RadioDaze
Member
I had a hunch that getting a band-specific rubber duck would improve my low band performance, and it has. I bought the Comtelco PEXL36 BNX (BNC connector) from RFWiz: Comtelco Portable Rubber Duck Antennas
As soon as I put it on my PSR-500, I was immediately picking up CHP centers I never dreamed possible from my location. Usually I can just barely get Santa Ana, Capistrano and Westminster. Now my reach is as far north as Newhall, and as far east as Arrowhead. (Those names will mean a lot more to listeners in Southern California.)
The antenna is clearly not weatherproof, so I wouldn't recommend it for any permanent outdoor use. It's not small at 11 inches. It's not dirt cheap, at $34 plus shipping. But it's exceeding my expectations, and will be real handy next time a pursuit winds its way through So Cal... which is about every 15 minutes.
I'm also getting better-than-expected coverage on UHF and 800 as well, but I don't know how that will hold up under less-favorable conditions
As soon as I put it on my PSR-500, I was immediately picking up CHP centers I never dreamed possible from my location. Usually I can just barely get Santa Ana, Capistrano and Westminster. Now my reach is as far north as Newhall, and as far east as Arrowhead. (Those names will mean a lot more to listeners in Southern California.)
The antenna is clearly not weatherproof, so I wouldn't recommend it for any permanent outdoor use. It's not small at 11 inches. It's not dirt cheap, at $34 plus shipping. But it's exceeding my expectations, and will be real handy next time a pursuit winds its way through So Cal... which is about every 15 minutes.
I'm also getting better-than-expected coverage on UHF and 800 as well, but I don't know how that will hold up under less-favorable conditions
