The new mobile antenna I just bought

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n4yek

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While on vacation in Florida, I purchased the following Radio Shack mobile scanner antenna:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...052.2032075.2032078.2032098&parentPage=family
I read the reviews on it, especially about it bending at the lower coil and blowing off, but decided to give it a try.
I purchased some heat shrink tubing while I was there and place it around the loading coils to give it some added stability. I was impressed with the reception I got with this antenna, it was an improvement over my existing antenna I had been using. I had an improved reception on all band except UHF which was about the same. I immediately started picking up 10 meter Ham repeaters I had not heard with the other antenna and even swapped back and forth to verify it. VHF Low and high bands were excellent, UHF bands were about the same but still good. 800 MHz reception was about average with any antenna I had ever used before.
I used this antenna while traveling back from Florida going at speeds of 70 to 80 mph on top of my Dodge minivan. This antenna held strong and those speeds and evening went through a pretty bad storm with high cross winds, it never moved.
The reviews about it bending over at the lower coil had me concerned as to my decision to buy the heat shrink to place around the loading coils. The antenna is still standing straight so I would say that helped.
I just thought I would give my opinion on this antenna, it is a good one for scanners and is even able to transmit on the ham bands, I believe it stated 6 meters, 2 meters, and 440 MHz.
Take care all and happy scanning.
 

SAR923

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I've had the same antenna for several years. It survived being on my Grand Vitara at speeds up to well above legal and some pretty good off-roading bumps and knocks. It performes as well as any multiband mag mount can be expected to do. I've had zero mechanical problems with it and the magnet is plenty strong. I've switched to the Valor PMM3 so I can get the SUV into the garage but the RS antenna is on a baking sheet in my bedroom on top of one of the bed towers and it's doing a good job there too.
 

af5rn

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...the RS antenna is on a baking sheet in my bedroom on top of one of the bed towers and it's doing a good job there too.
LOL! I bet your wife had some choice words for you the first time she saw that! :lol:

I too have had very good results with that antenna in the past. No problems, structurally or electronically. It took a tornado to finally kill it, so I'd say that's pretty good! I'm fixin to buy another one so I can compare it side-by-side with the other dozen antennae I am collecting for that purpose. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up. As it is probably the most widely available scanner antenna on the market, some objective comparison with others will be good.
 

n4yek

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LOL! I bet your wife had some choice words for you the first time she saw that! :lol:

I too have had very good results with that antenna in the past. No problems, structurally or electronically. It took a tornado to finally kill it, so I'd say that's pretty good! I'm fixin to buy another one so I can compare it side-by-side with the other dozen antennae I am collecting for that purpose. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up. As it is probably the most widely available scanner antenna on the market, some objective comparison with others will be good.

I look forward to your comparisons, it will be interesting to know which ones do better and where they do it.
 

af5rn

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I'd like to see a pic of your antenna with the shrink tubing on the coils. When I get the new one, I am going to test it, and then shrink-tube the coils, as well as flat blacking the whip and base with Rust-Oleum and test it again to see if there is any change in performance when you weatherise an antenna. That antenna would definitely look better if it were all black. The biggest complaint I hear about it is that it's so obvious and just screams "SCANNER INSIDE!"
 

kennyloatman

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I took the smaller middle section and one coil off mine, change in reception was little or none at 150 Mhz and 800 Mhz which is what I listen to most. It was a good trade off to get under drive thrus and take the stress off. (also the stress off my wife saying how unsightly it looked on top of the trunk).
 

hoser147

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Ive got 3 of them picked them all up on garage sales for next to nothing. Been using them for years never had the first problem with any off them. I gotta agree it screams scanner inside, but many people dont have a clue the last one I bought for a buck the guy told me it was for when your antenna breaks off the car??? Mine have been knocked down on the truck by tree's and Ice, but It s an impressive preforming antenna for Rat shack..............Hoser
 

af5rn

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I took the smaller middle section and one coil off mine, change in reception was little or none at 150 Mhz and 800 Mhz which is what I listen to most. It was a good trade off to get under drive thrus and take the stress off.
A couple of months ago, a guy here took the whip off of one and stuck it on the base load of an old CB antenna and was pleased with the results. That antenna does easily lend itself to experimentation, so I may try some combinations with it just for fun.
 

blueangel-eric

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I'd like to see a pic of your antenna with the shrink tubing on the coils. When I get the new one, I am going to test it, and then shrink-tube the coils, as well as flat blacking the whip and base with Rust-Oleum and test it again to see if there is any change in performance when you weatherise an antenna. That antenna would definitely look better if it were all black. The biggest complaint I hear about it is that it's so obvious and just screams "SCANNER INSIDE!"

That's for sure., it's the ugliest scanner antenna on the market and you know a beginner scanner user when you see one. I get the impression serious scanner people buy more professional antennas.

That mag mount is big and ugly and after having it for 3-4 years it got all rusted inside and found that out after pulling the antenna off the car and the magnet stuck to the car and the glue holding the magnet weathered away. And a few times it got blown off the car by oncoming semis on the highway. The only mag mounts that hold up is Larsen and some other commercial grade ones given to me but even those I've had to re epoxy the magnets back in but no rust. even my MFJ dual band mag mount for ham radio had a loose magnet after awhile and had to be re glued but not rusted.

Eric burris
 

af5rn

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I've had the RS maggie blow over on the roof of my Grand Cherokee a few times, if I was really hauling arse, or like Eric, hit by the wind blast beside a semi-truck. But on a trunk lid, they are extremely stable, where the coax acts as a bit of a tether, and there is a more laminar airflow.

I don't particularly care for the Larsen maggies. First, they're as big and ugly as the entire RS antenna. And by elevating the antenna an inch and a half off of the mounting surface, it throws off the balance of the antenna, increasing the chances of it flipping over. Especially since all the weight is on one end of the mount, instead of the centre. Also, the plastic "protector" on the bottom of the Larsen maggie sucks. It does very little to protect your car. The Maxrad has a nice, thick, rubbery coating on the bottom that holds like crazy and won't easily scratch your car. Maxrad is the way to go.
 
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