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Product Review
MilTenna - Vertical Military Band Antenna
Not often do I write a review of a product which I didn't like.
In fact I've had this product for a several years before deciding
to write this review. Originally I purchased this antenna from
the "manufactures" website. The website said it receives the MilAir
band "well" and I'm a sucker for anything designed and marketed for the MilAir listener.
Its been awhile since I purchased my MilTenna, I believe it was back in 2001.
I mounted it at about 20' above the ground. Other antennas I had all seemed
to perform better than the MilTenna in the 225-400 MHz UHF milair range. Even a
telescoping antenna about 20" long would outperform the MilTenna. Since the
MilTenna didn't meet expectations I simply took a picture of it (it does look nice)
and took the antenna out of service (it to this day still is in storage).
I did put a picture of the antenna on my "shack" page with the caption
of "MilTenna Vertical (replaced with Nil-Jon Super M Base just haven't taken new picture yet.
MilTenna not very good for MilAir bands.)". That caption & picture has been on my shack page since 2002.
On February 4, 2004 I received an email from Dave, the "designer & manufacture" of the antenna.
He took exception to my comment about "not very good for MilAir". I simply explained to Dave
that in my case it wasn't good and farther went on to explain to Dave that my photo and caption
never was a review nor meant to be a review of his product.
After a few email exchanges it was obvious that Dave had a problem with
my comment on my website. He than emailed me the following paragraph:
"I have lots of experience in off shore monitoring, and 200 miles is a tall order
for anything. I don't have the formula handy, but even at 2500' msl,
you would be behind the horizon at less than 100 miles I believe. The
farthest readable surface signal I have ever heard and could put a position
on, was about 120 miles. And that was from 2500' msl shoreside.".
Now this is coming directly from the horses mouth! Here in Florida and for most parts of the
country monitoring MilAir activity 200 miles away is NOT, repeat NOT a tall order!
Even a zero gain Discone can receive MilAir comms 200 miles away. Then Dave goes on to
say that 2500' I wouldn't be able to hear more than 100 miles. Now Dave is designing
antenna for MilAir listening but he just missed a very important item, the target being
monitored are not "surface signals" but aircraft flying at 5,000 to 30,000'.
I can sit here in my Florida home, with a handheld scanner using nothing more
than the stock rubber ducky antenna I can receive aircraft a 100 miles away!
My highest mounted antenna I use for MilAir is mounted only at 20' and everyday copy
many different aircraft in the 100-200 mile range with full-scale S-meter deflections.
And my house doesn't set on any 2,500' tall mountain in fact I'm just 1,400' from the
Atlantic Ocean, I think I'm about 15' above sea level.
Just before writing this review I dug out the MilTenna again to do another comparison.
I took a BC-250 Handheld and put a 20" telescoping antenna on, I then went ontop of my roof.
I tuned in our local Daytona International Airport UHF Approach freqs (all ground comms are
broadcast over both the VHF and UHF freqs). With the 20" telescoping antenna attached I could
hear "surface" signals with 4 bars on the S-meter. I switched to the MilTenna and could
copy with only 2 bars.
In summary the MilTenna is not worth the $62.95 for which it sells for. You can get
equal performance (better in my case) from a 20" telescoping antenna which can be
purchased for a few dollars. By the designers own admission this antenna is meant
to receive signals less than 100 miles away. The designer in the unsolicited emails
we sent me was very rude and at one point call me an ass, in fact here is the very
last email I received from Dave "Go for it... Don't forget to quote the part where
I call you a total ass.".
I'm a sucker for anything marketed towards the MilAir monitor, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
As P.T. Barnum's famous quote goes "There is a sucker born every minute".
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