Batboard

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!

Yes it is a multiband band NMO from PCTEL.

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.

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

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

Here is a public safety triplexer http://www.panorama-antennas.com/site/i ... uct_id=138

Yeah, I'd rather have three antennas than one ugly one.

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.

The Pctel antenna doesn't look horrible. It will be interesting to see how it preforms.

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

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.

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.

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.

UHF band coverage is IMO 20% less

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.

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