Diamond CR320A help?

[Se7en]

Trying to find a parts list or schematic on the antenna, I have had the antenna installed mobile for quiet sometime now (3 months?) and the Part that folds over and slips onto the color is wearing out and the antenna now rocks back n forth. I am just disappointed i didn't buy the comet with a single coil...

I am also curious about removing one of the coils to turn it into a 2m/440, or 2m/220, or 220/440.



Spent $80.oo and now this Pfft come on diamond get with the program already! :headbang:sneaky2:​

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Comet and Diamond are both made by NCG and have similar models under the two (or three) different names. Notice how cometantenna.com links to NCG Company?

NCG Company::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BTW don't bother to remove a coil unless you want to screw up the entire antenna. Those may not be coils, they may be decoupling capacitors inside those "little lumps" that look like coil forms.

 

[Se7en]

Comet and Diamond are both made by NCG and have similar models under the two (or three) different names. Notice how cometantenna.com links to NCG Company?

NCG Company::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BTW don't bother to remove a coil unless you want to screw up the entire antenna. Those may not be coils, they may be decoupling capacitors inside those "little lumps" that look like coil forms.

Alright, well i was able to hammer the Folding mechanism down into the sleeve to make it non foldable but it managed to work its way out again while driving on the highway. BTW the coils can be removed with two set screws. i didn't take the coils apart because there sealed. like there is TWO coils remove one and now dualband insted of tri band but i am not going to bother i Payed way too much for this antenna IMO for random to happen

I have recently Completely broke down my ANLI dual bander NMO ante replaced the caps and cleaned it up a a bit it is performance better then the diamond but doesnt do the 222MHz.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Removing a piece of the antenna may not, and likely will not, make it a dual bander or monobander as each section tends to operate on all the bands. You will in all likely just EFF the whole thing up. Those sections are phased to operate all together. As for the folding section, use a piece of heat shrink tubing over the whole thing to keep it in place and non-foldable.

 

[Se7en]

Removing a piece of the antenna may not, and likely will not, make it a dual bander or monobander as each section tends to operate on all the bands. You will in all likely just EFF the whole thing up. Those sections are phased to operate all together. As for the folding section, use a piece of heat shrink tubing over the whole thing to keep it in place and non-foldable.

The diamond is a piece of crap !!!! My tram 1150 5/8 out talks and hears much better than the diamond.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

 

[Se7en]

.,

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Alright, well i was able to hammer the Folding mechanism down into the sleeve to make it non foldable but it managed to work its way out again while driving on the highway. BTW the coils can be removed with two set screws. i didn't take the coils apart because there sealed. like there is TWO coils remove one and now dualband insted of tri band but i am not going to bother i Payed way too much for this antenna IMO for random to happen

I have recently Completely broke down my ANLI dual bander NMO ante replaced the caps and cleaned it up a a bit it is performance better then the diamond but doesnt do the 222MHz.

The diamond is a piece of crap !!!! My tram 1150 5/8 out talks and hears much better than the diamond.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

Any antenna that has been "hammered into place" is likely to be a poor performer.

 

[Se7en]

Any antenna that has been "hammered into place" is likely to be a poor performer.

yalla, here better explained
btw even from day one noticed the antenna wasn't all that and then some.
Cr320a - YouTube

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Like I said, a piece of heatsink tubing will cure the fold-over problem as well as prevent water from getting into the base. I ran a 2m 7/8 wave Diamond Super-Gainer that had the same problem and the heatsink tubing cured it. It was a much bigger antenna that the one you are dealing with. As for the poor performance, have you checked the SWR on a decent meter? IIRC there is a coil in the very base that may be damaged. Not sure if you can to the coil without destroying the antenna or not. Also like I said before, thousands have been happy with the Diamond/Comet line of antennas (same thing different name BTW) and every manufacturer has the odd one get through quality control. I have been running the dual band Comet CA-2X4-SR with fold over mount for nearly 15 years and it has never been an issue.

 

[Se7en]

Like I said, a piece of heatsink tubing will cure the fold-over problem as well as prevent water from getting into the base. I ran a 2m 7/8 wave Diamond Super-Gainer that had the same problem and the heatsink tubing cured it. It was a much bigger antenna that the one you are dealing with. As for the poor performance, have you checked the SWR on a decent meter? IIRC there is a coil in the very base that may be damaged. Not sure if you can to the coil without destroying the antenna or not. Also like I said before, thousands have been happy with the Diamond/Comet line of antennas (same thing different name BTW) and every manufacturer has the odd one get through quality control. I have been running the dual band Comet CA-2X4-SR with fold over mount for nearly 15 years and it has never been an issue.

Ok ill try the heat shrink. So far it hasnt moved. Swr is 1:1 on 2m & 222mhz swr on 440 is 1.4.
What I don't understand ia why the antenna doesnt recieve am radio band nor air band....?its def. Probably a bad one. I still would rather use my triplexer and three monoband ant.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Ok ill try the heat shrink. So far it hasnt moved. Swr is 1:1 on 2m & 222mhz swr on 440 is 1.4.
What I don't understand ia why the antenna doesnt recieve am radio band nor air band....?its def. Probably a bad one. I still would rather use my triplexer and three monoband ant.

What are you doing with it? What radio are you using that covers AM radio as well as the air band? Do you mean just the air band which is AM mode? No VHF/UHF antenna is going to work very well at all down on the AM broadcast band and as for the aeronautical band in the 108-136 MHz range it should work quite well there. Any dual or triband antenna I have seen does unless there is an issue somewhere else along the line with the cable or receiver itself.I used to monitor the local Unicom here on 122.880 MHz as well as the the Medivac chopper on 123.450 MHz without an issue with a couple different Diamond/Comet mobile antennas. A lot of guys in the local area had similar antennas as they were/are part of the local search and rescue teams and needed to monitor amateur transmissions as well as the emergency measures organization repeaters outside the upper and lower band edges of the 2m band in addition to monitoring the medivac helicopter. Many of them had the Comet CA-2X4-SR in addition to several different Diamond models.

 

[Se7en]

What are you doing with it? What radio are you using that covers AM radio as well as the air band? Do you mean just the air band which is AM mode? No VHF/UHF antenna is going to work very well at all down on the AM broadcast band and as for the aeronautical band in the 108-136 MHz range it should work quite well there. Any dual or triband antenna I have seen does unless there is an issue somewhere else along the line with the cable or receiver itself.I used to monitor the local Unicom here on 122.880 MHz as well as the the Medivac chopper on 123.450 MHz without an issue with a couple different Diamond/Comet mobile antennas. A lot of guys in the local area had similar antennas as they were/are part of the local search and rescue teams and needed to monitor amateur transmissions as well as the emergency measures organization repeaters outside the upper and lower band edges of the 2m band in addition to monitoring the medivac helicopter. Many of them had the Comet CA-2X4-SR in addition to several different Diamond models.

Yaesu ftm-350ar...am radio band(600khz-1700khz) recieves wonderful with my tram 1150..and the tram also recieves better on air band AM&FM 118mhz & 300mhz than the diamond.