even make it through the summer.

 

[kf4lne]

RS Discone makes a great severe weather indicator. The fewer lower elements the antenna has the more severe the weather is IOW, the elements are made of the same material as the telescoping whip on most portable stereos and hold up to the weather about as well as a wet noodle.

 

[benjaminarthurt]

I wouldn't have boutght an RS discone if I didn't get my employee discount on it. It lasted less than a year... I'll never make that mistake again.

 

[Concrete1]

This type discone is one that will xmit CB, as well as VHF/UHF:
https://www.webtrix.net/shopcart/Ad...iscone+Xmits+10/11M+++2M-220-440-900&search=1