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You can
write your own review of the Larsen glsss-mount dual band antenna.
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KI4PBQ
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 4, 2009 11:13
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Hit or miss on different installs
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I originally purchased this for install on a 2005 VW Jetta. Did the install on the rear glass centering the defroster lines in the null as described in the manual. Never could get an SWR below 5 after much antenna trimming.
I took it off and used a trunk mount on the Jetta. Larsen sent me a new whip for free. Great customer service. BTW the Larsen person I spoke with said those are the worst antennas they make but they can't discontinue them because the demand is so high.
Just this week I re-installed the Larsen glass mount antenna on a Ford Flex side window (I tried installing on the roof top glass but couldn't route the cable to my liking).
The side windows have a dark factory tint. Using a MFJ RF Analyzer the antenna showed a 4.4 SWR at 146.64 Mhz. Before trimming, the lowest 2m SWR was 1.2 at 140 Mhz. It was also resonant at 439 Mhz. Obviously the whip of the antenna was too long. I don't know if it was due to the tint or the glass thickness.
I heated the ferule and pulled it off so I could trim both ends equally. I trimmed both ends of the antenna approximately 2 inches each until the antenna was under 27" total length. I was able to obtain an SWR below 2 and ran out of time. I think with a little more trimming it will come down below 1.7 but I've re-glued the ferule and will probably leave well enough alone.
Larsen makes good products but there are just a lot of variables when mounting through glass. So don't just slap one of these on your vehicle and key full power for a few weeks before checking the SWR.
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KC0AIX
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 7, 2008 16:38
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Great Antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Installed the Larsen back in 2002 on my Cadillac DTS. Low SWR and works great. 63K miles later it still works great.
Fixed the highway speed whistle problem by applying 3/4 inch heat shrink tubing to the coil.
Not cheap but the good stuff never is..
Mike Pappas
KC0AIX
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KI6JEJ
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 10, 2007 13:04
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Very Good Antenna!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I just installed the Larsen dual band "through glass" antenna. The instructions suggest not using on metallic tinted windows or aftermarket tinted windows. My window is factory tinted, so I gave it a try. The SWR appears reasonable and I am able to hit most of the local repeaters, even on low power.
The only complaint I have so far is the wind noise the antenna generates. I have about 2/3 of the antenna above the cab of my pickup, and it generates a noticable whistling sound above about 55 mph. Nothing I can't live with, but I can hear it. I may try changing the angle of the antenna to see if I can reduce the noise.
Overall, a great antenna that was very easy to install, and didn't require cutting a hole in my truck.
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K5ADF
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 14, 2006 10:21
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good antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought the antenna in 1997 and installed it on a new Ford Ranger extended cab XLT. It is mounted to the back window on the driver's side. The window is tinted and has a sliding part in the middle. It was connected to a FT8100 and now a FT8800 dual band radio. The SWR is below 1.5 and the antenna performs well. I have not had a problem with the antenna yet. I have heard that the tinted window will impact the antenna, but not in my case. I do not hear the whistling sound reported by other users. When I go in and out of the garage, the antenna hits the top of the door without any problems. It is flexible. The glass mount is a compromise in performance (as are all antennas), but I did not drill any holes in the truck and it is mounted up high on the cab. I would recommend the antenna to anyone who does not want to drill holes for the antenna or coax feed line.
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WA4ISZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 14, 2006 09:35
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Attractive and Effective
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my first Larsen glass-mount dual band antenna in 1992 for my new Honda Civic. When I initially installed the antenna, the SWR was unacceptable. I contacted Larsen and was told that the Civic probably had a rear window whose thickness changed the SWR. The Larsen representative stated that they would cut me an antenna to my specifications if I would trim the antenna from the top and bottom in small increments until the SWR fell to an acceptable value. After contacting Larsen with the new measurements, they sent me a new, custom-cut antenna without charging me a cent. The antenna performed flawlessly on the Civic for about nine years, after which I bought a re-installation kit and installed it on a small Toyota pickup. Even though the antenna was custom-cut for the Honda Civic, the SWR was still within an acceptable range. The antenna once again performed flawlessly for about 8 years. I then removed the antenna before selling the truck.
