Will the (Spectrum)Force REALLY be with you?!
I wouldn't expect too much of that antenna based on the description. The size of the entire antenna is stated as 17in. If you didn't have those loading coils that would be a 1/4wave on VHF-HI and 3/4wave on UHF which would be ok for those bands. As it is, with those loading coils, it looks like the lowest section might be resonant at 860MHz and function as a simple 1/4wave for that band (same as many "all band mobile scanner antennas including the Radio Shack mag mount). The two open coil loading coils then must load the antenna heavily for low band reception which at best would be sort of like those old CB "shorty" center loaded whips. Not too efficient. Without knowing exact dimensions of all parts I can only guess that the top section is not much more than 8 to 10 inches. So it would be too short for VHF-HI but the loading coils (plus the stubby 3in section ??) must load it for that band too. By itself the top section, if not more than say 7 inches, might function as a 1/2wave at UHF with the coils and stub in some way acting as a matching circuit.
But it's probably not even that elaborate. I really wonder if it has VHF-low in the design at all as those coils don't seem enough to load that short length properly on this band. There might be more in the base but that's questionable.
I notice that the scanner antenna manufacturers are playing pretty fast and loose in their descriptions of "receive frequency range". Even a wet noodle will have a "receive range of DC-to-Daylight" - but, how EFFECTIVELY it does this is a whole different matter!!
All in all, given the low price, small size, simplistic look, and really thin coax (very lossy at 800MHz), I wouldn't expect much from this item. Better than a ducky in the car, of course but some of those other tri-band mobiles probably will do a better job, even on the VHF-Low band which they don't even spec. for.
Cheap though! If you loose one from a tree branch or whatever I guess it's no big deal!
-Mike
