How to pick the best HT Antenna

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

One of my favorite antennas is the Nagoya 771

[@radiotests]

Google threw this into my feed tonight after a CaHR show on antennas! Great concise video!

[@luisvasquez8558]

Thanks for your videos, this is becoming one of my fav channels. I was just on the site you shared in the comments for the double zep antenna. You talked about this antenna in some other videos too. Thanks again for all the great info.

[@thecarys563]

Good job explaining how they work and use cases. Nice variety of good performers. I'm with you on the Smiley - receives great when collapsed, fairly rugged in that position. Stop to xmit & it does very well. I like this better than a 17-19" Signal Stuff / Nagoya / Diamond which are awkward to carry. I use the triband on my 878 Plus (mode 14 includes 220) KC6ARY

[@Inkling777]

I've got a telescoping half-wave for 2 meters much like the one you described. Like you said, it is an excellent performer. When I tested in, it hit a distant repeater no other antenna reached. I also checked it out on other frequencies with a NanoVNA. By telescoping it in, it can be tuned for the marine VHF band and even 220 and 440. You could create a cord with knots for the lengths for other bands you use.

[@zac_in_ak]

Great information presented in an easy-to-understand way. Most ham channels tend to be a bit complex

[@bobtheman1]

Hi Adam! Your explanation of the properties of antennas was very clear and the examples of antennas was helpful. Thanks!

[@RadioRunner]

Axial cuts?! Ring light?! Background RGB LEDs?! Workshop tidy up?! Script?! This just got cranked up to 11 - great work mate!

[@K6ARK]

Ha! Believe it or not, that wasn't a script. I had notes that I used for a presentation on a local 2m net and turned it into a video. But the ring lights and LEDs are just good fun. Gotta look good while you're having fun doing it, right?

[@RadioRunner]

​@@K6ARK Look good first, look good second, safety third. Looking forward to the next one partner - keep pushing the envelope and bring the hobby out of the dark dank basement with sparkle and snazz! :)

[@jefftanner832]

excellent content. Yes on the extended zeppelin video, please. looking for best "mileage" at 2 meter and 7 centimeter for the trusty HT

[@tombuttner]

Those LEDs in the shack are looking good!

[@darylw-m9549]

Thanks for the video Adam. I didn't know that about HT half-wave antennas versus quarter-wave antennas needing a ground plane. Ordered a half-wave Smiley for my 2m HT to try it out for SOTA. 73 Daryl VK3MCB.

[@PyrateRumRunner]

Thanks for the video and explanation of some of the construction components too. Fellow SD resident trying to learn more about Amateur Radio. Thanks!

[@K6ARK]

Check out the San Diego Ham Forum Facebook page and our net on Monday nights, 7:30pm on the Woodson repeater. Also, feel free to reach out with any questions 😁👍

[@PyrateRumRunner]

Joined!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Great video Adam

[@Lee784447]

I used to work public events and emergency services like storm spotting (county ECOMMS), Red Cross and the like. I used a ft50r for those, and trashed the stock antenna for a 19” whip that occupied a pouch on sm/med sized backpack with the mike running under my arm and securing one one of the shoulder straps. No antennas in the eye or bashing me on the head. You may say what about the channels (freqs)? Once it is set it’s never moved.

[@kennethgraham3828]

Adam really enjoyed your informative presentation as it truly gave me greater insight in purchasing an ant for my HT...thanks

[@madebyhim1197]

I've had my MFJ 1717S on my Yaesu FT60 for about 6 years now and I truly love it. Imo no better HT antenna, way better than the stock Yaesu rubber duck and better than my telescopic since I can throw it in my bag or clip it to my pack and not worry about low branches while hiking to my SOTA location. Also FT60 is a tank of an HT...well worth every penny I spent, probably my best ham investment...love my new FT818 though. Great video, looking for a BNC replacement antenna for my front connector on the 818 now.

[@staticinteger]

I'm really enjoying your channel! Thanks for making these videos! Keep it up!

[@K6ARK]

Thank you, sir! I intend to.

[@N7KOM]

My first SOTA activation I got a ~200mi Summit to Summit contact on a MFJ Longranger. IIRC the other station was on a yagi. Can't remember the signal report, bc I was too excited :D With more use I've noticed that sometimes I need to hold the longranger horizontal to receive weak stations. Not sure why that is the case.

