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Best Home Basestation Antenna for Either 50 Watt Midland or 50 Watt Wouxon?


GMRS4TheWin

Question

I have a Midland MXT500, and a Wouxon 1000G. I would like to use them with power supplies and setup a base station in my garage. The only antenna I have is a Midland MXTA26 (6DB Gain). It works, but I would like a better antenna for home use to maximize my FARS (perhaps a Fong or Comet). I can put it in my attic, or on the outside of my home as long as it is under 20 feet. Thoughts? Thanks! Mostly for repeater use.

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Comet 712efc another vote.  Best antenna i have found in the price range.  With my 20w base i get well over 200 miles from it.   Mounted only 30 high.    Every single person i know in real life that has had a fong has tossed them in the trash and purchased a comet 712efc.   

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Comets are very popular.  

Just be aware when comparing gain figures that some makers give them as  dBi and some as dBd.   The dBi ones will be higher; over-simplifying,  it is because of a different way of measuring, but the important thing is to compare "i" to "i" and "d" to "d"   The more conservative "d" rating is a bit more realistic, (usually about 3 units lower) and a good maker will be sure to let you know which they are using.

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I tried the comet CA-712EFC and it was a dud! I sadly had to send it back due it being defective. A side-by-side test against the Tram 1486 showed it failed miserably. This was a total let down as I really wanted that antenna to work. I am considering getting another when this batch is replaced with a new production run. I know I'm the only person on Earth that had a bad Comet.

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2 hours ago, nokones said:

Can't go wrong with the brands used by Public Safety agencies if you want reliability, longevity, performance, and cost-effectiveness over a long period of time.

If you buy cheap, you get cheap. You don't see Public Safety agencies using some of the cheap antennae previously mentioned.

I have to agree with that. My friend bought the same model Comet a day after I bought mine and his works perfectly. Sample variation sucks worse on cheap consumer goods than it does with the pro stuff. 

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5 hours ago, tcp2525 said:

I have to agree with that. My friend bought the same model Comet a day after I bought mine and his works perfectly. Sample variation sucks worse on cheap consumer goods than it does with the pro stuff. 

Got it. This is helpful. But, what is a pro version of this antenna that Public Safety uses?

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On 4/1/2024 at 3:46 AM, tcp2525 said:

I tried the comet CA-712EFC and it was a dud! I sadly had to send it back due it being defective. A side-by-side test against the Tram 1486 showed it failed miserably. This was a total let down as I really wanted that antenna to work. I am considering getting another when this batch is replaced with a new production run. I know I'm the only person on Earth that had a bad Comet.

No, it happens with any company. I bought a Comet SBB-5 that had a high (4.5:1 or so) on one band. Unfortunately I bought it from a private party to save $12 compared to the best retail price I could find. 
I emailed the Comet distributor and they diagnosed that it sounded like a bad capacitor in the base unit. I could have sent it in to be serviced, but instead I bought a new base for $24. It works perfectly. 
I like Comet antennas and if I ever figure out how to disassemble this base unit I’ll fix it. 

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5 hours ago, Sshannon said:

No, it happens with any company. I bought a Comet SBB-5 that had a high (4.5:1 or so) on one band. Unfortunately I bought it from a private party to save $12 compared to the best retail price I could find. 
I emailed the Comet distributor and they diagnosed that it sounded like a bad capacitor in the base unit. I could have sent it in to be serviced, but instead I bought a new base for $24. It works perfectly. 
I like Comet antennas and if I ever figure out how to disassemble this base unit I’ll fix it. 

Yes, I never had any issues with Comet. I will definitely be purchasing another this fall. Hopefully by then it will come from a different production run. Plus, I prefer tower climbing in the colder weather. 

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On 4/22/2024 at 4:50 AM, gortex2 said:

Laird 4605 and LMR400 from Times Microwave....I'd rather spend the funds now vs speniding money over and over for the same thing. 

 

As the saying goes, "Pay once, cry once".

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