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| Review: Tuf-Duck (Antennex / Laird) EXE-821-SM http://interceptradio.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1891 |
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| Author: | nickcarr [ Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Review: Tuf-Duck (Antennex / Laird) EXE-821-SM |
So as you can see from my posts, I'm in the Bellevue area, not too far from Bellevue Community College. I can receive the EPSCA trunk very well - virtually w/o any distortion. I can usually get COLUMBIA TOWER at about 75% of signal. [Side note: I have an outdoor R/S scanner antenna (which I highly recommend) for base monitoring. It's hooked up to BC780xlt most of the time.] I've been looking for the "ideal" rubber duck antenna for my BC396T. I did some internet research and came across "the answer" for an ideal 800 mhz antenna. The antenna (EXE-821-SM) is made by Antennex, a division of Laird Technologies. They offer several antennas choices for virtually any HT radio -- or in this case, a trunking scanner, my Uniden BC396T. It's an 1/2 wave rubber duck with a SMA male connector, hence the -SM suffix. I ordered the antenna Thursday morning from ScannerMaster.com (Natick, MA.) I was happy to receive it Saturday afternoon. Shipping time was ideal (USPS Priority) for only $8. Total cost was roughly $38. The EXE-821-SM is designed to cover a frequency range of 821-902 Mhz with a center frequency of 861.5 mhz. Physically, it measures approximately 8.5 inches. Gain is specified at 2.5dB. Those specifications had me drooling for this antenna. It's only 1" higher than the R/S 800 Mhz antenna but with the right connector and improved gain. Now, the performance of any antenna should be the primary concern for any scanner listener. However, one has to take a few secondary factors into consideration: antenna heigh, connector, reliability and yes, even its appearance. For me personally, the appearance is an important factor. If I have to use a BNC connector, then that means I have use the SMA-BNC adapter, which means I have to add 1" to the antenna height. Also, another issue is stealth. If I take my 396T out in public, I don't want an 8" rubber duck sticking out of my pocket. Currently, I use two primary rubber ducks: a Radio Shack 800mhz BNC and a Comet MH-209 SMA. I don't use the stock antenna that came with the BC396T - because it is terrible at 800mhz reception. The R/S antenna blew it out of the water. [Side note: For an ideal stealth antenna, the MH-209 cannot be beat. It doesn't provide any gain, but if I'm out in public and want to monitor EPSCA, I can do so with this antenna. At only 3" high, it's ideal.] The R/S antenna is a fine 800mhz antenna. My only concerns were the silly "800 Mhz" logo (printed in orange of all colors) and the BNC connector. Admittedly, if this is the worst aspect of this antenna, then I should be happy. However, I was sure there was a better antenna out there that would enhance my listening pleasure. Let me finish off by saying that I'm still evaluating this new antenna, but here are my initial impressions. (Using a 4-star rating.) Features = 4/4 Specifications had me drooling! SMA connector ideal for BC396T. Price = 3/4 A tad high, but for a 'specialized' antenna not bad. Appearance = 4/4 Virtually black and no silly logos or text. It does have two thin yellow stripes at the very top (like older HAM radio antennas) but this doesn't detract in any way. Stealth = 3/4 Its a bit tall at 8.5 inches but it's thin and not very noticeable from a distance. The added gain is worth the trade-off here. Performance = 3/4 I'm still evaluating, but the initial performance is a bit disappointing. I was hoping this antenna would get me the extra gain to relieve some of the static while monitoring COLUMBIA TOWER - but that isn't the case. It seems ever-so-slightly better than my R/S antenna. Just barely. Overall = 17/20 Truthfully, I was expecting a near-perfect review here, but the performance hasn't sold me. I plan to do some non-scientific testing of the antenna peformance. Stay tuned. -Nick Here's a generic link to show the antenna and its connector: http://www.wpsantennas.com/index.asp?Pa ... rodID=2202 |
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