This is Blowin my Mind!

[zguy1243]

OK, I do believe that I have found the ULTIMATE antenna! Here is how it started, i was shopping on ebay about a week or so ago and stumbled onto this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=150075595478&rd=1&rd=1

So I figured what the heck, its worth a shot for that kind of money. So i won the bid and waited for it to arrive. When it arrived I noticed that the N connector on the antenna was a bit screwed up so i removed it and replaced it with a shiney new female N connector. I first hooked it up the a handheld in the house and noitced I could hear satcom transponders from INSIDE my house almost s-7. I was like WOW, this thing must be hot. Well today I got around to fabricating a mount for it to hang it outside in my tower. The antenna wieghs about 30 pounds, was difficult to work with. Well finally got it all mounted , stuck it at 20 feet about the ground and ran about 40 feet of rg-11 from it into my shack and into one my 10 db preamps that I always use. Flipped the Radio on and about fell out of my chair! I was hearing the tower at the atlanta hartsfield airport, the ground control, the tower at Peachtree dekalb, and various other towers, ground contols and clearance delivery freqs in atlanta. Heres the Deal, all of this stuff is over 75 miles from me! This antenna smokes! I also run a scantenna at 50 feet, A DPD log perodic for the 225-400 airband and discones. This antenna hears things that these antennas cannot even detect. To begin with I was like, man cool band opening. Not so. Signals are still going strong. No band opening----Its was the antenna! The antenna has this kind of performance all over the 100 to 900 mhz spectrum. It seems to be even more sensitve on the UHFairband, pulling in controllers that were NEVER heard from my location with the other antennas. If you cant tell im like a kid on Christmas morning with my 20 dollar antenna! To be honest i would have paid 500 dollars for this thing. I have been a scanner and ham hobbyist for 15 years now, and tried about every antenna known for receiving, nothing I have ever used compares. This antenna is called a AS1604/g, If you ever see one in the military surplus market, BUY IT.

73's
Jody KG4FVG
North Georgia

 

[mtindor]

If you were in Ohio I'd come and remove that from your possession while you were sleeping Sounds like a great antenna. It looks to be a pretty rugged antenna. I can't imagine that coverage. I'm jealous

mike

 

[radio10-8]

Wow how did I miss that one! I always search fro Military Antennas in ebay. What a great deal you found! I am jealous.

 

[mtindor]

Do a Google search for that antenna, or for "Bristol Dynamics" - you won't find anything useful. Look at the serial # on that - 53 or something. Sounds like some rare antenna.

Mike

 

[zguy1243]

Yes, I have searched like crazy, cant find a single thing about it anywhere. Not even anything about the company that made it. Must be very rare.

 

[mtindor]

I want that antenna - give it to me now! I've got a BOLO out on that sucker heh.

Mike

PS: I'm 39 and feel like a kid talking about it. It's called antenna envy.

 

[Lexxx]

zguy

You know if you took a few measurments, and construction observations the next time it was convienient for you, and posted the info here, I think you could change your name from "zee guy" to "Da Man" :lol:

 

[N4JNW]

Sweet find dude.... I want one now. If you could make a copy of that antenna, I bet they'd sell like hotcakes!

 

[cnvi]

Enjoyed reading about your antenna and its range.. Trying to understand your reception a bit better... can you reply with your approximate elevation for the antenna? are you in a valley or on a ridge? also what's your zip code? Just curious as the range you are quoting is quite impressive. thanks.

 

[JackTV]

I had an antenna similar to that one.It worked 110-1000mhz. It was made by a company called AEL...I believe they were in Pennsylvania.It worked very well on VHF and UHF.
It was pretty cool because almost all of the elements folded up towards the boom & all of the radials were connected by a yellow rope. I think I paid 90 bucks for it at a ham show
in Maryland.
Nice find...enjoy it,
Jack

 

[JackTV]

I had an antenna similar to that one.It worked 110-1000mhz. It was made by a company called AEL...I believe they were in Pennsylvania.It worked very well on VHF and UHF.
It was pretty cool because almost all of the elements folded up towards the boom & all of the radials were connected by a yellow rope. I think I paid 90 bucks for it at a ham show
in Maryland.
Nice find...enjoy it,

SORRY DOUBLE POST
Jack

 

[ReceiverBeaver]

Way to go bro, looks like you got a real steal on the real deal. You could probably sell it for $200 anytime.

congrats

 

[prcguy]

I have seen one of these antennas before at Murphy’s Surplus in El Cajon, CA and I believe the Ebay unit is missing a larger rear section. See if there are bare aluminum ends at the rear and spring loaded snaps that would connect another section. From the size of the boom and elements it looks like the front section would cover VHF hi band to over 1GHz. I think these were used with a VHF/UHF jamming system and the gain is about 4 to 5dBD. I would NOT put this antenna outside permanently, these particular units were designed for rapid deployment and not long life. The strings that hold the elements will fall apart from UV exposure, the movable joints will corrode and become intermittent and in 2 years you will not be happy. I have ruined numerous military antennas like this by mounting them outdoors and they fall apart within a few years.
prcguy

 

[LeeBarnes]

I believe the Ebay unit is missing a larger rear section.

i wondered that myself. in that one picture on ebay, it says "Part 1 of 2" so i'd say it is missing something.

I have ruined numerous military antennas like this by mounting them outdoors and they fall apart within a few years.

that sucks. perhaps he could try to see what it's like in his attic, if he has one.

 

[frankh]

Antennea envy, a sad thing....I've got a bad a case of it.

 

[kd5dga]

I see these alot around Fort Hood.

 

[tonsoffun]

Yes, I have searched like crazy, cant find a single thing about it anywhere. Not even anything about the company that made it. Must be very rare.

WOW, I just spent about one hour searching for some info on the antenna and company and I found NOTHING!. What a rare find.
Now that I am dizzy from scrolling so much I need a nap.
Thanks for the photos. Now you can give me measurements so I will start building the antenna for everybody:wink:
Take care

 

[JackTV]

What happens if you don't use your 10db preamp...and do you use the preamp on your
other antennas???

Jack

 

[zguy1243]

Yes I use these same amps on the other all the other antennas. If i unplug it from the amp run it directly to the radio I still hear alot of this stuff, just so far down in the noise its hard to tell its there. Again what I am hearin is weak at best, but readable with preamp and new antenna. I had a chance to test it today with an aircraft airborne on a 150 mile away approach frequency. I could hear the aircraft down to 3000 feet with the as1604/g and down to only about i would say 7000 feet on the discone. again this was at a distance of 150 miles south of me on 279.6 mhz. After buying this antenna I believe Im gonna give a Create log perodic a try.

 

[frankh]

give these guys a look http://www.qsl.net/w4kma/