[@AI6XG]

I have made 90+ mi 2 meter contacts with the stock antenna on the Kenwood TH-D72a, of course being on a 9000+ foot peaks helps as well. Really nice summary, well done Adam de AI6XG

[@jeffworkman1982]

I've tried tons of antennas on my baofeng and like you said the factory antenna has outperformed most of them. Only if I am on the edge of reception has the 4' flexible gotten me a little extra range

[@edmoreno9308]

Great job again Adam! You have a great way of explaining things for us newbies. Thanks for the info.

[@howardkarse9915]

Yes on Smiley antenna, good quality, price ,performance. The interchangeable base is also excellent if one has radios with different antenna jacks.

[@miriamsmith7135]

Great video. I do have a 5/8 wave Diamond RH 205 that I use on an Icom IC V86. My other radios I use a Comet antenna. I do have some Baofeng radios too. I must have hit the Baofeng lottery. I have a UV 9R Plus that does 9 watts and the stock antenna works great. After watching all your video, I'm going to get that MFJ telescoping antenna. Thanks.

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

I have a handful of HT antennas and right now I’m digging on the signal stick because it fits nicely in small pouches. I switch between an EDC pouch for the FT-60 and a different pouch with the UV-5R (same stick also fits on DMR HT)

[@johnroberts6695]

@Andrew » What kind of antennas do you have? I have a drawer full of them and still don't know how good they are because I have no friends who are willing to do range tests with them. I don't know why no one replicates antennas like the Signal Stick. It seems like a superb antenna and I don't know anyone yet who's poked their eyes out. The four aspects of a great antenna are 1) power rating; 2) bands; 3) range and, of course, 4) price. The real sleeper is the Abbree tactical. Another favorite is, not surprisingly, the Signal Stick. I love the glow-in-the-dark option, but I don't have the pennies saved up to choose them, so I'll have to be content with the tips. The cheap whip antennas are the ones I've always wondered about. The ones included in package deals on Amazon. I'm beginning to trust Retevis products, and love the RHD-771 20W antennas! They feel substantial and they're my standard antenna now. In fact, I'd take one of them over a Nagoya any day. That may change if they fail tests, but now I love them. We need more antenna tests on KZbin. Anyway, which antennas do you like?

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

@@johnroberts6695 yeah, glow in the dark is neat but I didn’t opt for it. haven’t put my eye out yet but I’m always careful unfolding the signal stick because they tend to whip around on you! I have more diamonds than Nagoya’s. Range tests…I get it, but there are always so many variables that even controlled tests cannot account for them all…so I think a variety of antennas helps to cover the bases…plus it helps to have different sizes depending on the application / carry I have the abree -42” which I’ve added to a VHF go box but I have to be careful on the watt rating for mobile use. I also have a diamond that kinks 90 degrees so I can lay down the radio and keep the antenna vertical I’ve found quite a few range tests online. Still can’t get my wife to get her tech so I have to rely on local hams. If you get somebody on a repeater you can try switching antennas if they’re game or have them switch to a UHF channel with you or maybe try simplex. I find that’s more reliable than YT range tests because it takes into account your local conditions. Watching a range test on an antenna done in Nebraska is pointless for me because I’m on a mountainous island - another variable Rubber ducks aren’t always that bad and you might try making a tiger tail… that would be a good range test vs your best drawer accessory antenna. Haven’t tested my tail yet I’d recommend one signal stick for your fav. HT. Worth it

[@andrewd4890]

Adam, great video again. Appreciate your careful explanation of the tradeoffs and I’m with you on almost all of it. The one reservation I have is about the half wave. The impedance of the half wave end fed vertical is not really a rational explanation for the lower dependence on a ground plane. Unless there is some ground plane to have the opposite currents flowing in, the antenna cannot create the fields that generate the signal that is transmitted to the other station. So while it does not require an extensive ground plane to achieve resonance and the correct impedance, it still requires some conductor to be present, and of course the chassis of the radio and the operator provide that. BTW a half wave on 2m is 1m, or about 38 inches. So the 30 inch antenna you praised cannot really be a half wave, but is about 3/8 wave, a compromise between the performance of the longer antenna and the inconvenience of the extra length. I like the way you observed that the compact helical antennas are usually poor performers but showed that the stock antenna on the VX3 works really well. I wonder if that means most helicals are not tuned at all well. My icom helicals perform quite poorly compared with a telescopic quarter wave. A wire antenna I use is a home made coaxial dipole, after the “flowerpot vertical” design featured by vk1nam and originating with vk2zoi (both findable on the web). Rather than attach mine permanently inside the tube, I roll it up for the SOTA trip, then attach it with plastic tape to a fibreglass pole. It makes a huge difference from the antennas mounted on the radio. Thanks 73 Andrew VK1DA

[@jeffworkman1982]

Likewise I have tried many combinations of radios and antennas and the baofeng has once again come in 1st place for most applications over my higher end radios. I constantly get repeaters where other operators think I'm on a base station from my uv5r

[@TheNoCodeTech]

#MNHR Team replay for the win! Man, you explain stuff so well. Thanks for the great video man.

