APX8500 Antenna

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KDN
Posts: 140
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:23 am

APX8500 Antenna

Post by KDN »

Looking into the APX8500 for my agency.

Has anyone installed or had hands on one of these yet?

I've been unable to get a picture of the multiband antenna. Anyone have any experience with it?

Thanks!
loband
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:29 pm
What radios do you own?: APX7500 plus too many to list

Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by loband »

Yes it is a multiband band NMO from PCTEL.
motorola_otaku
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:03 am

Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by motorola_otaku »

https://www.tessco.com/products/display ... sku=503018

The 8500 also uses a QMA connector for RF, not a mini-UHF. https://www.tessco.com/products/display ... sku=421702

edit: We have some on order but they have not shipped yet. I suspect they aren't actually in production yet.
loband
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by loband »

IMHO, the single RF connection is a bad design. Should have the option of at least 2 if not 3 antenna ports on the radio. Users in public safety want low profile antennas....not some big ugly soda can with a whip (PCTEL) or ugly bigger can with center load whip (Laird) . If you use a splitter the loss on vhf & uhf is 1db and on 800 1.5db. The cell/wifi modems have 5 rf connectors. SMH
motorola_otaku
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by motorola_otaku »

Allegedly Motorola is going to offer a triplexer as a factory option. Haven't seen it documented yet tho.
loband
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by loband »

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tuckerm
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by tuckerm »

Yeah, I'd rather have three antennas than one ugly one.
Schrodinger's Radio: It is simultaneously too loud and too quiet, but you will never know which until someone transmits.
motorola_otaku
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by motorola_otaku »

It comes down to personal preference and hole count on the vehicle imho. The hole counts on our installs are getting pretty ridiculous so I'm in favor of consolidating antennas.

The performance on the Laird antenna was somewhat lacking, especially on the UHF band. I haven't gotten one of the PCTELs to test yet.
ME801
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What radios do you own?: APX8KXE, XTS5K, XTL5K

Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by ME801 »

The Pctel antenna doesn't look horrible. It will be interesting to see how it preforms.
wd9cms
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by wd9cms »

I like the PacTel antenna works great on all three bands. If you do not like the larger diameter base take a look at the Comtelco A55136TB ,TBS antenna it has a narrower base with a loading coil and works well on all three bands as well. This is a link to its data sheet:

https://store.comtelcoantennas.com/cont ... 6TBTBS.pdf

I am sure as these triband radios become more popular more antennas will become available.

Bill
Bill, WD9CMS
444.775 PL131.8/NAC293
927.900 PL131.9/NAC293
loband
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by loband »

We ended up going with Stico splitters so we can use a 1/4 wave wide band Pctel for VHF and can style antennas for UHF & 7/800.
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crazyboy
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by crazyboy »

The PCTel does not look too bad, I do agree the option to have 3 seaparate rf connectors would have been beneficial but since when does mother M care what we think. On a side note I will never understand this desire for low profile antennas on vehicles. To me they stand out more than a 1/4 wave whip and whats the point when a vehicle has a giant lightbar and markings all over it. :x
loband
Posts: 110
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by loband »

The point of the can antennas is not the look but they are rugged. Here in New England when clearing snow off the roof or going thru a carwash the antennas won't be damaged and the radiation pattern is ideal for repeaters. The 6" 1/4 wave will bend and stay bent. And the Pctel UHF is wide band and the 7/800 has gain.
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techtonics
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by techtonics »

UHF band coverage is IMO 20% less
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crazyboy
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by crazyboy »

loband wrote:The point of the can antennas is not the look but they are rugged. Here in New England when clearing snow off the roof or going thru a carwash the antennas won't be damaged and the radiation pattern is ideal for repeaters. The 6" 1/4 wave will bend and stay bent. And the Pctel UHF is wide band and the 7/800 has gain.
Valid point, they are more rugged.
motorola_otaku
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Re: APX8500 Antenna

Post by motorola_otaku »

We ended up buying the Panorama triplexers. Solid product, but they are not cheap... $600 if memory serves.
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