Maxrad MUF4303/4503 3 dB UHF antenna - comments?

k3td · Post by **k3td** » Wed Mar 03, 2004 6:40 pm

Anybody used a Maxrad MUF4303 or MUF4503 UHF 5/8 wave antenna? I'm looking for something with more gain than a 1/4 wave but no taller than a VHF high band 1/4 wave. At about 16 inches, this may be just right!

Thanks,

USPSS · Post by **USPSS** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 7:05 am

The MUF4303 is a very good antenna, one thing it will do is provide the pattern compression at the horizon if it is mounted close to vertical. The antenna is stiff and will not bend in the wind giving the compressed pattern even at speed. The 4503 is longer and will have some bending at speed and will cause the horizontal pattern to change as you drive, it will also tend to bounce a little. A trade off of the 2 antenna's I would take the 4303.

Now where are you going to mount this, if it is on the roof of the vehicle with little obstructions and you are not living with Dorthy in Kansas the difference between this and a 1/4 wave would be negligable. The old 1/4 wave is usually the best antenna all around.

k3td · Post by **k3td** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 7:35 am

Thanks Stan! The antenna will be mounted on the roof of my Grand Cherokee, along with a 1/4 wave for VHF high band and a TBD? antenna for 1.3 GHz. I had been using a Larsen dual band antenna for VHF/UHF with a dual band radio. It worked pretty well for UHF but I got tired of removing it every time I enter a garage, etc.

Now that I am going to separate Spectras for VHF and UHF, I've decided to go with a 1/4 wave antenna for VHF which is roughly equivalent in performance to the Larsen for that band. When I put the 1/4 wave UHF antenna on the Jeep, I could tell that it did not perform as well as the Larsen - no surprise there given the size and design of the dual band antenna. I'll be giving the 4303 a try.

Now all I have to do is find an antenna for 1.3 GHz. The only things I have been able to find are multi-band antennas that are 30 - 40 inches high. I'm not interested in that and must keep the length under 19 inches so that it is no taller than the VHF 1/4 wave. Other than a 1/4, are there any commercial antennas available that fit my criteria? I would love to find something with 3 db of gain or so.

Thanks,

evanh · Post by **evanh** » Sun Mar 14, 2004 3:56 pm

I've been using the 4503 (without the spring) for about 4 years now.

I am satisfied with the performance.

There are a couple points worth mentioning about the rigid whip and lack of spring.

First.... For taller vehicles, make sure it clears the garage before pulling in, or remove the antenna. (common sense....applicable to most antennas).

Second... My antenna seems to act as a tuning fork and sends a high pitched whine throughout the cab during fog or misty weather. This was a tough one to figure out.... The pitch of the whine never varied, only the volume. The sound was deceptive as I could not figure out where it was coming from.

EH

k3td · Post by **k3td** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 4:37 pm

Just got the 4303 and installed it today. It seems to be just what I was looking for - better performance than a 1/4 wave without being "too" long. For the record, with a whip length of just over 11 inches at 446 MHz this antenna appears to be a 1/2 wave, not a 5/8 wave.

mancow · Post by **mancow** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 5:30 pm

USPSS wrote: living with Dorthy in Kansas

That Dorothy........she sure gets around........

mancow

SlimBob · Post by **SlimBob** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 9:10 am

evanh wrote: Second... My antenna seems to act as a tuning fork and sends a high pitched whine throughout the cab during fog or misty weather. This was a tough one to figure out.... The pitch of the whine never varied, only the volume. The sound was deceptive as I could not figure out where it was coming from.

EH

Yeah. I had a pair of uncut Kulrods on my car on the rear quarter panels. Until I got the sound insulation back in (and got a little deaf) it would drive me up the wall as they 'sang' at 9KHz...