[@davidtork]

Besides monitoring 146.520, I listen to the air bands and find the Watson 901 and my BC125 to be a perfect combination.

[@a3axon]

hey man love your vids- literally shopping for an HT antenna right now! Love the channel W6SO

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Seriously. Excellent info. Your knowledge on antennas in phenomenal. Thank you.

[@gustav316]

I have been using the SignalStick whip on my FT-60 recently and tried a tiger tail on it for the first time Sunday. Not sure whether there was a material improvement in performance or not. SRH77 works great too, but haven’t been using it much recently. I should locate the original duck and give that another try in light of the points made in the video!

[@forgetyourlife]

yep, plus the duck has the rubber skirt that closes the gap to dirt etc. The ft60 has a huge gap.

[@K6ARK]

Small neoprene or rubber washers can help seal that up with aftermarket antennas.

[@ericstephenson145]

@@K6ARK do you think a washer on the signal stick would make it water resistant on the FT3DR?

[@TheOutdoorFun]

Thanks for the video. I have the MFJ-1714. I broke one already. They are not strong but they perform very well. How would you compare the smiley half wave to MFJ-1714?

[@K6ARK]

Very similar performance, but the spring base on the smiley makes it more durable IMO.

[@K1STG-Fred]

Lately I have really been enjoying the Signal Stick I have on my Kenwood TH-K20A. It is a nice simple single band setup for 2M and the antenna doesn't get in my way since I don't wander too far from the house during COVID times. I can put the radio on my belt when walking the dog and the Signal Stick doesn't jab me in the side like some of the less flexible whips.

[@K6ARK]

Signal Sticks are an excellent, simple antenna that performs well. Great price too. The ergonomics are good despite the extended length, and they hold up well. Great antenna! Thanks for sharing your favorite.

[@forgetyourlife]

@@K6ARK I think they flop around to much. Went back to the Diamond SRH

[@princearthur4946]

Nice presentation, but, it could be far better if you would use pictures of each antenna as you describe them.

[@mumi009]

Thanks for the video! I use a foldable, telescopic log periodic antenna (UHF/VHF w/out diplexer) attached to a wooden broomstick and a very short RG-58 feed line for satellite work. Except for the broomstick, everything packs into a small messenger pouch. I will modify one of my hiking sticks to mount the antenna so I have one pole less on my travels. My HT's are the tried and true Baofeng UV5R Plus and a Wouxun KG-UV9K (full duplex). I did buy a small digital voice recorder to plug in in-line to record my QSO's. I still have to try it out in the field. I have also experimented with "tiger tails" but I didn't notice any difference with it or without them. I have hooked my HT's up to a Diamond X30N antenna and even a Diamond X700(?) antenna with impressive results. Otherwise I simply use the rubber ducky that came with the units or a Nagoya NA-24J (1/4 wave on 2m, 5/8 wave on 70cm, rated 20W). I am investigating mag mounted antennas to couple with my HT for my car and a frame mount solution for my motor scooter. Any suggestions? Vy 73 de David SV0SGS

[@K6ARK]

Awesome, thanks for the comment! I don't have a specific suggestion for a mag mount, but I had a Diamond which was 1/4 wave on 2m and worked on 70cm too. It was about 16" tall and worked well enough - better than a duck inside the car! I really like the Wouxun KG-UV9D and really like it too. It's probably my favorite HT. Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Sounds like you're making wise choices with your gear. Good stuff!

[@joeyelda5775]

Joe WX7XX been using N9TAX roll up antenna for years when backpacking in the Sawtooth wilderness(Idaho)

[@Sciencetiest]

Excuse me Mr, I'd like to ask. How many CM long and what diameter is a good antenna for Dual Band VHF & UHF frequencies. Please Answer... thank you...

