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| Reviews Summary for Arrow GP 146/440 |
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Reviews: 8
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $35
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Description: Arrow GP146/440 dual-band aluminum ground-plane antenna. 3/8 inch solid aluminum vertical elements for wide bandwidth. Stainless steel mounting hardware.
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More info: http://www.arrowantennas.com
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You can
write your own review of the Arrow GP 146/440.
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KC9BLT
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 15, 2008 09:29
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Well Built and effective
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had two of these antennas. I sold one, was sorry and bought another. I push them up into my Drake Elm trees on fiberglass mast poles. They get banged around quite a bit and they keep working with low SWR's across the band on 2 meters. I am using one on packet now and it direct connects to stations 40 miles away where a 17 foot Tram I had would not! Anyhow I recommend these if you want something that you want to put up for a long time and not have to worry about. Also if you want to deploy and re-deploy, they are sturdy and will take abuse! Thanks for reading and CUL!
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AF6DS
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 19, 2007 16:10
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Good antenna for satellite work
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I replaced my 5' copper J-pole with the GP146/440 for indoor use on mostly 2m meters.
With this antenna, the ISS (Intl Space Station) can digipeat my APRS packet using at most 25 watts on the current simplex FM freq of 145.825 Mhz - even with the ISS at an elevation of ~12 degrees above the horizon. My antenna is mounted indoors on a PVC pipe stand near a window.
This solid aluminum antenna has a VSWR of nearly 1:1, so check/replace your cable if you do not achieve that.
It's nice that you do not need to aim the antenna for satellites passing overhead (and can be located indoors) - great for armchair contacts.
- Peter AF6DS
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W6LBV
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 30, 2007 07:22
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Straight Arrow Stuff
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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If you need some basic omnidirectional VHF/low UHF antennas, you have three different choices depending upon your needs and the funds available. If low cost is paramount, find an SO-239 jack and some solid wire, and construct a little ground plane antenna (design and dimensions are in the handbooks). It will work well enough, but won't last very long in the weather. If the utmost in performance and survivability is critical and you want something that is qualified to go to sea aboard the USS Stennis, gather up your ground plane antenna design and dimensions and head for an aerospace machine shop. They can fix you up with a custom machined antenna out of stainless steel or perhaps titanium.
But if you want a low cost, "no fuss" performer that you can install once and use for years, then simplify your plans and just order an Arrow Antenna ground plane. There’s no point in trying to build one yourself: if you have to buy new aluminum stock and other parts it will probably cost more than the complete Arrow antenna, and you certainly can’t do the machining as well as Arrow can!
I now have both the GP-52 (6 meters), and the GP-146/440 (2 meter/70 cm combo) assembled, installed, and operating. Both were packed for shipping so well that they were impervious to the rampages of the Unified Parsnips System gorillas. The aluminum stock (3/8" solid radiators and 1/4" solid radials!), the stainless steel mounting hardware, and the machining are all first rate. It's obvious that these antennas will stand up to winter storms and high winds without fatiguing and snapping. But installing them on the USS Stennis? That would be an interesting experiment!
Assembly for each takes five minutes with simple hand tools, although the six meter antenna does require trimming of the driven element to length. Everything assembles easily on the first try. Cutting that 3/8" solid aluminum radiator is a great demonstration of how tough this antenna stock really is!
The major complaint, and it has been mentioned here before, is the desire for the antennas to accommodate up to 2" masts, rather than the current 1.5" maximum-sized mast. Some of the more rugged installation locations, including mountaintops, benefit from using 2" masts. A minor "nice to have" would be the optional availability of a Type N coax jack.
Given their incredible Quality/Price ratio, these ground planes should be "standard issue" for every VHF/UHF fixed station.
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KE6TAW
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 8, 2007 11:21
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Amazingly well built antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Just got this in the mail yesterday. I was expecting good quality given the other reviews of this and other Arrow products, but I was blown away by exactly how high the quality is.
This antenna can be summarized in one word - solid. I would have no compunction leaving this antenna out in hurricane force winds. If you painted it olive green, you could easily convince people it was mil-spec :)
I agree with the comments of another reviewer - you could build your own 1/4 wave ground plane (and in fact I have) but unless you want to do it as a learning exercise, you're much better off paying the $35 for this antenna.
I expect that after World War III, the earth will be populated by cockroaches driving Dodge Darts and talking to each other on 2m using Arrow Antennas :D
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KB5ZA
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 18, 2007 19:14
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Great Solid Antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I assembled the antenna in 5 minutes because I could not wait to try it out. Setting just four feet off the ground I was full quite into a repeater 40 miles away. The service was also great. Wyoming to Texas in 2 days.
You can't go wrong with these folks.
Jim
KB5ZA
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EXWA2SWA
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 7, 2004 21:26
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Excellent!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I don't spend much time on 2m, but I'm glad I've got this gem in the attic. Nicely designed, sturdy & well made, easy to put together and install, good signals out & in via simplex or repeater, all at a VERY reasonable price. What's not to like about it? As noted in an earlier review, I don't think you could build one from scratch for less money.
No, I don't spend much time on 2m, but I have no worries that when I do, this is all the antenna I'll ever need.
Oh yeah: did I mention how friendly and competent the folks at Arrow are?
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K0UC
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 22, 2004 18:20
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Well-built
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This thing is great. Exactly what I was looking for. A tough, small, no maintenance VHF antenna. It's not worth the effort of building a ground plane antenna when one as superior as this can be had for around $30. The construction is excellent. Well-machined. The antenna elements are large-diameter and strong. Excellent antenna for 2 meter use if you don't need gain and just want to get your antenna outside un-obtrusively and with no maintenance.
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AD5ER
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 16, 2002 17:53
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Great for satellites!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've only had this antenna for just over a week, but it has great performance for such a compact design. I'm using it on my gateway station that listens to the ISS, PCSat, and UO-22. The low-angle receive is comparible to my Arrow J-pole, which performs almost as well as a Comet GP-6. Of course, the high-angle receive is where this antenna excels. I can receive the voice and packet satellites while they are almost directly overhead. Like the Arrow J-pole, it is built like a tank. This is a great, inexpensive, and tough anenna for satellite or terrestrial VHF and UHF.
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