What's your favorite VHF whip?

fireradio · Post by **fireradio** » Sat May 22, 2004 5:09 pm

I'm getting ready to do an install in my car, and I'd like to get a good 5/8 wave or 1/2 wave VHF whip (NMO mount; no dual band!)

Just wondering if anybody has a particular model they prefer over something else.

KitN1MCC · Post by **KitN1MCC** » Sat May 22, 2004 8:22 pm

Well for VHF i will say comtelco for both 1/4 abd 5/8 3db

i like the comtelco heavy duty 1/4 wave with the spring and the thick whip. they seem so much better built and look nicer then those POS whip and the rubber

and i liek the 5/8 comtelco with the shock spring i have used these as both new and replacements they seem to be rugged as all hell

JohnWayne · Post by **JohnWayne** » Sat May 22, 2004 9:04 pm

If your car is metal, then I would go with the 5/8 wave. I generally only use a 1/2 wave if need something that doesn't require a ground plane.

I am pretty partial to Antenex antennas. I've never had a problem with one, and they are built very well. For your standard 5/8 wave go with model B1443, and BB1443 for the same in black. They also have a nice wideband design that is resonant across the entire band from 144-156MHz; great if you need to talk a lot of places. The model on this one is CW1443 and CWB1443 for the black. I use two of the CWB1443 on my personal vehicle.

I have all of these, and mode, available on my website. Surf on over to http://shop.waltel.com/cgi-bin/store/co ... nnas_-_VHF to see the whole selection. I have other supplies you might need such as mounts and hole saws as well. Maybe you'll see something else that you can't live without.

Thanks,
Jeff

wa2zdy · Post by **wa2zdy** » Sun May 23, 2004 7:42 pm

Larsen NMO 150 - 5/8wave. I've had some over 20 years, still working just fine. Keep 'em clean (yes, wipe the whip off from time to time) and you'll be fine.

Yes, keeping the whip clean can help. Since RF travels by skin effect - on the outer skin of any conductor - you don't want that skin being polluted. And skin effect is more of an issue the higher you go in frequency.

Good luck.

SlimBob · Post by **SlimBob** » Mon May 24, 2004 5:59 am

For no-gain applications, Larsen KULrod. Makes EIRP easy to calculate, radiates in all directions. For gain applications, the Larsen NMO series. I'm a ham, so I have antennas in the hambands, but I have the NMO 27, NMO 50, and NMO 2/70. I also have a Tram antenna not unlike the NMO 2/70 which is supposedly rated to 200W. We'll see after I diplex a VHF Hi-band and a UHF radio into it.

va3wxm · Post by **va3wxm** » Mon May 24, 2004 6:50 am

Nearly all of my mobile whips are Larsen. The NMO150 is fantastic on 2m ham and will tune up on 6m as well. The NMO2/70 is the best dual-band one I've used. I also use an NMO27 for my chicken band rig.

Heh, I spent more on the CB whip than I did the radio.