[@Mottersmotters]

Hi Adam, fantastic video. Great advice as always. I have an 18" tactical antenna on top of my anyone 878. I managed to get into a repeater 17 miles away while out walking along a canal path in a dip. I was very happy as I haven't managed to open it before. At home I swap the antenna for one like you, it's about 3" high and works great into my DMR hotspot I am mostly on the Hub net talkgroup or sometimes worldwide 91. Super video, take care Motters M7TRS 73

[@longrider42]

Did you get the Abbree antenna. I have several and they work very well.

[@davidg5308]

Love me a Smiley antenna! Was just watching another vid on the "rat tail" - adding the other end of the antenna via a connected wire. I have never tried it but wonder if that is all you would need for better 2m SOTA work? Gonna test radio and cut me one and see what happens.

[@K6ARK]

Really, the benefit of a counterpoise or "rat tail" depends on the antenna. 1/4 wave and 5/8 wave antennas typically benefit, but half wave antennas don't. My top-performing HT antennas have been half-wave telescopic whips, but a wire extended double zepp blows any on-radio antenna out of the water. A yagi is another step up in performance with with trade-off of added weight and having to point it in the right direction. Each has their place and probably should exist in any complete antenna quiver.

[@K6ARK]

What antenna are you considering the counterpoise for?

[@davidg5308]

@@K6ARK Was just looking to experiment and see what works, then again for SOTA, the rollup j-pole is less to carry and should do fine for 2m when you also will use the mast for HF. For the couple of SOTAs I have done with the rollup, it has worked great. I have an Elk, but it's a tank to pack a long ways. Picked up an older FT1XD for cheap and want to try the APRS next time. Thanks for your vids!

[@K6ARK]

Awesome David, consider building an Extended Double Zepp. They give 2 or 3 dB over the jPole and work great if you're already carrying a mast.

[@taldeus4008]

Have you ever taken a look at the Diamond SRH770s?

[@K6ARK]

No, I'll have to check those out. Have you used one?

[@taldeus4008]

@@K6ARK I have, the gain is quite amazing. Primarily I use mine while cycling in a chest pouch. So the length is not a concern.

[@n1rbd]

That's my go-to hiking antenna, SOTA or just with the XYL2b. I do put a piece of painters tape at the joint. A friend lost the metal whip part during a hike last year.

[@K6ARK]

@@n1rbd yes, that would be my concern - losing parts. That said, I'll have to check this one out.

[@MrLittlmike22]

pelase make a video on extended double Zepp for HT ! That would be awesome!

[@ArndroidInc]

Great video. I like your style.

[@zulfadzliridzuan6131]

I have an original Diamond SRJ701A antenna. It performs worth than the original rubber duck paired to Anytone 878UV. Tested the transmission with a field strength meter. Using SRJ701A, signal strength is roughly 10% less at VHF, 30% less at UHF.

[@Town101]

Very informative video. So I have a question. does the length of the antenna tell you how far it will reach? I have ABREE 42, 24 and 18. do they all have the same electronics? I am looking for some basic, basic answers. Thank you all!

[@K6ARK]

Simple answer, yes, generally, bigger is better. I don't know the electrical properties of the different ABREE antennas, but I'd guess the 18 is a 1/4 wave, the 24 may be a half wave (a little short, but possibly loaded?) and the 42 may be a 5/8 wave. The half-wave antennas work great on HTs. 5/8 wave are variable - they need a decent ground plane. Try and compare them and see what works best on your radio. The biggest one may win, or it's possible that the 24 might be best. Let us know the results.

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

Thanks for this Adam, a useful insight into HT antennas, I'm sure there is scope for more in depth videos too. Two questions. 1) Do you have any experience of "tactical" antennas, the ones that look like a tape measure in black shrink wrap? 2) Have you home brewed any HT antennas? Would love to know your experiences. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your videos.

[@K6ARK]

Thanks, ace. I have not tried any of the tactical antennas, however, all of the same concepts apply. I believe they come in three electrical designs which you can probably guess from the length of the antenna. Ones around 19 or 20 in tall would be quarter wave antennas, ones around 36 in long would be half wave antennas, and those in the 50-in range would likely be 5/8 wave antennas. My understanding is that many of these tactical antennas perform fairly well. They appear very durable as well, and hard to break, but that comes at a size and bulk cost. they are certainly some of the largest antennas I've ever seen mounted on a handheld radio. I have not built any handheld radio antennas that mount onto the radio, only yagi antennas and remote connected wire antennas such as a roll-up j-pull or EDZ. Commercial HT antennas are generally pretty cheap, and well built, so I suspect I would have a hard time matching the construction quality and performance that you can find. For that reason, I haven't really tried to build one. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and appreciate the channel. Thanks for the comment.

