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Reviews For: Antenex FG 1443 2M Antenna

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

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Review Summary For : Antenex FG 1443 2M Antenna
Reviews: 4MSRP: 241
Description:
2 Meter 3DB Gain commercial antenna, Fiberglass Construction. DC grounded.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.antenex.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1344.5
KA2AYR Rating: 2023-03-02
It's good. It's not the best. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I hate to be the guy who breaks the 5 star streak, I deployed one on an oceanfront high rise building. It was good for the purpose of needing a small profile antenna with a fiberglass radome that would be subjected to salt water spray and potential hurricane force winds.

The big manufacturers also don't make 3.0 dBd 2 meter antennas anymore and I didn't want a weird electrical tilt with an out-of-spec frequency. The DB-224 was too heavy a wind load for the location, and there have been quality control issues with the newer product runs. A Commander 220-2N would also be too much of a wind load for the site and a previous large radome antenna broke at the base during a hurricane. The FG-1443 did fine with all that.

It's not a lot of gain, relatively, and is outperformed by a modified, weatherized G7-144 (parts capable of rusting replaced with marine grade stainless steel, contacting surfaces coated with Penetrox A, stainless steel machine screws and starwashers instead of worm gear clamps, rivets removed and replaced with marine grade stainless screws/starwashers/nuts, sprayed with aircraft aluminum corrosion inhibitor). The G7-144 was also produced less desense. Granted, I would not expect a G7 to survive a hurricane on top of a high rise and I wouldn't expect it to last more than a year or two right next to the ocean without some treatment and inspection.

I haven't taken it apart, but my impression is that the FG-1443 is a thick wire J pole inside the radome. It was okay, especially if you're aware that it's a compromise, but other antennas may be better (especially if modified, or if you are not limited by physical/environmental factors).
N0NB Rating: 2016-06-18
Just works Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought one of these used off ebay where the seller had installed several for some tests and was selling them. Other than the obvious marking at the bottom where the clamp had been it looked like new. I finally put it up in July 2015 for use as an APRS digi paired with a Yaesu FT-212RH.

It has worked out quite well for this service. the aprs.fi site shows my digi (N0NB-10) has an excellent reception range even though the tip of the antenna is below 100 feet and the silo it is mounted to is not on a high hill. HAAT of the antenna is about 95 feet, so not all that high.

KC0SWG in Beatrice, NE reports he can copy it easily at his home about 30 miles north of its location and the terrain is not very favorable with a pair of ridges along the path.

I am pleased with the construction of the antenna and the ease of mounting with the additional required brackets. I'd recommend it for a rugged 2 meter antenna that will stand up to the elements and perform very well.
N0GW Rating: 2012-04-14
Rugged Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Our club has this model antenna on our three repeater sites. In the past, the only antenna that lasted much more than a year on any tower was an old DB-224. These FG-1443 antennas have been up and working flawlessly for several years now. Here in the Midwest, with frequent thunder storms, high wind, and even nearby tornado passes, that is saying a lot. - Not having to climb a tower to replace a busted antenna - Priceless!
K8EO Rating: 2003-05-23
Excellent Antenna! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Our Club purchased one of these antennas about a year ago. It has worked even better than expected.
I have installed several of the commercial band version of these and NEVER had ONE problem. It is commercial quality. However Antenex makes an additional line of antennas that is of even higher quality (more money), but this antenna is certainly made extremely well. I suppose if i was going to install a repeater on a mountian top or someting like that, I would spend the extra money. It's made of UV rated fiberglass, and is in fact DC grounded. This can be extremely important in an installation like ours, where this antenna is installed on a 190' tower, and the top of the antenna itself is higher than the supporting structure ( a lightning rod waiting to happen). So far, NO problems at all. For just a few dollars more, you can order this antenna factory tuned to your operating frequency. Comes with a test report shoing that it's flatter than a pancake at the specified frequency. Not necessary for general 2 Meter use as it is quite broad, but since this was for a repeater application we did it. While its only 3DB gain, it has proven to be an outstanding value and had served our repeater well. You can spend a lot more for an antenna, and get other good ones, too. However, this antenna is hard to beat at it's reasonable price.