For those interested, I got the x700 dual band Diamond antenna up the other
day.  I made some notes with different signals out of the Denver area so I
could compare it to the short dual band diamond I had before.  You wouldn't
think there would be that much difference between 6 DB on two meters and 9.3
but there is.  I am hearing repeaters much better that are out of town and
some I could not even hear without turning the squelch off.  Now I can hear
them with the squelch turned up.  Also, a friend of mine, who could not even
copy me in the parking lot of where he works, can now hear me fine.  I am
not loud but he can copy me fine.  I also found a national weather station
far enough away that I could not copy at all.  Well, by that I mean, I could
only copy it when it faded in and out, or up and down.  Now I can copy every
single word it transmits.  It still is not full quieting but I can copy it
easily.  The vertical is like 25 feet tall and has 13 DB gain on the 450
band.  When I put my tower back up, I am going to put the dual band antenna
up about 50 feet but just on the roof at 18 feet, it seems to work very
well.  It costs way too much money at 400 dollars though.  the shorter
diamond dual band antenna at 8 and a half feet, 6 DB on two meters and 8 on
the 450 MHz band is a pretty good buy at 140 dollars.

Phil.
k0nx

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