| Author |
Message |
    
Freebird
Intermediate Member
Username: Freebird
Post Number: 305
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 14, 2005 - 9:19 pm: | 
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What do you think are the best and worst mobile antennas and why?I think the best one is the good ole 102" steel whip i can hear real far on this antenna and i get really good swr's with it 1.1.The worst mobile antenna i would have to say is the fire stick i have had 7 of them and i never get an swr lower than 2.5 what a junk of an antenna. |
Therealporkchop
Intermediate Member
Username: Therealporkchop
Post Number: 455
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:19 am: |
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Right this minute I think the worst antenna I have ever seen is the Wilson 5000 Mag Mount. Ask Pat about mine, it's possessed by the devil or something.
For right now the way I have my antenna set up, I'd say the best is the Wilson trucker series.
But of course there are far better antennas out there than this, but I can only speak of what I have owned. |
Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 292
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 12:24 am: |
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Didn't we just do this last week?
I still like Wilson's, and why is because they work for me.
Wildrat
CEF674 |
Outkast
Intermediate Member
Username: Outkast
Post Number: 100
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 1:33 am: |
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As for best 102" and Predator 10K love them both. As for the ones I dont like, any loaded whip, never had good luck with whips at all I have used my fair share of Francis whips and those were ok. But seems to me anything with wire around the outside has not worked for me at all.
Outkast
CEF 650 |
Coyote
Advanced Member
Username: Coyote
Post Number: 546
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 2:58 pm: |
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Wildrat,
Yup.. we sure did.... 
but since we are back on it again. I agree with Freebird.
SS 102" = best bang for the bucks
Firestick = aint worth the match to set it on fire.
CEF-443 |
Big_l
Junior Member
Username: Big_l
Post Number: 48
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 7:30 pm: |
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It's a Predator 10K world! |
Outkast
Intermediate Member
Username: Outkast
Post Number: 103
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 9:32 pm: |
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Doesnt seem to be any new opinions on this one either, same three main answers so far, 10k 102" and Wilsons.
Outkast
CEF 650 |
Hatchet
Member
Username: Hatchet
Post Number: 52
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - 9:59 pm: |
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Agreed with Big I, Its a 10K world |
Jon666
Intermediate Member
Username: Jon666
Post Number: 370
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 12:27 pm: |
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roadmaster z180
i love this antenns
out performs my wilson 100
hands down |
Static_killer77
New member
Username: Static_killer77
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2005 - 9:03 pm: |
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Radio Shack $29.95 12" tall mag mount with the little spring at the bottom! Got a 1.8 on mine, handles box stock 19 Plus (don't cut limmiter now!!)and on a really good day, shoots skip all the way across the street!!! But when I'm mudduckin, I'll run that 27" 10K. But it only talks from Jacksonville Fl, to St. Mary's Ga on 4 pills durring primetime. Junk!! LOL Jason |
Kj7gs
Junior Member
Username: Kj7gs
Post Number: 37
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2005 - 11:37 pm: |
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Best antenna is the one that gets me on the air!
Worst antenna - super-short clamp-on cheap-o
"with built in signal amplifier!" - meaning the coil in the middle converting the remaining RF into heat. You've probably seen 'em in the discount stores. |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 582
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2005 - 4:32 am: |
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Best everyday antenna- Wilson 5000. Best antenna to handle power, and has the best ears, is the Predator 10k. |
Hotwire
Advanced Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 771
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 2:56 pm: |
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Kj7gs,
The built in signal amplifier! I was at wally world the first time I saw one of those and I agree what a joke! Terrible antenna indeed but the worst antenna fellas? Any cb antenna you glue onto your window on the outside and connect the coax with glue on the inside. Ya know about them" The Through Glass Antenna" Biggest waste of money ever and even worse when those who have them postion them pointing back to that big antenna get no wind drag. LMAO
The best antenna is the 102 inch antenna followed by top loaded antennas followed by center loaded followed by base loaded antennas. I have never used a base loaded mobile antenna nor a center loaded. If the length is an issue and you need to go way shorter than 102 inch your best bet is the top loaded antennas. The Wilson Slver Load is my choice. SWR is low and I have used them for years with many DX contacts. Now I know there are good antennas like the Predator. What does it prey on? Your wallet! For the money you can't beat the SilverLoad.My honest opinion! |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 2147
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 4:44 pm: |
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i think you've heard my predator 10k once or twice, 'wire.... |
Hotwire
Advanced Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 778
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 5:20 pm: |
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Sure have double zero!!! They are really nice antennas and 1 is on my to bribe... I mean my buy list! |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 560
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 6:32 pm: |
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I like my MonkeyMade. It has good ears, transmits fine, handles power well, and above all it did not cost me a dime.
