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Reviews For: Comet SBB5-PL 2m/440 mobile whip

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

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Review Summary For : Comet SBB5-PL 2m/440 mobile whip
Reviews: 16MSRP: $54.99
Description:
2m/440 whip antenna with PL-259 type connector, 3/5.5dB gain
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15164.8
KG6YGT Rating: 2005-08-17
Simple and Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Picked up this one at local HRO. Installed it with lip mount on the trunk, antenna is a great performer. Very simple and durable, very solid construction make this antenna good for those who drive fast. Pretty much, noting to brake, as there are no glued coils of any kind. It won’t give you a lot of gain, but it surely will last.
KD5WLH Rating: 2004-12-16
Buy it Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This thing works almost as good as my Comet UHV-4 does on 2m and 440 and that's saying something. I've got a lip mount on the trunk of my Kia Sephia and it works really good. Sturdy, solid, good range, priced right, and it looks good too.
K4CVR Rating: 2004-10-05
kudos Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had an SBB-5 mounted on my mirror bracket for over a year and have experienced nothing but great performance with it the entire time. Being as the mirror is itself mounted to a daily-driven Peterbilt tractor and this antenna has seen thousands of miles of daily service through rain, heat, snow, ice, etc. without problems, I'd say it's a decent stick and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another, should the need arise. Kudos to Comet!
KE6TMQ Rating: 2004-06-29
Excellent Antenna!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had the SBB 5 with the Diamond k-601 mount on the back of my 2004 cavalier for about 2 months now. I've been using an old Icom v21at handheld with a max of 5w, but can get into any repeater that i can hear. I love the black finish, it doesnt look all cheese-ball like some of the antennas i've had on my other vehicles. it is very low profile and has excellent performance, which doesnt ruin the sporty look of my new car.

the antenna easily handles mach 10 on the fwy without folding over. also, a problem ive noticed with some mobile whips is a whistle created by wind noise somewhere around 60mph, this doesnt do that, it's silent the whole way through.

can't beat the price or the performance. i would recommend this antenna to anyone, i consider it one of my better investments during my 10 years as a ham.
KE6NFO Rating: 2001-08-20
Good Experience Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had the SBB5 for a little over a week now and have already thrashed it up pretty good. However, I have no complaints about its performance or finish. Much better than the mag mount mini antenna I had before. All the local repeaters hit beautifully. I can simplex with a friend that lives about a mile away with low power while still registering 5x5 (we live in the city with buildings and such). I like the fold over feature (for garage use). I am using the Comet RS-720 mount and a Diamond C211 cable kit on an Alinco 605TQ. I'll try and add updates as I continue to use it.
WA4JA Rating: 2001-05-21
Bad experience! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased a new SBB-5 with a mag mount. The mag mount is a good item, and even comes with a plug to cover the threads when the antenna is removed. Good thing that is included!
After using antenna for 9 weeks, I heard a "thump" when backing up very slowly from under a small elm tree. Expecting the entire base and antenna to be toppled like even Radio Shack's big whips do, I was surprised to find the antenna had developed a split at the top of the coil allowing everything above the coil to become horizontal. Inspection showed some earlier cracks. I suspect water entered, froze and produced the cracks. Contact with Comet was not promising, either. They stated if the antenna ever contacted a tree, their warranty is void. I suppose if you are on the moon, the warranty applies, but we do have trees in "4-Land." Even old Radio Shack antennas won't fall apart like this one. The base gets a 3 rating, antenna a 0 and Comet's stupid warranty terms a 0. At least the cap is useful since it preserves the base's threads to allow another antenna to be mounted on it.
Advice from the school of experience-save a headache and just buy Larsen.