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UHF Antenna Needed

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ASAD

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Feb 21, 2011
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Hi Folks,

I'm in need of a UHF base vertical antenna that covers around 415 MHz or 455 MHz. Gain should be 5+ dB. I was wondering what antennas do public safety agencies use. Any idea would be appreciated.

I came across Antenex @ FG4505 Antenex Laird UHF Fiberglass Omnidirectional Antenna but the thing is that these antennas don't have ground plane. Is that going to be a problem?

Asad
 

n5ims

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Those are a J-Pole design and don't need a ground plane since the design includes a counterpoise as part of the antenna. One thing though, $200 is quite a bit for a simple J-Pole antenna, folks are building them for only a few bucks if you read their posts on the forums.
 

prcguy

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A J-pole is 0dBd gain (if made and tuned properly) and the antenna in the link says its 4.5dBd gain, so its probably a multi element collinear. Its also about 6ft long, which is about right for a UHF antenna with that much gain.
prcguy


Those are a J-Pole design and don't need a ground plane since the design includes a counterpoise as part of the antenna. One thing though, $200 is quite a bit for a simple J-Pole antenna, folks are building them for only a few bucks if you read their posts on the forums.
 

maxkelley

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The FG4505 will do just fine for you, but it is a fiberglass antenna, and over time, they can crack and water can seep into them, turning them into excellent air-cooled dummy loads (and consequently, horrible antennas.) If you really want a public-safety grade antenna, I would recommend a Telewave folded dipole array (or single dipoles). They're expensive, but they will last forever and perform excellently.

By all means, stay away from the Tram crap... we just recently took down two Tram verticals from a customer's tower that had both crapped out, causing absolutely horrible performance. We replaced them with two single Telewave dipoles and the customer is talking better and further than they could ever remember.
 

stevelton

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I am still patial to the Andrews DB408 and DB416. Yes, I know and have dealt with the harness failure, but with taking a few steps before installation, they work great! And a few dollars cheaper than the Telewaves.
 

kayn1n32008

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ASAD said:

For a base that is going to last... No... 2 piece design will generate crackling noise in the receiver over time in windy conditions and has a higher risk of water ingress. If you want to use fibreglass get a one piece antenna, or go with folded dipole loops. Sinclair Radio Labs, Bluewave, DB Products, or Telewave are THE base antenna companies. NCG antennas are what I would call 'ham crap' antennas.
 
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