gary in ohio said:
I would prefer 2 antennas. The ATS will make a crappy antenna on vhf/uhf. Its only a mediocre antenna on 10,15,20, just barley usable on 40 and worthless on 80m , Your dual band antenna and ATS as separate antennas would be the better way to go.
Yes and no. I'd have to admit I haven't experimented with mine on 10, 15 and 80m because of the band conditions but, I have used it extensively on 20 and 40.
This past weekend I used it to make contacts on both bands during the CQ DX contest and hit Hawaii (31) @ 58, Japan(25) @ 55, Puerto Rico(8) @ 57, New Hampshire(5) @ 57, and numerous others throughout the contiguous states and Mexico. These contacts were made at leisure while driving between birdhunting stops, he, he..... I was multi-tasking! Now, that's not bad for a "compromise antenna", which BTW, is where all mobile antenna's rank. I use a Hi-Q 3/80 here at home due to HOA restrictions, and yes there is a difference. The Hi-Q's are far and away the best in "screwdriver type" antennas. But, weighing convenience and performance, the ATAS does a very respectable job on these two most commonly relied upon HF bands.
As for FM use, I don't much care. It works fine for hitting machines out to 40-60 miles, or yacking up and down a column of trucks during our trips. Personally, I would not rely on VHF in a crappy situation in our remote desert areas or in Mex.
On last years DV trip I was lucky if I could hit Potosi, Silver Peak or Mazourka. I was only able to hear them in brief occasions and could not break squelch and get a tone except on two of those occasions. This was using a Yaesu Ft8900r with a Diamond Cr8900r... a very well matched rig. That taught me quickly that I needed the upgrade, and much more reach.
Another benefit to the ATAS, and this is just my opinion, is that it is lighter than the High Sierra and Tarheel drivers and seems less prone to vibrating itself to death on severe washboard (Saline Valley!). With 2"-2.5" coils, they are probably higher Q than the ATAS, but they would rattle apart in my opinion. I may eventually look into another Hi-Q for the truck. They are also heavy, the heaviest in fact. They are much better built than the more popular screwdrivers and of a different design. They are mounted to military vehicles around the globe.
If my ATAS takes a crap I may or may not replace it with a Hi-Q. The ATAS convenience factor weighs heavy!
