Wonder how this antenna would work on the Railroad band

[venom6733]

I was reading about a usb dongle and program called shipxplorer and in their hardware section, they have a outdoor antenna that is 162mhz. Since railroad is 160-162mhz band, I wondered if it would be close enough to do any good. Right now on Amazon, the antenna has a 1 star review but nothing was posted on why it was given a 1 star review. Here’s a link to shipxplorer website and the antenna is about half way down the page. I may order 1 just to do a review and compare it to my diamond D130-J.

ShipXplorer Store - ShipXplorer - Global Vessel Tracking Intelligence | Live Vessel Tracker and Port Status

AIS / Airband Receivers & Accessories - ShipXplorer - Global Vessel Tracking Intelligence | Live Vessel Tracker and Port Status

www.shipxplorer.com

 

[prcguy]

It should work fine and about as good as any other tiny little antenna. You can look on eBay for a larger marine antenna, something 6ft or more in height and that will work better. You can usually get something better on eBay for less than the ShipXplorer antenna new.

 

[Deeptow]

Try a Tram 1600. These come with a mounting bracket and are rugged outdoor antennas and can be used in your attic if you have space. They do not require a counterpoise. They aren't suitable for use on a handheld scanner unless you buy a cable adapter. The marine VHF freqs are close to the AAR frequencies and I know from experience that these work for rail comms. I bought mine from Wal-Mart online about 4 years ago for about $30. This is from Amazon.

TRAM 1600-HC 35 - Inch VHF Marine Antenna​

4.64.6 out of 5 stars (468)
$49.99$49.99

FREE delivery Sat, Mar 25
Or fastest delivery Fri, Mar 24
More Buying Choices
$32.00(18 new offers)