Wildrat
CEF674 |
Hotwire
Advanced Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 781
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 31, 2005 - 9:47 pm: |
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Let me guess.......the alien rats got it for you? |
Rldrake
Junior Member
Username: Rldrake
Post Number: 13
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 3:00 am: |
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The "worst antenna"? No antenna at all.
The "best antenna". No such thing.
There is no such thing as a best antenna.
It all depends what you are wanting it to do, on what frequency? Local? Dx?
Who are you going to talk to?
Where are they at?
What polarity are they running?
What are you most concerned with, antenna effecientcy or just a low SWR? (SWR, no such thing as swr's).
Best SWR will be obtained with a dummy load, but useful radiation is usually a few feet rather than many miles.
At the beginning of this topic, there is a picture of a 102" whip, nicely mounted to the suv...a pretty efficient antenna for 27Mhz. A shorter, loaded antenna properly mounted (no mag mount or clamp on mount) in the center of the roof would be more effecient. The same 102" whip mounted properly in center of the roof would beat either, hands down, but would look like hell and be banging into all sorts of things. Now any of these 3 installations would work well for mobile DXing, when the band is open...and would work very well for working local traffic as long as the locals were all vertically polarized. But if there was a local that you wanted to work, say just 10 miles away...and he was running a dipole or a horizontal loop, yagi,etc...the 20db loss between polarities would make the contact very, very difficult. In such case a moble loop type of antenna would be the solution. This post is to just illustrate that there is no such thing as a "best" antenna. If there was such a thing EVERYBODY would just use one of those. ALL antennas have their pros and cons. ALL are compromises. As individuals all we can do is experiment and use what works best for our personal needs. Man has been experimenting with antennas for well over a hundred years and will continue to as long as he uses any form of RF to radiate any type of signal. There are many, many books written about antenna fundamentals and theories...and many, many more to be written. I will end this post now, before I write another book right here. 73 and everybody have a great 2006. :-) |
Al_lafon
Intermediate Member
Username: Al_lafon
Post Number: 147
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 7:27 pm: |
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Hello i run a 102 here back cornner of a small car. But also like to run a 102 up on the roof
Well i use a 4 Way Mag Mount Hay but don't try this on back raoads makes for a lot of banging
over head. |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 636
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 9:54 pm: |
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Worst: Thru glass for 27MHz Almost as bad as none, you will have better results shouting out the window 
Best: Whatever fits under the garage door, does not interfere with the operation and safety of the vehicle, and can perform well in the intended bandwidth.
Chad |
Kid_vicious
Advanced Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 999
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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worst antenna:
a seven foot long wet spaghetti noodle.
best antenna: a short piece of Andrew's double heliax connected between your radio and the other radio's antenna input.
thank you, thank you,
you are all too kind!
matt |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3386
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 11:19 pm: |
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"Worst: Thru glass for 27MHz Almost as bad as none, you will have better results shouting out the window"
O MY YES even on 2 meters they are USELESS. |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 639
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 3:59 pm: |
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Bruce, I learned the hard way Sure seemed novel, If one actually worked I'd do it again!
Chad |
