VHF-Low

[doctordave]

Placed a posting on the antenna forum without response as yet.....actually might get a good response here, since many of our MD board members actively monitor MSP. Anyone have experience with the Antenna Specialist Mon-751 base antenna on 39 MHZ? The literature rates it for 50-896 MHZ....prior postings on the antenna forum seem to only comment on VHF-Hi and 800 performance.

I currently have the old RS big daddy ground plane, a scantenna, & a homebrew groundplane for VHF-Low....anyone have another antenna that has served well for low band dx monitoring? Looking to add one more dedicated VHF-Low antenna to my "antenna farm."

Thanks much.

 

[TinEar]

Dave, what are some representative ranges you hear on the low band MSP freqs from your location with your present antennas? I know you mentioned DX but my concern has to do with normal ranges. Until I added the discone this weekend, I could hear practically nothing on the MSP freqs other than base stations form Glen Burnie, Waterloo and Annapolis - occasionally College Park. Mobiles from Glen Burnie could be heard if they were within a mile or two. Now I'm hearing all the above bases loud and clear along with Golden Ring and mobiles from all of them except College Park. I also hear the 39.24 freq from JFK Highway but I think that's an unusual situation. I'd sure like to improve my low band reception overall.

 

[doctordave]

Al,

With my big homebrew groundplane in the attic (I'm N/W of Timonium), I can max-range copy MSP College Park and MSP Centreville - both barracks, just barely. Ground unit comm range is variable....of course, with the terrain in the region. Figure I need to come up with a discreet way of getting an antenna above roof level....will surely boost my VHF-Low. Sounds like you are having great success w/ your setup!