Rather than use the old antenna again, I recently bought a new antenna like the old one for my new Toyota Tundra. Since the Tundra has tinted windows, I was a bit leary about installing it after reading the documentation that came with the antenna. I decided to install the antenna anyway and was delighted to find that the SWR was 1.5 to 1 or better on both 2 mtr and 70cm. The antenna is performing as advertised. Although I never detected any wind noise on my first antenna, there is a noticeable whistle at 55+mph. I've found that moving the antenna back at an angle reduces the wind noise.
I'm totally satisfied with this antenna. It looks good on my truck and it works effectively. Yes, the price is a little high, but well worth the money when you consider that no bored holes are required and the antenna should last for many years.
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As soon as I submitted my review of the Larsen glass-mount dual band antenna, I realized that I was a tad off on the number of years that I had the antenna on each vehicle. The antenna was on the Honda Civic for about 5 years and on the Toyota truck for about 9 years. I just wanted to be more accurate with my review.
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KI6BYJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 25, 2006 11:57
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Great!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I purchased the KG2/70CXPL at Ham Radio Outlet in Sunnyvale after many good words about the antenna from the staff and other hams in the store. I was a bit worried about the factory tint on my truck's rear window, but it turned out not to be a factor at all. The antenna is attractive compared to the older mag mount I was using. The only complaint I have is the "whistling" from the coil if I am driving 50+ Mph on the freeway.
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N0GPW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 5, 2005 05:47
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Excellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought this antenna after researching many thru the glass antennas. Thought Larsen would be the best and it didn't disappoint me. I was looking to install on the windshield until reading the instructions and decided to install on the rear window of my Expedition. Placed it off to the side to miss the rear wiper sweep and split the defroster wires. I emailed Larsen about the orientation (install arrow) because I wanted the coax to run down the passenger side. They responded back that it was ok to orient the arrow down as long as the outside portion was oriented the same. Only problem is how this antenna sings driving down the road. I want to figure out a way to put something over the coil to reduce this but as yet haven't. It varies in volume based on temperature, speed and air density.
My dad needed an antenna to install on his class A motorhome and chose this one also. He chose this antenna based on the height of the whip. He called Larsen and asked about installing to the windshield. Larsen said it's done all the time but the coupling will be affected based on glass thickness (higher SWR possible). Swr was ok after he installed on the windshield. Dad's problem was he needed a tall antenna to clear the roof. This one clears the roof by only 8 or 9 inches. Not much ground plane on the motorhome with the rubber roof and fiberglass skin though.
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N0MUD
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 4, 2005 23:00
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Very good system
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had mine for the two years I've had my Yukon Denali and yup no holes. So I bought a window mount, installed it and the only problem was with the screw that holds the antenna to the mount. I've had to replace it several times but it wasn't any problem to me. My SWR's have always been very low and it has handled the 50 watts from my Yaesu FT-8800 with never a problem. Of course I have never heard my antenna whistle as I drive down the road, because either my windows are up or I am busy driving and talking and still trying to understand how someone can hear their antenna whistle when they are driving. I even bought a second antenna/mount for my 220 radio. If you don't want to put any holes in your vehicles body then the window mount is the perfect way to go. Just remember tho to mount it correctly on the inside and outside of the window, make sure the arrow is pointing down on mount as the instructions tell you so that it works correctly. The SWR's on the 2/440 are 1.2.1 and 1.3.1 respectfully and you can't complain about that. I mounted both of my antennas just below the dark portion of my tint and never any problems there either.
73's and good HAMMIN.....
Mike, NØmud
Colorado Springs, CO
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KG6ZKH
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 4, 2005 20:13
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Would Buy Again
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Performs 5.0 with an Icom T7H on external power @ 6 watts. Even continued to give good performance while transitting the Palomar repeater RF black hole in Vista, Ca. The instructions warn against installing it on curved glass. The glass on the back of my Accord is slightly curved but I got full contact patch adhesion. It warns not to install on tinted glass and the car has the darkest legal tint. Reccomended.
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KC0OSB
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 1, 2004 20:20
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works great
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my Larsen glass-mount dual band antenna from a ham friend, and it turned out to be a really nice antenna. I have made terrific contacts with it both with my handheld VX7R and later with my FT-7800. I have read some of the less than "5" comments about the antenna but they all seem to be due to a bad installation. If you read the instructions and install it according to the instructions it will perform quite well. It also looks good on the Cherokee, mounted on the rear quarter glass. I just have to remember to unscrew and remove the whip before going into garages, hi hi.
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