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Reviews For: Comet SBB-2/SBB-2NMO

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

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Review Summary For : Comet SBB-2/SBB-2NMO
Reviews: 30MSRP: 39.95
Description:
20" long 2m/70cm dual band mobile antenna. 1/4 wave, 2.15 dB gain on 2m, 5/8 wave, 3.8 dB gain on 70cm. VSWR 1.5:1 or less. Maximum power 100W.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cometantenna.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00303.6
K6JPR Rating: 2014-10-19
poor Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Have the NMO version. SWR is 1:1 on 70 cm but I'm not convinced it radiates! On 2 m it is crap! After adjusting for hours could not get the SWR below 6:1.....Never again....Larsen next time.
N0YK Rating: 2012-09-14
Weak above coil... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've used this antenna for the last 8 months with great success as far as performance goes. The antenna is weak right above the base coil and I've had it break in half twice. $35 for a new base coil so not worth it, you can just buy a new antenna for that price almost. Comet's reasoning for this weak part of the antenna was they make them like this on purpose so if you hit something the antenna breaks before your mount or roof of car does. Sure, I'll buy that but find a different antenna in the meantime.

Like I said, good performance but be very careful no to put any pressure on the antenna beside wind loading. I'm moving on to something else...

K9XXX Rating: 2011-10-31
low profile, good performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the SBB-2NMO to serve a specific purpose;local use within 10 miles of my town of 13,000. The local club has a 2m and a .7m rpt.
I never need >5W in town. I have a number of mobile antennas and swap them as needed.
The flat black finish is beautiful,especially without the Comet sticker,which I removed.The antenna doesn't attract attention and doesn't hit
things.
No one will ever hear me complaining if the SBB-2NMO doesn't outperform a 7/8 wave.

N7SZF Rating: 2011-08-22
Decent Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's not a Larsen, but it's not bad.

I own the UHF and two NMO versions of this antenna. It is YL approved as a "cute" antenna for the vehicles.

The UHF mount model won't do better than 2:1. I've tried it with several mag mounts and on two brands of NMO to UHF adapters. 2:1 is the best it will do. I've run it into branches and parking structure concrete on the mag mount - it still works.

The NMO models do 1.5:1 all over the band on a Larsen NMO mount.

The NMO ring on this antenna is short. If you have the Larsen NMO mount, it will sit about 2-3mm off the surface of your car. A large-ish O-ring or a bead of removeable silicone will keep the rain off your NMO mount.
KK9H Rating: 2010-09-14
Good small dual band antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my SSB-2 and mount at Dayton in 2007. I had a new Ford Escape and I needed an antenna that would go in and out of my garage. The antenna is mounted in the left rear corner of the car near the top of the rear door. It has held up well and still looks pretty good after 3+ years of driving. When I go through the car wash, I always remove it and put the little cap on the mount. I live in the Chicago suburbs and  
am able to reach all the repeaters I want on both bands. It performs exactly as I would expect for a 2M quarter wave and small collinear on 70cm. My antenna is the SO-239 version and while my other antennas are NMO types, I have found this version to be problem-free. I would rcommend this antenna for anyone needing a smaller dual band antenna.
K5DRH Rating: 2009-12-03
Works Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased this because it is small enough to mount on the roof of my car and still clear the parking garage at work. So far no problems. It's very rugged feeling, hefty for a small antenna. It's rigid so won't flex at highway speeds. I've even had my Subaru up to 100mph at one point - no problem with the antenna. It's actually mounted to the roof rack and run through the rear hatch of the wagon, connecting to the radio with about 6' of coax. SWR is very low, I checked it thoroughly on both VHF and UHF using a Daiwa CN-103L. Very happy with this antenna.
N3TCR Rating: 2008-02-01
Short Life - Disposable Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the UHF-mount variant of this antenna in January 2005 as a replacement for a broken Diamond NR770HB. I liked its small size (less than half the size of the Diamond) and it initially worked well.
After having trouble in September 2007 hitting local repeaters even with 5W from the HT in the vehicle, I looked at the SWR. It had gone up to over 5:1 over the entire 2M band.
No cause of failure has been determined, but I won't be buying another as a replacement.
W5GSR Rating: 2008-01-02
Good mobile antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I mounted this antenna on the roof of my truck (drill in mount) and it works great for a 20" antenna,swr on 2 meters and 440 are darn near flat.I also checked the swr on it @ 462.675(GMRS) using a buisness band radio and it was about 1.3 at 25 watts.swr on 2/440 was checked at high and low power on a Alinco Dr-635.
K7JGB Rating: 2007-04-09
Great Dual Band Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned two of these antennas and they have worked great. The SWR is under 1.3 on VHF/UHF. It is also a good receiver antenna for railroad and UHF public safety frequencies. I would buy another one if I had another vehicle to put it on!

-Joshua K7JGB
KG4GXI Rating: 2007-01-25
It has lasted Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned the SBB-2 for 4 years. It's been one three different vehicles and 3 mounts. Its a little dirty, but has held up well. No problems getting the SWR under 1.2:1 on both bands. The whip is a stiff one that stays straight at 70 mph. It performs like the 1/4 wave it is. I'd give it a 5 if the price was a little cheaper.