Review Sirio Antenna SD2000N Discone antenna

[ChrisSmolinski]

I relocated the antenna to another tree in the yard, it is both somewhat higher and more importantly has much less attenuation due to leaves in the new location. My reference signal, the 121.25 MHz AWOS automated weather transmission from Carroll County Airport went from barely audible to a generally decent (although still on the weak side) signal. It will be interesting to see how this improves reception of other signals, including the radiosonde launches from Dulles Airport.

[skeezix]

I picked one of these up and finally got it to the roof today. Now I can hear ATC at KMSP, KMIC, and KFCM, which is significant.

[ChrisSmolinski]

I picked one of these up and finally got it to the roof today. Now I can hear ATC at KMSP, KMIC, and KFCM, which is significant.

Very nice. What were you using previously?

After the relocation, I am able to pick up Sterling radiosonde launches as low as 950m altitude when they are still way down in Virginia. Far better than before. I am also getting very good results with satellites on 2 m and 70 cm.

[skeezix]

Have a VHF/UHF airband HT antenna that I put on an airband filter and put it up near the ceiling in the porch. It was ok, but didn't hear ATC. Then got the discone a few weeks ago, but it was inside on a chair. It was mediocre, as fully expected.

On our statewide 800 MHz P25 system, the std scanner antenna is plenty sufficient.