[@loubraga5800]

I’m a new Ham. Awesome info! Thanks

[@tmo7734]

Thanks, Adam. Nice video. Like you, I own a whole host of HT antennas, including the Diamond RH77CA and stubby, Signal Stick, the stock rubber duck, AEA telescopic antenna, and an Ed Fong roll-up J-Pole. Check out Ed Fong antennas. Ed builds great J-Poles. 73.

[@phildurall7466]

Nice clear overview Adam! Nice!

[@williamarnold4349]

New subscriber here. Very informative and very interesting video. Thank you!

[@johnroberts6695]

Very nice tests, K6ARK! We need more tests like these. I checked *Smiley Antennas* to see if I could pick up a couple, but dang, the shipping and handling was nearly ten bucks! It would be better if these small businesses would just add the shipping charges in with the products and not add them in their screen. Instead, they make you fill out all your shipping info, then saying “Shipping calculated at next {last} step.” Ouch! So why not calculate it _before_ having to fill out your life's history? Twenty-five bucks is a bit high anyway, so I ordered a couple of Signal Sticks instead. And I got 'em in two days for half the shipping costs! I wish I could test the efficiency of the Smiley products as well, but returning the antennas that don't work as well as I hoped would be time consuming and, let's face it, rarely doesn't include shipping charges. So you may recoup your twenty-five bucks, but not the ten dollars plus one pays in shipping. Other telescoping antennas I've bought in the past shake and rattle when I picked them up, so I have no idea what the Smiley Antenna will do. I really like the idea of multi-band antennas, and maybe if I save my pennies, I can pick up a Smiley in the not too distant future. I wish they'd offer FREE SHIPPING if one buys a few of their products. But now it's a bit excessive.

[@K6ARK]

I hear you, it's frustrating. As an alternative to the smiley, try the MFJ Long Ranger, model MFJ-1714. It doesn't have the spring for strain relief so they are a little easier to break, and they are a 2m mono-bander, but the performance is better than any HT mounted antenna I've ever used. Good luck with your search for the perfect antenna!

[@elliottdmann]

I'm a newly licensed operator with just an FT-65. I bought a 19" Signal Stick whip to put on it, though I've heard from some that the stock rubber duck works about as well. I'm currently waiting on some parts to arrive to experiment with building a counterpoise for it, as well as materials for various home brew VHF/UHF antennas.

[@bluewrenchdave4274]

Great videos, I really like my Signal Stick!

[@dominiccattano9325]

Hows going bro.. im.trying to get te best preformance out of my vx 261 motorola... any suggestions for an antenna upgrade????

[@564Fire]

Great video Adam!

[@AA0Z]

I have so many antennas that I found an HT antenna under my bed mattress when I moved apartments one time. what????

[@KB1HQS]

Something, something if your brave enough, lol.

[@johnroberts7479]

I've found that there's a fourth consideration, and that's that there's no non-stock dual-band antenna I've found that will give superior results on both bands. I have some that are great on VHF, but not so great on UHF, and vice versa. If you know of any, I'd love to see them. I tend to gravitate to UHF, but I'd like to find one antenna that would work on tri-band but, lacking that, finding a dual-band. One antenna I've had good luck with its the Retevis RHD-771. It's an eye-poker, to be sure, but for all-round use where distance is key, I like it.

[@K6ARK]

For a dual-band, 2 m / 70 cm, the Diamond SRH-77CA provides better performance on both bands. It is particularly good on 70 cm. Diamond has some tri-band versions too, although I haven't tested them. But I think you comment goes back to my point that many radios come with antennas designed specifically for the radio. As a result, they typically perform quite well for the purpose, considering the size of the antenna.

[@johnroberts7479]

@@K6ARK I'll pick one up. Where's the best place to get them? Also, have you ever tested or tried the AL-800 retractable (made by Pryme, HYS and other companies)?

[@johnmknox]

I've always found telescopic antennas to be more durable. I do really like the Signal Sticks though. I'm going to check out the links above for directional antennas as they are not something I have really looked into much before but could be very useful.

[@K6ARK]

Thanks John, you do have to be a little careful extending and retracting them. Also, regarding directional antennas, check out my other video on the build of a small portable dual band 3 element yagi.

