Seeking info on an aerial please

[bratters]

Anyone had a pop at one of these please?

http://www.anchorsupplies.com/radarmax.htm

Thanks John

[Terry]

Looks very similar to the Watson Antenna,i have tried the Watson,but reverted back to my original antenna,didn`t  get the expected results with it.GlynH uses a Watson and i believe he gets good coverage.I have just changed my USB cable as My Flights were dropping off slowly,i identified the cable was going naff so replaced it this morning,now My Flights nearly back top normal(435 and rising),so my RB is healthy again,thank goodness!

                  Best Regards Terry.

[orkney]

Hi,
Dont mention the radarmax from anchor supplies to us-what a problems it gave us.
We could get no coverage, they sent out the wrong one first but the replacement was just the same.  They refused a return as they said it must be an interference in the area causing it not to pick up anything.

We eventually went online to Rocket Radio and got a Radar extender which may have been more expensive but its great.  We use the Westflex 103 (15 metres) with it and the 2 together gives us coverage of way over 200 nautical miles.

Claire

[viking9]

Looks like a copy of this one:

http://www.radioworld.co.uk/~radio/catalog/radarextender-external-antenna-radarbox-p-5965.html

A good antenna, but you have to get them up in the clear with no vertical surfaces near to them. Note also that all high gain colinears have a flattened doughnut polar diagram with increased gain in the horizontal plane and reduced gain in the high and low angular directions when compared with the standard antenna supplied.

Tom

[bratters]

Thanks for the replies.

I was looking for something to put in the apex of the loft. It would in fact be a straight one-for-one replacement with the RB supplied aerial which is doing the job at present. I wondered whether the extraordinary claims made for the radarmax had any credibility.

[GlynH]

No credibility whatsoever IMHO...

Looks similar to the Watson/Radar Extender apart from the two 'rings' a quarter of the way up the mast but just reading at the advert for the RadarMax x2 I would not touch it with a bargepole for the simple fact that they mention it comes with a SO239/PL259 connection.

These are cheap & readily available and are generally used for 0-30MHz or so (CB is a good example) but there is usually a reason manufacturers choose BNC, N-Type or SMA for higher frequencies - especially 1090MHz.

And for all their bluster about warranty etc. they refused to return Claire's antenna despite it not working...twice.

Some guarantee....

I would have contacted Trading Standards or hand delivered it back and stuck it where the sun doesn't shine...

Based from their own advert and the post above I would say 'Buyer Beware...they shoot themselves in the foot with their ignorance IMHO...

Kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[bratters]

Thanks Glynn - no half-measures in that post!

They are the main Airnav RB dealer hereabouts and while I've had no probs in the past, if something it looks too good to be true, it usually is.

As it happens I moved my existing attic aerial around a bit today - just a foot here and a foot there - but it seems to have really come alive so I'll settle for what I've got.

[orkney]

Hi again Folks,
Just an update on my last post on this subject.
When we had the aerial (radarmax) from Anchor Supplies and it would not work I have to admit we had a wee peek inside by just undoing the allan key screw at the bottom. We took the aerial out of the fibreglass casing and it was like a piece of bent coiled copper wire that you,d get in house wiring.  The second aerial we got looked ok inside but it still wouldn't work.  The inside aerial is a lot shorter than the casing it was in also.  They also told me to use RG8M coax at 20 metres length but this was also a dead loss but admittedly I dont think the lady I spoke to knew much about it.
We may have just been unlucky (twice at least) but just alerting others to what can happen.
I do find this aerial works ok on our scanner, just not on radarbox.

Claire

[bratters]

If a scanner aerial doesn't work for RB, should a 1090 aerial work for a scanner?

[orkney]

Hiya
According to Anchor Supplies a 1090 aerial must work a scanner as they claim that is what they sold us and we have to use it on our scanner cos as I said it was no use on our RB.
A scanner will work (poorly) with even just a bit of wire (eg coathanger) as Andrew my son tried this and got some reception but he does the more technical side of our hobby.
Also our good aerial-the Radar Extender-works well with the scanner.

Claire

[bratters]

Well, their advert certainly differentiates between two different aerials, with one apparently specifically designed for radarbox/SBS.

Nothing about dual purpose there. Pity they don't read this forum as they could comment themselves.

[Terry]

Hi there,
             Technically the`re right,it will work on a scanner,but only around 1090mhz,the antenna must be a dedicated 1090mhz antenna to do the job for the RB and as Glyn rightly said the pl259 plug is best used on HF,BNC or N-Type are better at the higher frequencies and better if you can get the old silver ones,there are still some knocking around.Remember at the higher frequencies even the smallest loss will reduce the ammount picked up.As for your supplier i think they should WEIGH ANCHOR and move on .

                                    Regards Terry.

[pure3000]

customer service from anchor isnt great either