HOW TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF A HANDHELD RADIO WITH AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA!!!

[@donbunson5031]

My partner uses the smallest radio with the smallest antenna so she can just tuck it in a pocket and use a headset. She's on 5w with less than a inch antenna. She can range a mile or two in a built up area and even go into the supermarket and I can still chat to her from home on my diamond x50. I am using 5w also. The Diamond x50 makes so much difference.

[@Superfandangoo]

Andy mate toss that coax out, 10 meters of that rg58 you've over a 3.5 db loss on vhf & uhf. Its ok for hf and very short runs vhf. if your ht tx is pushing 4.5w your tx is less than 2w at the antenna, rg8x isn't much better. Throw some LMR400 up it will noticeably increase tx & rx

[@PEMFron]

Hi Andy. I'm have been subscribed to your channel for a while. I'm a Radio Ameture from South Derbyshire. I like your channel because you enjoy ebikes. I moved to a hilly place. I ordered an Eskuta sx250 series iii. I have been driving around my new area for three weeks. I'm 71 and look like I'm 51. Have been here for 2 years. But because every time you go down hill you have to go uphill. My mountain bike is not good enough for uphill. So I feel like it's Christmas when I go out on it. I have done about 80 miles in three weeks. Its great fun. I have kept my mountain bike because I want to turn it into a ebike to play about with. Thanks for your channel, always interesting, fun and informative . All the best Ron

[@pauldutchamateurradio]

Another great video Andy. Saturday I had a QSO on 70cm with my Baofeng UV5R with a portable Diamond RH771 antenna with a guy with a vertical home-base antenna quite high-up 12km (7.5 miles) away. The signal was good. He was in one town and I was in the middle of a small town.

[@andykirby]

That's brilliant, I love these sort of tests!👍🏼

[@bulldogbrower6732]

Good testing, can’t wait till you test again at more distant locations. There wasn’t even a hiss in your transmissions, I’m sure you could go further. Thanks from across the pond.

[@Dave64track]

Great video quite surprising what a difference that loop antenna makes even in the loft. 👍

[@Dusty_Ham]

That antenna worked quite well! Great video Andy, It's always great to see real world tests. 73

[@stevenyemc]

Great vidjao dude! I made a leftover plumbing pipe J-pole and stuck it in the loft. Get the blowtorch out as it seems to work great!

[@stevenyemc]

PS I asked Lewis to have a go. about two years ago.

[@volkerking5932]

Thank you Andy for this nice Video we're doing the range test with a Motorola MT5400 (Tetra) on the 33 Floor to a 25km hand held MT850 and it worked. The Slot range is there for the Tetra on the end! 73

[@andykirby]

That's good for tetra, are you planning on using the MT5400 as a repeater? That would be interesting.😁

[@jiriwichern]

As you seem to be using DMR in this example, it is an all or nothing proposition. If the signal reception is good enough, you'll get full modulation through and there is a bit of error correction in the protocol so a few missing bits isn't a real problem... but the drop off point is very sudden. One bit too much not being discerned means unable to decode means lost signal. It would be interesting how analog holds up at that distance, as noise taking over, over distance, on analog usually is a gradual process. Such a small loop antenna is also interesting. Currently I'm experimenting with a ~15cm diameter circular bent piece of aluminum layered plastic water pipe and a small variable capacitor to see if I can make a proper 2 meter antenna out of that. If I can tin the clean filed aluminum spots where the pipe ends meet, that is (I should have some caustic soda soon to make a solution that can break the oxide layer, hopefully that will make the tin stick). Anyway, greetings from the Netherlands, PG8W, 73.

[@juliodefreitas157]

10 /4 big buddy, modulation is wall to wall, copy ..Absolutely awesome ❤❤❤❤

[@toby000000]

Great test, worth noting the loop will be bi-directional when vertical. The signal will be firing through the loop opening (if that makes sense). There will be very little signal radiated off the ends

[@andykirby]

Yeah, basically like a dipole as I understand it, you'll have two lobes front and back.

[@MrLasersound]

Love the presentation and impressed with that music track, just Brilliant 😁😁🎶🎶🎹🎹

[@adamgrundy9709]

Spot on Andy as always. I’ve actually just got a diamond x50 in the loft which isn’t configured ideally. This little thing tweaks my interest a bit for accessing local repeaters if it’s any good!

[@Superfandangoo]

Stay with your Diamond x50 your collinear antenna is far better 2E0IKJ 73

[@andykirby]

Yes the diamond will be better, however these are pretty good as extra antennas for accessing local repeaters as he said.