[@DutchmanRadio]

Really fantastic video man, 73s

[@JaronActual]

As I said in the chat, I think you're the only radio KZbinr I've seen talk about Smiley antennas. Their tri-band 27000 works great on my 5X3. It works better than the Signal Stick for me, and I love that their antennas have a removable base so you can change connector type without needing to stack a bunch of adapters. Yes, the telescoping nature means it's not quite as durable ( I use the Stick if I need a beater antenna ) but as long as you don't abuse it, they hold up fine. Also, being able to collapse it down keeps it from getting beat up most of the time.

[@thecarys563]

Plus one for smiley tri-band. I use it on my hacked Anytone 878 tri band :p. My reliable SOTA "getting there" HT

[@trava4156]

Needs pictures. But your explanation helps a little bit with understanding antenna theory

[@jimniblack]

Thank you for the spending the prep time to produce a concise and meaty video. Why don't rat tails get more attention? I'm a noob and haven't played with one, but the gain improvement looks attractive.

[@Bandwidth24]

We use a vehicle repeater, large antenna and amp with Solar battery maintainer. Just be within 3 miles of your vehicle and talk using a stubby. Turns your HT into a 75 plus mile powerhouse. If digital, you can talk nationwide through internet linking repeaters or Verizon network. Or hell, you can download 2 way radio apps like some police use and just use your cell phone as a two way radio through cell towers and wifi ❤

[@longrider42]

Interesting video, but you did not cover the Abbree antenna's

[@K6ARK]

It's impossible to cover every antenna, but for me, the Abbree fails from an ergonomic and usability perspective. They are too big and bulky, and collapse in high winds. I don't use them for those reasons. If the ergonomics are acceptable for your use case, they are high-performance antennas, but I still find the half-wave telescopic whips to be the best performers for a radio-mounted antenna.

[@longrider42]

@@K6ARK The thing is your only looking at the 20+ inch long Abbree antenna's. Of which I have the 42.5, that I do not attach to my radio. When I use it I attach it to my backpack, then run a line to my radio, works great. For on radio use, I have the 13, 15.35 and 18.8 inch Abbree's, none of them have ever folded on my. And I've used the 18.8 inch one on my radio, on my bike while riding, no problems. Plus that telescopic antenna, while it does preform well, but only on 2m, and where I live we have a very active 440 repeater. So I will always buy a Dual Band antenna.

[@Max-em3gp]

Do you know any good mini vhf sma female antenna up to 100mm length?

[@mdc21787]

Do you find the smaller stubby antennas (looking at a couple smileys for gmrs) perform better or at least just as good as the stock?

[@K6ARK]

Stock rubber ducks vary significantly. Those from the big Japanese ham radio manufacturers are often optimized for the radio and can work very well. GMRS radios, particularly cheaper Chinese models, will be more hit or miss. I'd have a hard time giving a solid recommendation without directly testing or comparing. I do like the mono band slim duck antennas from Smiley, and I use a stubby duck on my DMR HT to get into the hot spot at my house (short range). I have not tested it for long-range use.

[@mdc21787]

@@K6ARK really appreciate the reply, can’t find much with testing all these antennas on KZbin, the Nagoyas and smiley supersticks have a lot of video reviews but not the stubbys. I think I may just bite the bullet and grab a 701g to replace my stock and possibly a 771g or super stick for longer distance

[@5x9dev]

Now I'm watching like a hawk for what you come up with a minimalist setup for a 2M double zepp for SOTA ;-)

[@K6ARK]

Ok, twist my arm... ;-)

[@Inkling777]

twist, twist...

[@chrisscott1547]

The average "rubber duck" antenna is typically assumed to be between -5 and -8 dbi. This is due to the horrible impedance mismatch. They are rarely 50 ohms and very narrowband. It is possible to tune a duck to a near 0dbi resonance, but only for a very narrow frequency range (like 200 khz at 2 meters). The best possible antenna for an HT is a regular antenna (dipole, jpole, etc) fed by coax. If it must be mounted on the ht, about the very best you can do is a 1/4 wave whip, and it must be resonant. This is tricky - testing impedance requires a metal shell the size of an ht, a coax connection to a VNA that has multiple ferrite chokes in the metal shell (so the coax will not be part of the antenna) and you must hold the shell the same way as you would use the ht. If the shell has a top bnc connector, you can swap antennas, trim to length etc. Doing this is a real eye opener - forget about theoretical gain, just get the impedance matched. You will find that most antennas designed for ht use have completely wild SWR , like 5 or 10 to one. Often they will have a frequency range where the match is decent, but it's rarely near the frequency you're using.

