UHF Antenna

I would stick to one antenna for everything, I don't understand why some people insist on changing antennas all the time.

Have a look at the GME AE409L 6/9db UHFCB Antenna, thats what we use on some of our vehicles.

I understand the theory but when you are driving are you going to get out and change the antenna when you drive through hilly terrain and then change it back when the terrain becomes flat, then the terrain becomes hilly again and you have to change it again.

Regards Richard

Ihave heard from retailers and installers that antennas such as the 409L have a tendency to snap at the coiled section. Just what I have been told.
Spencer J

Hi Spencer,

The CD5000 is a great antenna that we sell quite a few of. We mainly sell them to people who want a permenantly fixed antenna to deter theives and also people that want to match it to their mobile phone antenna in the way of the CD2195.

I have seen the odd broken one that has coped a whack from a low object just above the spring where the spring cannot react quick enough so the fibreglass sheath breaks but this is pretty rare.

With the AE409L antennas, I am not really a big fan due to their whipyness. Ideally you want something that stays vertical when driving otherwise your transmission characteristics change and you get less range. The AE409L in 6db form is not too bad but in 9db form bends back quite a way when driving at 100km/hr so you you defeat the purpose of having a high gain antenna.

The other problem with the AE409L is that the stainless 1/4 wave whip at the base is prone to break so you have to buy the complete base and the 6/9db whip as seperate items. Also they are prone to theives. However saying that they are popular antennas.

The AE47XX series is a very good strong antenna that performs well (from GME) as does the RFI made CD931. I would stay away from other brands as they are just not reliable enough or fudge their performance characteristics so they can be comparable to the better brands (Axis for example have some badly tuned antennas for something that is supposed to be pre-tuned).

Regardless of what people say, you should always SWR an antenna whether it is pre-tuned or not. We have seen so many badly installed connectors and crushed cable that its not funny. However a lot of antennas nowdays have a slimline phone connector (FME-101) allready installed on the antenna cable so it can be passed through a firewall and then you have a couple of adaptors to choose from that join the cable to the radio. This takes the pain out of fitting connectors and knowing that everything is 100% spot on.

Regards
David