|
Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
|
Thread Tools |
6th Mar 2014, 12:33 pm | #21 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Please keep us posted re the outcome.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
7th Mar 2014, 1:10 pm | #22 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
I will. So far I have asked to return it as it doesn't meet specification but have been ignored.
Peter |
7th Mar 2014, 1:27 pm | #23 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Trades description here you come I think.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
8th Mar 2014, 11:58 am | #24 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
That's what I was thinking but how do I prove it. Tried running a new feeder yesterday, found a redundant length of UR67 with an 'N' plug on it, it wasn't until I got on to the roof and tried to connect it I discovered it was another female.
Peter |
8th Mar 2014, 6:19 pm | #25 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: St.Ippolyts, Hitchin, Hertfordshire QRA IO91UW
Posts: 3,517
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Just reject it as not fit for purpose, distance selling regulations may also help.
__________________
Engineers make things work and have spare bits when finished |
8th Mar 2014, 7:04 pm | #26 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
This is another good reason for buying stuff using a credit-card rather than cash/cheque/debit-card.
If you end up in a dispute with the supplier, provided you are 'timely' in lodging the claim you can reject the item and get a chargeback with your CC company. The issue then becomes a matter for them to take up with the supplier. The precise definition of 'timely' is open to some legal wrangling. I've never failed to get a chargeback when doing this. |
8th Mar 2014, 7:39 pm | #27 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Only for goods over £100 i think protection with credit card.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
8th Mar 2014, 7:54 pm | #28 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Probably depends on your credit-card: I've scored a chargeback for a £75 camera-battery which was definitely nowhere near the vendor's claimed capacity. I also did a chargeback for a £55 overnight stay in a Travelodge in which sleeping was entirely impossible because of the nocturnal-noisy antics of other guests in the corridors outside my room.
|
8th Mar 2014, 8:47 pm | #29 |
Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,800
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Dylan Thomas knew how to turn a word.
I've got a Comet 2m/70cm co-linear up on the apex of the house and it does what it says on the tin. Gain seems about what I expected. It's also got an N-connector which is an awful lot better than SO239. Comet seem dependable. David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
8th Mar 2014, 9:55 pm | #30 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 13,951
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Quote:
As well as Comet, I also recommend Italian "Sirio" antennas - I've a few hundred vehicles running round with their spring-based VHF-whips: [which intriguingly also can be cut to work both as a base-loaded 1/4-wave for 50MHz and a 5/8-wave for 2-metres]. Last edited by AC/HL; 26th Jul 2014 at 11:02 pm. Reason: Image uploaded |
|
8th Mar 2014, 10:05 pm | #31 |
Pentode
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Clitheroe, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 173
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
It seems to me that the new antennas elements are probably cut for the high end of the band and the matching has been adjusted for the mid portion. This should cause a downward tilt of the radiation pattern and all the useful gain is being wasted unless you live on top of a mountain.
John G4IJD
__________________
Old radio engineers never die, they just go intermit...mit...mit...mit... |
8th Mar 2014, 10:39 pm | #32 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
We live at 500' asl with the ground dropping away on three sides and have a clear view of about 15 miles to the east, used to be able to work FM in to Holland, when there were people on it.
I paid via Paypal, don't know if I have any redress from them, and yes, it was over £100.00. I checked my ebay messages and can find no trace of the last two I sent so have contacted them again. I can open a dispute with them via ebay but don't know how effective that would be. Peter |
9th Mar 2014, 4:52 pm | #33 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
I have had success with dispute resolution via eBay/PayPal. Try it!
|
9th Mar 2014, 7:51 pm | #34 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
OK thanks. I have today replaced the feeder with some low loss air spaced UR67 or similar and the performance is actually worse, weak stations audible on the loft antenna can now not be heard at all on the collinear.
Peter |
9th Mar 2014, 8:02 pm | #35 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Ebay/PayPal are first class in any dispute.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S |
9th Mar 2014, 10:33 pm | #36 |
Pentode
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Redditch, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 196
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Is the loft aerial any higher than the moonraker colinear. Even a few feet at 2m/70cms will make a difference.
Chris G0EYO |
10th Mar 2014, 12:14 am | #37 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Hi Chris
No, the Moonraker was about 20 feet higher, its lower since I fitted the new feeder, the bottom is about level with the top of the indoor one, I will try the effect of winding the tower back up again tomorrow. Peter |
11th Mar 2014, 1:08 pm | #38 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK.
Posts: 3,601
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
My opinion of Moonraker has substantially improved this morning, after checking the SWR with another newer meter I found it was in fact around the 1.5 mark on all frequencies but the fact remains that it is well down on gain compared with my loft antenna, I told them this and have received a full refund.
They said they had sold hundreds and never had a problem so either mine has a fault or no one has done a direct comparison before. In view of the excellent performance of my loft aerial which is a 2m/70cm about 6' long with a splitter at the bottom, I think I will put that up on the mast. Peter |
11th Mar 2014, 1:19 pm | #39 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,923
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Good result, iI admit iI have used Moonraker before and found the service excellent.
__________________
G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S Last edited by HamishBoxer; 11th Mar 2014 at 1:26 pm. |
8th Jul 2014, 4:45 pm | #40 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Bangalore, India
Posts: 132
|
Re: Disappointment with my new 2M antenna
Quote:
The problem could be that you are at sea level and the stations you received at a much higher altitude. Under such conditions the collinear, with its low angle of radiation, is at a disadvantage when compared to a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna with its high radiation angle. I have observed this behaviour with a J-pole antenna. The signal from a distant repeater located on a hill is always stronger at my location while using a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna. On the other hand stations at my altitude are stronger while using the J-pole.The effect is more pronounced with signals from mobile stations at my altitude. I suppose your loft antenna has a high angle of radiation (even if it's not a 1/4 wave ground plane!). 73, Nandu. |
|