Good points, Tony.
I wouldn't bother with a switching preamp, unless you're planning on using the omni for transmitting (e.g. for working the ISS repeater). You certainly don't need a switching preamp to work any of the Mode J birds, because the uplink is on a different band, and you want full duplex capability if you can have it.
Of course, you can't use a receive only preamp if you use a dual band antenna with a single feedline, or if you want to use the 70 cm antenna for local repeaters, for working the ISS repeater, VO-52, or AO-7 mode B, or for any type of 70 cm transmission at all. But if you have an antenna that can be devoted exclusively to 70 cm reception, it will do fine and will be a lot cheaper than a switching preamp.
73, Bill NZ5N
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