[@enjay8950]

Thanks for the great video, I am new to radio and have a maybe stupid question, if using a telescoping antenna on your ht, do you have to use it fully extended? obviously for maximum performance on that mountain top sure. But if you just pull it out part way if you're in your car or something, does it still yield well?

[@K6ARK]

Good question! It depends on the antenna. Look at the instructions from the manufacturer. In some cases the antenna will work, but not as well, fully retracted. In other cases, the tuning may be poor enough in that position for it to perform poorly and potentially damage your radio if you transmit for an extended amount of time with it in the retracted or partially extended position. For operating in your car, you are, by far, best served by using a mag mount antenna outside the vehicle attached via coax.

[@ptsmonvideo]

Really nice video! Thanks!

[@aurtisanminer2827]

6”-7” is huge for a vhf ht! Lol. My old cb ht is that size, tho.

[@K6ARK]

Ha! Fair enough. Maybe I'm just used to the bricks we sometimes use for SAR. The ubiquitous Baofeng UV-82 is about 5.5" tall. 3-6" is probably more the current range.

[@nine7295]

I bought over 10 Smiley antennas on one purchased order. The antennas came with some incorrect model filled and some manufacturing defects. I contacted them and they gave me a very poor response and only agreed to replace one of them. That was a $350. Order. And the person I was dealing with was not just a low level employee but the owner herself. The antennas are well designed, but not perfect. They are not tuned to the centre of the bands that they are sold as. But they do work well. However, due to the poor customer service, I'll never buy from them again. I used to live in San Diego, missed it a lot. And I am sadder about by experience in this incident because of this. I own over 200 antennas for handheld transceivers, and over 50 different designs among those. I buy the cheapest Nagoya clones, no name stuff on eBay cheap, to custom tuned Motorola stubby, and many of the Japanese ham brands ones, over many years. I still own the telescopic 5/8 2m one by Maldol that I bought in the late 80's. It is longer than the Smiley one in your video. I don't have the diamond one in your video, but I have the authentic Nagoya one that is similar. (Nagoya one, despite authentic, isn't also tuned to the centre of the band either.) I tested them with or without an original Tiger tail on the portable antenna analyzer.

[@AlexG-xs7kq]

Hi since you have a lot of experience with antennas own, what would be a good antenna for range and shtf to own. I here signal stick is descent. Or telescoping better?

[@nine7295]

​@@AlexG-xs7kqsorry for the late reply as I don't get notified of your post. For the SHTF scenario, reliability is as important as performance. Let's say you only have a telescopic antenna, such as one from Smiley, but you broke it by accident as all telescopic antennas are somewhat fragile , that isn't going to help you. So if you have other antennas, then you can have a telescopic one for performance reasons (longer is usually better, just not always.) You need to decide based on your use case . Are you stationary? Are you moving around? Are you in a forest with trees and branches? Are you running fast as if you might be in a combat situation? That will determine how rugged an antenna you need for this situation. How portable do you need it to be? If it is going to be a backup comm in an emergency go bag, but you need light weight and performance，then a roll up J pole is a good idea, as long as there is a war to hang it up high. In my emergency go bags, I have a 5" rubber duck for 2m+70cm and one for 220. And then I'll have a 15" telescopic 2m+70cm to have slightly better performance, just in case I need it, and they are all not very big and heavy so it suits my go bag requirements. My back country response bag (now somewhat not doing much as I haven't done as much back country responses) will have a 17" flexible 2m+70cm antenna, and then sometimes I have the 1/2 or 5/8 telescopic antenna to have the best performance right on the HT, but I have to be careful not to damage them. Lately I acquired a few Abbree branded foldable (measuring tape) antennas (28" version "and I'll be replacing the telescopic ones above with them, should I need to be deployed for back country responses (unlikely). For urban responses, it depends if the radio is single band or dual band and if I need wide band range use or narrow band range use. For reasonable flexibility and length, and not so wide band range, I think the 1/2 dipole design such as the Larsen Kulduck dipole is excellent, but hard to find. As for the less flexible but wider band range for VHF (136 to 174), the Motorola 8505518V01 (there might be counterfeiting on eBay). In general, try to use genuine, somewhat name brand products, and try to use them as long as a design that you feel comfortable and can tolerate (especially for VHF or lower). I think Comet, Diamond, Maldol, and a few other Japanese brands are good, although not cheap and sometimes even expensive, and still don't have a very well tuned product (to center in the ham bands). If you want the ultimate flexibility, the Diamond SRHF40A, which I recently bought, is perfect and there is no competition. Nagoya is not bad and not as expensive, and it's a Taiwanese company. But beware of counterfeit just like for Diamond and Comet. Signal Stick is also good, but it's really a VHF only antenna, and I don't appreciate that it's being marketed as a dual band antenna. For you SHTF scenario, as long as you don't use the cheapest junk on the market (but some might be ok, just need very thorough tests, especially for durability), and have backups, I wouldn't worry too much. Performance isn't that hard to test, but durability is hard unless you sacrifice one to torture test it to see what the tolerance it can be when being abused and see if it can still be used. Again, it really depends if you are in a combat-like situation or not. By the way, I don't recommend Smiley for you SHTF use, because the screw adapter in the base is not very secured and can easily come off, and it's a weak link for ruggedness, as it adds an extra risk point. It's great for experimenters and hobbyists since we like to mix and match them to play around. The same thing is also said about using RF adapters, try to get a good antenna without needing to add an adapter to your radio, if you can. For the same reason. You want to reduce the number of risk factors. Also avoid those antennas with very thin whips, as they will bend at the base and break after a few times of dropping, and that's it (I had destroyed a few not cheap Diamond ones over the last 30 years ). Also, with everything else equivalent, a single band antenna is better than a dual it 5 multi band one, because it's very hard to design and tune the latter, so if you don't have to use more than 1 band, then use a single band antenna if you can. All HT antennas are compromised antennas, so you just need to give in on some factors. But a tiger tail, can improve things, so add that to your system, and unlike antennas, this is very easy to DIY, and just make sure it's rugged enough, (ironically, I own an original, the connector came off the wire once.) I haven't even touched on antennas extended by a coax, except the roll up J pole. This is going to be way too long.

