base antenna or 2 base antennas?

[WREY478]

Looking for opinions on a gmrs base antenna setup. 

 

Currently using a mobile nmo 5.5db whip on a mag mount, on top of my furnace chimney.  Plenty of steel ground plane and it seems to work OK, but not great.  12' of RG58 with the mount and about 20' of RG8x to complete the feeder.  This puts me around 3.5db loss in the coax.  I can just barely pick up 2 different repeaters, each about 40miles away on a clear day with the monitor/squelch wide open. 

 

Not the most ideal situation and i want to improve it. 

 

First consideration is that i need 2 different antennas, a yagi (12-element PCTEL MYA45012) on a rotator and a 9db gain omni (Comet CA-712EFC), both on a switch.  Seemingly, this would give me all the options I'm looking for.  Long range sniper antenna with the yagi and good around-town simplex with the Comet.  I will be improving the feeder lines significantly with lmr400, 600, or maybe even 1/2" hardline.  All 'N' connectors and 'N' ported switch to keep loss at a minimum.  Both would be mounted on separate masts (yet to be installed) on the roof, about 15' apart from each other. 

 

My question is.... would a DB404 be equal to or superior in hitting the 40mile away repeaters? And if so, is the DB404 really all i need? From what i have read of Corey's DB404... sure seems like thats all i would need.  However, I'm concerned with my urban location in the swamp of Indianapolis, lack of height on my roof, and trying to break a signal out of the trees as well as the lower lying swamp ground that is my neighborhood. 

 

The price for the 2 antennas and feeders will end up costing about the same as just going with a DB404 out of the gate.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

(no wifey-poo considerations and i could care less what the neighbors think)

 

-jb

wrey478

[coryb27]

Looking for opinions on a gmrs base antenna setup. 

 

Currently using a mobile nmo 5.5db whip on a mag mount, on top of my furnace chimney.  Plenty of steel ground plane and it seems to work OK, but not great.  12' of RG58 with the mount and about 20' of RG8x to complete the feeder.  This puts me around 3.5db loss in the coax.  I can just barely pick up 2 different repeaters, each about 40miles away on a clear day with the monitor/squelch wide open. 

 

Not the most ideal situation and i want to improve it. 

 

First consideration is that i need 2 different antennas, a yagi (12-element PCTEL MYA45012) on a rotator and a 9db gain omni (Comet CA-712EFC), both on a switch.  Seemingly, this would give me all the options I'm looking for.  Long range sniper antenna with the yagi and good around-town simplex with the Comet.  I will be improving the feeder lines significantly with lmr400, 600, or maybe even 1/2" hardline.  All 'N' connectors and 'N' ported switch to keep loss at a minimum.  Both would be mounted on separate masts (yet to be installed) on the roof, about 15' apart from each other. 

 

My question is.... would a DB404 be equal to or superior in hitting the 40mile away repeaters? And if so, is the DB404 really all i need? From what i have read of Corey's DB404... sure seems like thats all i would need.  However, I'm concerned with my urban location in the swamp of Indianapolis, lack of height on my roof, and trying to break a signal out of the trees as well as the lower lying swamp ground that is my neighborhood. 

 

The price for the 2 antennas and feeders will end up costing about the same as just going with a DB404 out of the gate.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

(no wifey-poo considerations and i could care less what the neighbors think)

 

-jb

wrey478

 

If you use the beam I would go with less gain on the yagi for a more usable beam width. I had a 5 element on a rotor and was able to work repeaters 45 miles away at my last house. Yet again a DB-404 30' off the ground in my attic with 45 watts gets me into my chain o lakes repeater 35 miles away full quieting and I have talked simplex to other base stations 25 miles away. How high can you go? A 3' tripod and 10' mast on roof may just do the trick.

[WREY478]

If you use the beam I would go with less gain on the yagi for a more usable beam width. I had a 5 element on a rotor and was able to work repeaters 45 miles away at my last house. Yet again a DB-404 30' off the ground in my attic with 45 watts gets me into my chain o lakes repeater 35 miles away full quieting and I have talked simplex to other base stations 25 miles away. How high can you go? A 3' tripod and 10' mast on roof may just do the trick.

 

My house is an old tri-level, so the roof height is just about 4-5' less than a standard 2-story.  10' on a tripod sure seems like a lot of potential weeble-wobble in the wind, but this is why i pose the question to the experts.  I do already have a 5-element yagi, and plan to try it out first. Then possibly option for a 12 or some variation of yagi higher than a 5.  I know that Buddy Moyer uses a 5-element on his tower to hit the local Indy 550 repeater with no issues whatsoever.  But, his yagi is also 70' off the ground, mounted to his repeater tower there in Greencastle. 

 

My concern is that i get it right from the start, whether that is 2 antennas or 1.  I've already accumulated quite an array of mobile antennas with various testing and i don't want that expense or hassle when going roof top.  Ideally, i want to set the track in motion and know that i'm going to have decent success with the investment. 

 

Appreciate the response and all you guys out there making this fun for the rest of us.

 

-jb

[coryb27]

My house is an old tri-level, so the roof height is just about 4-5' less than a standard 2-story.  10' on a tripod sure seems like a lot of potential weeble-wobble in the wind, but this is why i pose the question to the experts.  I do already have a 5-element yagi, and plan to try it out first. Then possibly option for a 12 or some variation of yagi higher than a 5.  I know that Buddy Moyer uses a 5-element on his tower to hit the local Indy 550 repeater with no issues whatsoever.  But, his yagi is also 70' off the ground, mounted to his repeater tower there in Greencastle. 

 

My concern is that i get it right from the start, whether that is 2 antennas or 1.  I've already accumulated quite an array of mobile antennas with various testing and i don't want that expense or hassle when going roof top.  Ideally, i want to set the track in motion and know that i'm going to have decent success with the investment. 

 

Appreciate the response and all you guys out there making this fun for the rest of us.

 

-jb

 

I would try that beam you have, feed it with some LMR400, A 10' mast in a 3' tripod is only 7', point that beam toward Greencastle see what you get. I have had great success with 10 foot, inch and a half electrical conduit, its cheap and strong for smaller antennas. Stop wasting your money and mobile antennas you will never get good results.

[WREY478]

Copy that.  Masting will commence.

 

My mobiles were just my intro into all this madness.  Used to use uhf at the golf clubs in the old days before cell popularization, and has been fun getting back into the old tech, with a new format.  Back then it was all simplex and dtmf tones to control irrigation centrals and employee comm.