Well, I finally got a SWR meter for UHF and put it
on my 2 meter colinear base antenna. The antenna
is a Hustler CG-144 with radial/mast mount kit. It's
a 1/4 wave phased with a 5/8 wave. It's best VHF
swr is 1.2:1 @ 144.900 mhz.

I had tested it on 440 with my HT and it seemed to
work so I got a SWR meter and tested it. My friend
Dave KC0EMK also came over with his UHF ant
analyzer.

Both meters show a varying SWR around 1.8:1 with
a dip to 1.1:1 @ 440.500 mhz. Coax is 37' of Flexi
4XL with properly fitted PL-259's on each end.

What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF and the swr's are not too bad, then WHY doesn't
Hustler advertise it as a dual band antenna?

Ken KG0WX

Ken Bessler wrote:
Well, I finally got a SWR meter for UHF and put it
on my 2 meter colinear base antenna. The antenna
is a Hustler CG-144 with radial/mast mount kit.
What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF and the swr's are not too bad, then WHY doesn't
Hustler advertise it as a dual band antenna?

It probably has a high radiation angle on 440 which
is typical of 2m antennas used on 440. An antenna is
a dual-band *by design*, virtually never by accident.
--
73, Cecil, http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

"Ken Bessler" wrote

What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF and the swr's are not too bad, then WHY doesn't
Hustler advertise it as a dual band antenna?
_________________

The free-space radiation pattern of a 1/2-wave dipole operating at ~3X its
design frequency has a tri-lobe shape. Maximum gain occurs in two planes
that are not perpendicular to the axis of the dipole, with a reduced lobe in
the perpendicular plane.

Radiation patterns from your Hustler also will be different for these
conditions -- which could explain why it is not marketed as a dual-band
antenna.

RF

Visit http://rfry.org for FM transmission system papers.

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 05:40:51 -0600, "Ken Bessler"
wrote:

What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF

Hi Ken,

By this claim, so well in comparison to what?

and the swr's are not too bad, then WHY doesn't
Hustler advertise it as a dual band antenna?

This goes back to my first question. Matching is not the end-all,
be-all characteristic.

The antenna is 7' tall with a phasing lump probably up 18" or 20"
which provides a complex relationship with the remaining 5' or more.
At UHF, this combination of lengths/loading presents one incredibly
tall antenna that is several wavelengths overall. This would suggest
that favored UHF radiation is principally straight up. Of course, it
still radiates out toward the horizon, but in comparison, by far less.

Now, as to this advertising spec. of being 7' tall. That doesn't make
much sense given the description of 5/8ths above a quarter wave.
Those two figures alone add up to less than 7'. The phasing section
must be awfully long.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

In article 6fkod.1715$3I.569@okepread01,
Ken Bessler wrote:

Well, I finally got a SWR meter for UHF and put it
on my 2 meter colinear base antenna. The antenna
is a Hustler CG-144 with radial/mast mount kit. It's
a 1/4 wave phased with a 5/8 wave. It's best VHF
swr is 1.2:1 @ 144.900 mhz.

I had tested it on 440 with my HT and it seemed to
work so I got a SWR meter and tested it. My friend
Dave KC0EMK also came over with his UHF ant
analyzer.

Both meters show a varying SWR around 1.8:1 with
a dip to 1.1:1 @ 440.500 mhz. Coax is 37' of Flexi
4XL with properly fitted PL-259's on each end.

What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF and the swr's are not too bad, then WHY doesn't
Hustler advertise it as a dual band antenna?

Perhaps because SWR isn't everything!

I suspect that if you measure this antenna's pattern, or simulate in
in NEC or a similar software suite, you'll find that it has a lot of
high-angle radiation, and that its actual gain out towards the horizon
is not wonderful (may even be negative, measured in dBd).

It'd be embarrassing for Hustler to advertise it as a dual band
antenna, but have to quite gain figures on 440 which show that the
antenna performs worse than a simple quarter-wave-plus-radials ground
plane antenna.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

"Richard Clark" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 05:40:51 -0600, "Ken Bessler"
wrote:

What gets me is if this antenna performs so well on
UHF

Hi Ken,

snip
....... The phasing section must be awfully long.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

It's about 18" long.

As to the radiation pattern, you're probably quite
correct. Now it makes sense. As far as 2m goes,
it kicks ass - I'm hitting & hearing repeaters out
to 100 miles with no band conditions apparant.

I'm happy.

Ken KG0WX

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:32:31 -0600, "Ken Bessler"
wrote:
It's about 18" long.
YOW!