Diamond base station antennas

[Turbo T]

I would recommend for a Diamond X700H. An excellent antenna for 2 m/70 cm. It has a gain of 9.3db for VHF (4x5/8) and 13.0db for UHF (11x5/8)! Here's a review for this antenna. http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2126

Thanks had not seen this one. Wow that's a heck of a price though at $400.

 

[kc8adu]

did they ever fix the leakage issue in the jtb1?
the glue joints would fail allowing the antenna to fill with water.some would then work their way apart and fall over at the bad joint.

I would recommend the Jetstream JTB-1 it is the very same antenna (made in the same plant) as the Diamond X-510. It's 17 ft tall 8.3 DB on 2m/11.7 DB on 440. But cost $85. A lot of Bang for your buck.

R&L Electronics 800-221-7735

 

[WR0220]

did they ever fix the leakage issue in the jtb1?
the glue joints would fail allowing the antenna to fill with water.some would then work their way apart and fall over at the bad joint.

I wasn't aware that there was a leakage problem with this antenna. Thanks for the info. I've been using one for a couple of years now and haven't noticed any problems. I assume if it was filling with water you would notice a change in the SWR. My readings are the same as when I first installed the antenna so I guess I'm okay.

 

[wa4gch]

I wasn't aware that there was a leakage problem with this antenna. Thanks for the info. I've been using one for a couple of years now and haven't noticed any problems. I assume if it was filling with water you would notice a change in the SWR. My readings are the same as when I first installed the antenna so I guess I'm okay.

NEVER had a problem with any of mine

 

[KW4HKY]

Comet, Hustler, Diamond all work great.

 

[W5LZ]

The biggest difference between any of the antenna of this style/type is mechanical in nature, not electrical. Which is 'best'? Beats me. I tend to favor 'Comet' brand but can't say they are better than any of the rest of them. I've had Comet antennas that were 'duds', and others that have lasted quite a few years even with changing positions/locations of installation. That's about as common/normal with any brand antenna as you can get.
- 'Doc

 

[milkman21218]

did they ever fix the leakage issue in the jtb1?
the glue joints would fail allowing the antenna to fill with water.some would then work their way apart and fall over at the bad joint.

I've never noticed any problems. So I guess that they solved it.

 

[KW4HKY]

Don't ever confuse that cable with hardline. It is as much hardline as my shoe lace. No disrespect meant BTW it's just that it is NOT hardline nor is it what most people mistakenly call hardline which is heliax cable. That BR400 simply has a solid centre conductor as a lot of coaxial cables have but that does not make it hardline.Real hardline is simply copper tubing both inside and out that uses special fittings to connect pieces and make bends. A lot of peoploe call heliax cable hardline too but it's not. Heliax cable has a corrugated outer sheath that allows it to bend some but it is still quite stiff and easy to kink and ruin. When dealing with 2m and especially 70cm you want the very best cable you can afford and if the specs on that Browning cable are true you are probably OK with it on 2m up to 50 feetbut 70cm is going to have extra losses. If you have good signals from repeaters in youir area you should be good however.For anything over 50 feet on 70cm I recommend Andrew LDF4-50 as a good starting point. You don't need the LDF7-50 as King Cobra uses. He is just plain nuts and has more money than common sense. LDF-7 is used in commercial FM broadcasting and cellular carriers with many kilowatts of power.

The Wireman sells this as "super 8 low loss". How does it stack up with what you recomend?

Born in 1991 as an experimental coax, similar to Flexi-4XL, but with a foam dielectric instead of the air, or semi-solid polyethylene, dielectric. Very similar to the recent Belden 9913F7 and Times LMR 400UF®, but now with a great new, tougher, higher temperature, UV resistant jacket and greater flexibility. With its longer track record, and lower price, "Super 8" continues to improve as the technology is perfected, and indeed, the current production has almost the same loss characteristics as the expensive items. Look for its "kissin' cousin", Bury-Flex, by Davis RF, with a tough polyethylene jacket. (Wireman P/N 103A)

 

[W5LZ]

That should be fairly easy to find out for yourself. Compare that "super 8 low loss" coax's specs with any other cable's specs. How does it stack up? Since the frequency range of interest is 2 meters, use the 150 Mhz specs, that should get you close. If the specs for that cable aren't published, but it's called 'comparable', I'd pass on it since that's not really a very reliable way to characterize things. I haven't looked it up so can't make a guess about how it's specs run. I have seen that 'comparable' thingy used and that's generally a 'cop-out'.
- 'Doc

 

[W5LZ]

That should be fairly easy to find out for yourself. Compare that "super 8 low loss" coax's specs with any other cable's specs. How does it stack up? Since the frequency range of interest is 2 meters, use the 150 Mhz specs, that should get you close. If the specs for that cable aren't published, but it's called 'comparable', I'd pass on it since that's not really a very reliable way to characterize things. I haven't looked it up so can't make a guess about how it's specs run. I have seen that 'comparable' thingy used and that's generally a 'cop-out'.
- 'Doc

 

[wa4gch]

That should be fairly easy to find out for yourself. Compare that "super 8 low loss" coax's specs with any other cable's specs. How does it stack up? Since the frequency range of interest is 2 meters, use the 150 Mhz specs, that should get you close. If the specs for that cable aren't published, but it's called 'comparable', I'd pass on it since that's not really a very reliable way to characterize things. I haven't looked it up so can't make a guess about how it's specs run. I have seen that 'comparable' thingy used and that's generally a 'cop-out'.
- 'Doc

The DAVIS burial fles is good stuff I use it here along with LMR-400 and can't tell any diffrence ....

 

[W5LZ]

'GCH',
I probably gave the wrong impression with the way that post is stated, and it wasn't intentional. That "comparable" thingy is a very misused/ misleading thing at times. The specs for any coax cable are the things that should be compared, they tell you just -how- 'comparable' two cables are. A ping-pong ball and a bowling ball are 'comparable, they're both round. I know which I'd rather drop on my foot though! See what I mean?
- 'Doc

 

[wa4gch]

'GCH',
I probably gave the wrong impression with the way that post is stated, and it wasn't intentional. That "comparable" thingy is a very misused/ misleading thing at times. The specs for any coax cable are the things that should be compared, they tell you just -how- 'comparable' two cables are. A ping-pong ball and a bowling ball are 'comparable, they're both round. I know which I'd rather drop on my foot though! See what I mean?
- 'Doc

LMR-400 is what i use here BUT with the high amount of rainfall and a 50 foot run over a flat roof the Davis cable last longer and dosn't get wet as fast. I use it for these runs

They are both good at 144.200 MHZ ....

I find spects on most everything to be opomistic at best ...

 

[KQ4AQP]

Thanks Doc. I was about to ask about the J poles. There's a guy on eBay selling them swearing up and down they're all that and then some.

Sitting in my drive with a 3 ft tall Tram dual band mag mount on top of my car (that sits less than 5 ft. tall) and my FT7900 on hi power (50 watts) I can hit a 2 meter repeater at 50 mile

Hitting a repeater 50 miles away with a mag mount sounds to be more about terrain.

 

[nomadradio]

about terrain

I would start with driving that mag mount to the tallest hill in the neighborhood.

73