We have tried stuffing a Diamond X-500 inside a Stationmaster radome but didn't have much luck. Never could get a good match no matter how we tried to decouple the feedline.
The reason commercial manufactures don't make dual banders is because they don't always work well electrically. Dual banders use small disc capacitors in series with the feed, sometimes series and shunt, which can produce intermod due to capacitors breaking down under high power conditions. Even if you did get an X-500 or other Comet/Diamond crap into a big radome, the power ratings are 200 watts PEP if you read the fine print.. which means about 75 watts combined on FM.. they work fine for the casual ham who wants a nice yuppie antenna in the back yard. Some people have excellent success with them.. some dont. I am running an X-500HNA at 160 feet for a low powered UHF repeater, and a packet station on VHF. When the ice came through NC the past few days, the thing wouldn't have lasted over 20 MPH if the wind blew. Additional commentary at: http://www.w4dex.com/kc4fwc/sixtytwo.htm In conclusion, you probably won't find a dual band antenna that will meet your needs if you're running something in a remote area. Another problem is, even if you support the antennas when side mounting them 2 and 3 times, the ground radials will break off from birds or ice falling from up the tower (if you live in such an area) 73, KC4FWC --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, "Daron J. Wilson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Anyone tried stuffing one of the ham dual banders inside a good radome > like an old Sinclair or DB products antenna that was bad? I was > thinking of gutting one of the old bad ones I have, cutting Styrofoam or > something to keep the antenna in the middle of the radome and stuffing > it back inside there for protection. I'm assuming that the failures > with the comet/diamond type are physical in nature. > > Daron N7HQR > Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Repeater-Builder/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
