I'm seeking a directional 2m/70cm antenna with substantial gain over
efficient omnidirectional antennas, such as my roll-up J-pole and my
mobile antenna. I considered the MFJ 1768, but I hear that MFJ
antennas aren't that well made. I considered the Cushcraft A2706S Dual
Band Yagi, but I hear that Cushcraft is notorious for inflated dB
claims. The Arrow II Satellite has rave reviews from everyone, but I
haven't worked satellites, though I might sometime in the future. I'm
not too crazy about the BNC connectors. I know that there are
adaptors, but I'd prefer the convenience of sticking to SO-239s and
PL-259s. Most coax jumpers you can buy have PL-259s on them, most of
the good antennas have SO-239s on them, and one of my pet peeves in
ham radio is the use of oddball connectors.
I'm considering the dual band directional antenna from Elk Antennas
(
http://www.elkantennas.com/2m4405element.htm). It would come in handy
for emergencies (like Hurricane Isabel), as I could point the antenna
towards the repeater/net control, and if I don't need the extra gain,
I can just cut back on my power output and conserve battery power.
I haven't heard much about the Elk Antenna 2m/70cm log periodic, so I
would appreciate comments from anyone who has used this antenna. Elk
Antennas also claims that you can use this log periodic for satellite
communications without a duplexer.
Jason Hsu, AG4DG
http://www.jasonhsu.com/ee.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eeham