[@yugbe]

Wait.. I don't see the ABBREEE antenna? Where's the Tacticool?? Lol

[@yugbe]

(This comment was made pre-release, roughly 29 hours before it premiered. )

[@K6ARK]

😆 Honestly, too bulky. Get a half-wave telescoping whip instead.

[@K6ARK]

True, telescopic whips are more fragile. If you're willing to carry the bulk of the Abbree and want durability and performance, it's a good trade-off of size and ergonomics for the benefits you get. It very well may be the perfect antenna for you.

[@yugbe]

Oh, it was only meant for humor, lol. I have one, but unless I'm LARPing about with some airsoft gear, I'll stay more compact and light.

[@yugbe]

@@K6ARK And I'm back to watch the video again, to watch the comparison for my new Anytones (D878UV Plus x 2) Thanks for the continued education. :)

[@christophersmith1155]

i like my Nagoya NA-771 UHF/VHF

[@nikolaikim355]

7.3

[@alejandrot428]

Good video but more pictures will be helpful to understand what are talking about

[@godfree2canada]

stocks are tuned

[@ColeDedhand]

HT antenna selection works on the Principle of Least Suck.

[@K6ARK]

That's largely true, but sometimes more suck is acceptable in exchange for a smaller size or better ergonomics. The tool needs to suit the job.

[@BrianConklin]

So far the best performance I have gotten out of my Tidradio TD-H6 is with my "Ugly 2M Dipole". It's sort of portable and can be hung vertically or horizontally. You can see build pictures at kj7rdy.conklincomputing.com/antennas/my-first-2-meter-homebrew-antenna-part-2/

[@K6ARK]

Awesome work! Welcome to the adventures of antenna building. You're off to a great start with that. Check out the Extended Double Zepp as a larger, but higher-performing build. Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing the link.

[@spencergiles72]

Interesting about the carbon fiber masts. SOTAbeams put out this video a year ago and seem to assert that it has little to no impact on HF. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5XbYq2aosp8hdU do you think this is different with VHF/UHF? Or maybe SOTAbeams missed something?

[@K6ARK]

There's no impact if the wire just crosses at the tip of the mast, but if you run the wire parallel to the mast, it has a notable impact.

[@MauriatOttolink]

Has ALL American ham radio been reduced to a report and 73 in the first over? If so, watch my "shack clearance, for Sale Adverts"

[@K6ARK]

I certainly could share some recordings of the rag chews about hemorrhoids and gout on 75m, but I fear that might bore the average viewer. There is a time and place for each type of QSO.

[@KillaSkill]

11:11 until you showed an HT with antenna you mentioned at the start... Who cares about seeing you, show the goods, man.

[@jaybaughn8090]

Dislike

[@MusicalLoop]

Hi Adam - great video - so well explained. Thanks! 73 de M7DPQ