Is antenna isolation better in the Antenna Genius than in the 6600?

Don Pezet

Assuming the same antenna setup, does the Antenna Genius provide better antenna isolation than a Flex 6600M? The Antenna Genius documentation indicates that it provides a minimum of 70dB isolation between ports. The 6600 documentation doesn't provide a specific number.

I currently have 3 antennas connected to my Flex 6600M at my QTH:

ANT1 - EFHW
ANT2 - Vertical dipole
RXA - Loop on Ground

It performs well as-is, but I am about to add in a TGXL and PGXL. As far as connections go, I don't "need" an Antenna Genius, but if it provides better antenna isolation it might be worth it.

Mike-VA3MW

here is an example of how good the port isolation is

https://youtu.be/7D33JMznyoA?si=UjJgTSY9kwzmGkOW

Erik Carling EI4KF

Mike is referring to the 6600. You could ask him for a more exact figure.

Mike-VA3MW

Gord-VA7GP

That port-to-port isolation does sound great!

I once used a manual switch to select among radios, not antennas. This manual switch featured about 60dB port-to-port isolation, and I was very uncomfortable when 100W of TX was slamming the S-meter on the (disconnected and grounded) receivers. Selecting among antennae is far less-demanding.

It is hard to achieve good isolation like 90dB when there have to be some gaps inside - nice work!

KD0RC

Nice video Mike. My buddy Dave, W4WKU and I took our Flex 6400s to a Field Day site a few years ago. The nature of things put our doublet antennas broadside to each other and only about 100 yards apart. He ran 100 W and I ran 500 W. We did not hear a peep out of each other, even on harmonically related bands. We even worked the same bands occasionally (not intentionally!), one of us on CW, the other on SSB. My 500 W bothered him a bit (but it wasn't devastating), his 100 W bumped my noise floor a bit, but did not slow me down at all.

So even the 30 - 35 dB of isolation provided by the 6400 radios made it a really great Field Day.

Don Pezet

Thank you, Mike. That video was a great example. I've never seen any warnings popup in SmartSDR so it looks like I am good with the built-in separation.

milevy

This may be a very basic question but if I buy a power genius and a tuner genius for my Flex 6600, do I also need an antenna genius and if so why? I’m using an OCF 135 ft dipole inverted V installation as my only antenna (apartment dwelling). Thanks 73 W6MIL

KD0RC

You only need an Antenna Genius if you have multiple antennas to switch among.