[@hamshackleton]

The other way is to stand on the top of a nearby hill, etc. (and I am licensed M0- - ) VHF/UHF is line of sight, so the higher either end of the link is, the further away it can be 'seen', domestic and industrial noise permitting. So VHF can talk to the moon, but not Australia, while HF is reflected by the Van Allen belts, so can talk to Australia, but not the moon.

[@andykirby]

Correct!👍🏼

[@cottonfoo]

HF is reflected by the ionosphere.

[@hamshackleton]

@@cottonfoo And where do you think the ionosphere is?

[@Ploggy.]

Great vid Andy and thanks for the link 👍

[@StreakyP]

One suggestion.... DON'T use the solid straight "Christmas tree" PL259 to SMA adaptor to go between the co-ax & the tiny little connector on the top of the radio. Although it does work the small rig-top sma connector is very fragile & an accidental tug on the co-ax combined with the solid "lever length" of a long adaptor can easily rip the connector out. Instead you can get simple little flexible co-ax "flying tails" with a SMA on one end & the big so239 on the other. Being flexible this way there is no big long lever to pull the rig socket out & you are less likely to damage things.

[@Dougsterxplor]

Nice one. I was up the local hills in Glasgow today with my Quansheng!! MM7DCD

[@andykirby]

Nice! Any good contacts?

[@Dougsterxplor]

@@andykirby so much for 145 Alive but got some pals on local repeater and 2m.

[@howardcowan2093]

Thanks Andy another great video. 73

[@paulkay1893]

Well done Andy, have you recently got your intermediate,

[@wheelersecuritygroup]

I live in the USA. Can you recommend and GMRS external antenna to put in my loft to do the same? I have a Wouxun KG935-G & KG-UV9G.

[@new_fone_who_dis]

I think we had the same power cut over here in Hatfield!

[@markwilliams5654]

Can't use encryption if you have a ham licence

[@LWRC]

It would be interesting to test the range both on analog and digital!!!

[@stephendonkin5497]

Really good watch Andy, please can you do the night glasses what you had on earlier in the year

[@andykirby]

Yeah I'll try and do another vid on those. Also have some range finders 😁

[@LWRC]

You should have used a 7 element beam mounted on top of a 100ft tower with a rotor directing the antenna towards the other tranceiver!!!

[@stevenyemc]

Could ya do a vidjao on how to get the foundation online? Cant seem to get myself organized.

[@redeyegooner]

Have you seen the ERMAK sdr transceiver kit? Would love to know your thoughts on that 🧠

[@unixbehr]

its all about the power you have for output...

[@CosmologDiraEinstformula]

Satellite dish in focus add cantenna with cable at quater radio wavelength

[@attilarivera]

Sir. 5w + external antenna = signal goes around 7km. 👍

[@Jim-oh2ip]

It appears they don't sell Sharman HLP-270 in the U.S.

[@TonyLing]

Isn't a halo vertically polarised even when orientated flat?

[@andykirby]

It's basically a half wave dipole bent into a loop so if you mount it vertically it will be vertically polarised.

[@brian.7966]

all you have to do is send in 3 cornflake packet tops and you have cracked it.

[@Tschubritza]

What Radio is this and where did you get the CPS?

[@andykirby]

Motorola R7, I'm a dealer, let me know if you need anything: [e-mail]

[@johnorrells3797]

Loop antenna used vertical polarisation is not omni directional

[@andykirby]

I didn't say it was, it's basically a dipole.

[@cskeise]

💙👊😎

[@Mike-H_UK]

I'm assuming that this was 70cm as opposed to 2m?

[@andykirby]

Correct 👍🏼

[@rivit90]

hey andy foundation licences to get upgraded to 25 watts fill your boots :)

[@chargeriderepeat7024]

I read somewhere its 10w equivalent for every 10m height...that might be rubbish 😂

[@andykirby]

It could be, height makes a huge difference!

[@brutonstreettailor4570]

Minus the loss in the coax ! But yes “ height is might ! “

[@ipwnxdemonzz4223]

People can scan and listen to u

[@andykirby]

Yeah its kinda the idea.

[@nivid01]

You should have verbally numbered each test so you and we know which test u were doing! Next test: “I am in the town now so let’s do a test”. Where the fuck is the town in reference to the receive radio! Also mate, you need to put your mouth much closer to the Motorola’s microphone and you will have a much stronger audio level on the receive radio.