Here's the situation I have going on. I am preparing to install a 900MHz ham repeater with a 6 meter remote base. The 900 antennas have been figured out (3dB verticals), but the low band is my problem. Currentlly, on my other high level site I'm using a Decibel Products folded dipole. Works well and is rugged. My problem is that I have no place to mount and antenna like this (I have to mount to a pipe that has a VHF dipole array on it), nor can I have an antenna with massive radials. I know better than to use a ham type, they don't last more than a few months on a mountain top.
Any ideas of what might work well? This is a 110 watt station on a 4200ft mountian. Most mobiles will be within 50 to 75 miles, with an average ground elevation of not more than a few hundred feet.
What about the Antenex VG472?
So far, I haven't found too much, and don't have any old commercial antennas to cut down and play with.
Thanks...
Josh
Low band antenna advice. What to buy?
Moderator: Queue Moderator
If you want to operate low band, the antenna is big. The folded diploe type antenna like the DB model requires a metal mast or tower behind the individual elements. These are probably the best for a limited space location.
You could double up on the mounting of the low band antenna in a pinch. Consider mounting the low band folded dipole on the same mast as the VHF DB-224. Just mount the single element on the opposite side from the VHF dipoles. The reason I say a single low band dipole is that you don't have enough verticle space to mount a dual dipole low band antenna.
Jim
You could double up on the mounting of the low band antenna in a pinch. Consider mounting the low band folded dipole on the same mast as the VHF DB-224. Just mount the single element on the opposite side from the VHF dipoles. The reason I say a single low band dipole is that you don't have enough verticle space to mount a dual dipole low band antenna.
Jim
6m Antenna
Josh,
Check out Kreco Antennas. They are rugged and you can get a DC grounded coaxial sleeve to mount on the upper part of the pipe. Herb Kreckman also gives a discount to hams.
Ken
Check out Kreco Antennas. They are rugged and you can get a DC grounded coaxial sleeve to mount on the upper part of the pipe. Herb Kreckman also gives a discount to hams.
Ken
Josh,
Didn't we talk on 51.96 recently ? I can say the Kreco antenna is good, we used one on our 52.56 rptr which is on a 8000 foot hill here in northern AZ. Also the dB products low band with reflector and director is another good antenna ( don't remember the model number on this one), 2 of them phased on opposite side of the tower will give good coverage and you don't need vert seperation, the 48 Mhz version of this goes easily to 52 Mhz. I have seen these 2 and 3 element vertical yagis on e-bay for reasonable prices. Give Dave N0EDS of the clearlake 51.96 a call and see what he recommends, he may even have something available.
Mike
WB8VLC/7
Didn't we talk on 51.96 recently ? I can say the Kreco antenna is good, we used one on our 52.56 rptr which is on a 8000 foot hill here in northern AZ. Also the dB products low band with reflector and director is another good antenna ( don't remember the model number on this one), 2 of them phased on opposite side of the tower will give good coverage and you don't need vert seperation, the 48 Mhz version of this goes easily to 52 Mhz. I have seen these 2 and 3 element vertical yagis on e-bay for reasonable prices. Give Dave N0EDS of the clearlake 51.96 a call and see what he recommends, he may even have something available.
Mike
WB8VLC/7