PREMIE RD-98SMA for a Yaesu VX-170

[crawler#976]

Hey all,

Background:

I'm working as a volunteer for the 23rd Annual Prescott Rally again this year. Asked for a new location, and got assigned to an outside corner road block. That means I'll have the truck parked a long way from the road, so I will be using an HT in very convoluted terrain. Fortunately I'm about a mile as the crow flies from the main stage captain. Unfortunately I'm 3 miles by road via all the twists and turns...

I know the stock antenna on my HT, a 2 meter Yaesu VX-170, isn't that good. Decided to get a new antenna, and on the advice of the HRO folks chose the RD-98 17" whip. I looked at a collapsible 5/8's wave Diamond, but the HRO guy said they tend to snap off the SMA connector on the Yaesu.

Anyone have any experience with the RD-98?

It's unbelievably flexible - when it came in UPS today, I thought for sure they must have sent the wrong item because it came coiled in a 5" x 5" x 2" box!

Mark

[AFSOC]

Looking forward to your impressions. I am thinking about upgrading my VX-170 antenna too.

[xtatik]

I'm using the Diamond SRH77CA on my FT-60 and it would easily cover the conditions you describe. When you say "convoluted" terrain...are we talkin' rolling hills or stuff that would scare a goat?

edit:On eham the Pryme unit is getting mixed reviews. Seems to work well, but may have some longevity issues.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1268

[crawler#976]

It's goat country - we'll be on part of a narrow gage railroad bed that had tressels to span between the canyons because the valleys were too tight for even them to make the turns. If a rally car goes off the road, it's a drop of 2 to 3 hundred feet in places :Wow1:

[xtatik]

It's goat country - we'll be on part of a narrow gage railroad bed that had tressels to span between the canyons because the valleys were too tight for even them to make the turns. If a rally car goes off the road, it's a drop of 2 to 3 hundred feet in places :Wow1:

Hmmm, could be iffy with HT's.
Has anyone thought of putting up a temporary local repeater for you guys to work through? I know this is done for the B2V (Baker to Vegas) race out here.

[1leglance]

This is one of those times when I wish both had a radio that could do the cross band repeat and then knew more about it.

I am looking forward to your thoughts on that antenna Mark as I have the same radio and would like something for longer distance comm when I am with the Boy Scouts

[crawler#976]

quick initial impression:

I live about 48 miles line of sight from Flagstaff, and had no problem reaching the repeaters on Mt. Elden. The stock antenna would ping the repeater, but I never got a reply with it. The gentleman that came back to me yesterday said I was low on audio but clear.

[BajaXplorer]

Mark,
I'm surprised you've never noticed I have been using a Pryme 17" RD-98SMA on my HT for years. Definitely improves the range. When we are at the race I will have my roll up j pole which is even better. Less mobile because you have to stop and hang it from something (tree, stick, or ?), but simple bnc connector to switch out with RD-98. It rolls up very compact.
BX

[rusty_tlc]

I use a Comet M-24M with my VX7R, it works very well. It is a mag mount mobile antenna with a cable and SMA connector that connects directly to my HT.

[crawler#976]

Hey BX!

I've probably seen it, but with my quasi terminal case of CRS, I...


See ya on Friday :smiley_drive:

[rambrush]

What a mix of antennas
I am running the Diamond SRH320A on my Kenwood TH-F6A I can easily get 50 miles range to the repeater

[crawler#976]

After a full weekend of use, I highly recommend the Premie RD-98 antenna. I had good reports on signal strength at both ends of a long stage on the Prescott Rally. The Start location was wrapped around a convoluted mountain side - perhaps only a mile line of sight, 3 miles by road over several big ridges, and the Finish was about 7 miles line of sight, 18 by road, and it also wrapped around the flank of the mountain.