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Reviews For: Diamond SG-7900A

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

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Review Summary For : Diamond SG-7900A
Reviews: 21MSRP: 124.95
Description:
2m/70CM Dual Band mobile Antenna
Gain/DB 2m 5.0/70 cm 7.6,150 Watts
62.2 inches tall
Product is in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00214.4
KC7YNS Rating: 2016-04-06
Pretty Good Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought this new in the package ($40) from a ham that didn't realize the length of it.

After reading the reviews here I made some "upgrades", I loctited (blue) all the setscrews.
In my installation it will never folded over so I found a 3 inch piece of heliax connector shrink tubing that has the glue in it and slipped it over the pivot joint and shrunk it to help strengthen the pivot joint.

so far it is performing well with my TM-D710G
top of the antenna sits about the same height as my screwdriver in the down position on my F350

Steve KC7YNS
W5RHR Rating: 2015-04-08
really good antenna but Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
the fold over mechanism broke after a while.
The good: the antenna was a great performer on both bands, I live in the country and hit repeaters 20-40 miles away solid.

The bad, the fold over mechanism broke after only folding over a few times, rendering the antenna useless. I replaced it with a "rough rider" for 1/2 the price and had equal or better performance, but its fold over mechanism is pot metal and broke also.
I have replaced both with a smaller Comet NR-770
KS4TI Rating: 2015-04-08
Best Mobile I've Run Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna at 2015 Raleigh Hamfest along with a new dualband radio. I formerly ran a Yaesu 7900 at 75 watts with a Larson 5/8 wave antenna. After dropping to the new 50 watt radio and the new Diamond 7900 I could drive 30 miles farther from the repeater than my previous 20 year experience with either 50 or 75 watts. This antenna clearly receives and transmits significantly better than any I've ever used. Happy Happy
KK4PLD Rating: 2014-03-26
Awesome Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have it's sister antenna the SG7500 with awesome results so I bought this for my pick up truck. I have this coupled to my FT-8800 with great performance results.

This antenna sits pretty tall well over 5 feet. If you drive into parking garages you may want the sister antenna.

The performance is a bit above the SG7500. I have a "hole" where a repeater drops out completely and I installed it in its place and it picked it up.

If you do a lot of driving, go into remote places or need a good solid antenna, this is the one to buy. I would do it again and recommend it to anyone.
KK4OAT Rating: 2013-05-11
Great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've only had this antenna for a week and so far I'm very pleased. I'm operating an Icom V8000 and I've already hit a repeater full strength 90 miles away. Hoping to reach out much further. Fellow Hams have been really impressed with the transmission.
W4JPS Rating: 2013-01-31
Best Dual Band Mobile Colinear Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Diamond has always served me well, even as critics say QC is lacking in recent years. I have not experienced this issue with product quality. Top shelf in my experience. Works really really well on the K600 with the Yaesu FT-7900R.
W4HDM Rating: 2010-11-20
Obvious Coil Problem ... Do not buy! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Worked great for a couple years then the bottom coil broke ...called Diamond and ordered a new one ...took that coil out of the package and it "snapped" in my hand while I was screwing it on. Diamond replaced this one but it only lasted a few months and the same thing happened. I emailed Diamond and they did not even bother to respond. Gave up on it.
W3RXO Rating: 2010-06-27
Good Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
While I have had ZERO issues with any of my 3 SG-7900 antennas (2-UHF and 1-NMO), and they perform flawlessly, I AM beginning to become concerned about quality control at Diamond Antennas, as of late.
Recently, I have had a string of bad luck, with Diamond antennas I have purchased, for various uses.
Please see my reviews of the SG-7500 and NR770H, for details.
But, I must say, my 7900's have always performed as advertised, or better.
K8WAY Rating: 2008-12-07
Simply the Best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned my sg7900 for close to eight years.I use it on both 2 Mtrs and 440 MHz.The results have been outstanding.It has never failed to hit distant repeaters while using my Kenwood TM-V7A.It was on my T-Bird for a few years using the K600M trunk mount,then on my F150 with a home made mount.I have never experienced any problems such as my mag mount falling off or trees and other obstacles damaging it. Oh,maybe that's because I'm not an IDIOT and put a FIVE FOOT antenna on a 4x4 ang go wheelin'. DAAAAAH! Also,when Diamond says "NOT TO USE A MAG MOUNT",and you do, well DAAAH..what do you IDIOTS think is going to happen?? Comeon guys,show some common sense for cryin ' out loud !!
NF7T Rating: 2008-05-19
5/5 Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two of these antennas. I run one of them on a 4X4 one ton van outfitted for the rough country in the Idaho desert/mountains. I use a 5 inch magnetic base on both of them. And this has been plenty of grip to hold the antenna on the roof even at 75 MPH.

My other one is on top of a Subaru Forester. Both antennas are great performers.

I have worked many repeaters in our area at 150-200 miles out. Of course I'm using a 160 watts at that distance, but the antenna performs wonderfully. And the break over section has never failed on the road. Sometimes I do have to stop in the van and tip it over because the van has 10 inches of lift so the top of the van or the base of the antenna is about seven feet off of the ground. I do this to get under tree limbs.

I have a repeater in the Boise Idaho area. It will read back signal strength to me of the received signal. At 76 air miles from the repeater, I stopped and changed antennas several times for tests. Using only 50 watts from the radio. Some of the other antennas I tried got a signal report of S-5-7. The best of the other antennas received a S-8. The SG-7900 Diamond consistently got a 30db over S-9 signal report. The highest report the repeater will give you is a 40 db over S-9. So I feel this is a good representation of antenna performance.

I truly believe you can't buy a better antenna.