Abbree Tatical Antenna - Tacticool or Tacticrap?

[@Mindstangle]

Quick explanation regarding ABREEs. I happened to serve in the Army infantry in Iraq as an RTO. The team leaders and squad leaders(12 per platoon) only have MBITRs with ABREEs because they are almost never required to transmit anything. The larger radios in the Strykers(x8 per platoon) or Harris manpacks(x2 per platoon) take care of any longer range communication and can hit every ABREE within several kilometers. I never saw anyone unfold one, they have no idea why they have it. The people that use that antenna in the military are not responsible for transmitting anything, but they need to be able to receive transmissions from the large, 160W radios inside the Stryker or whatever the power of the Harris manpack was, I forget now. Also we couldn't mount our radios to our kits for a lot of reasons. Primarily, if you die or become unmoving and your radio is woven onto you, it's a big hassle for other people and 2, it is just nice to have a backpack to throw down in front of you to work on the radio, change antennas, change frequencies, try to listen for unencrypted enemy communication, and figure out who is messing up this time, etc. This is a big deal in the infantry since the RTO or Fister has command when the chain of command is no longer established for whatever reason, simply because it will take the other, higher ranking idiots too long to figure out how to work the radio. I really enjoyed your manpack video! I am new to ham stuff but I am interested in radios from my time in service. What would the civilian capabilities be for direction finding from that manpack you had? In the army there are spectrum analyzers and other pieces of cool equipment that can let you see from where someone else is transmitting, is that extremely expensive to recreate as a civilian? Would be very useful in certain situations, more useful than comms sometimes.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I really appreciate the time you took to comment. These details are very enlightening. The fact that the use case is geared around receive makes sense. As for direction finding, search for "ham radio fox hunting" on Google. It's actually a proper activity in amateur radio. This is an area I haven't really explored yet. Most people use hand held yagi's for finding hidden transmitters. Thanks for your service and welcome to the channel! I just released part 2. It's a field exercise, so you may enjoy that.

[@Bob814u]

Radio direction finding (foxhunting) is a sport in Europe. It is land navigation with a radio instead of a compass. Transmitter finding can be done with a handheld and a home made directional antenna made from a tape measure. Search on KZbin. 73! De KE5ES

[@JDK45ACP]

Yeah, the manpack video was time on target.

[@TheFossilChannel]

thank you sir. appreciate the info and insight.

[@realtyrocks1969]

Basically if anyone just wants to hear about the antenna instead if hearing his cool chestrig, etc... It works as good as rubber duck. There ya go.

[@josevictorec]

Sad.

[@crashZdummy]

Thanks lmao

[@dad2022]

Thnx. Saved me time.

[@ped200014]

I have this antenna hanging 25ft in a tree and talk on a repeater 70.15 miles away @ 4w after coax run.

[@TACTICALNOMAD]

@The Tech Prepper, I have my 42" ABREE looped though the Velcro® tabs on the shoulder strap. That makes it ease of use for deploying and retracting, and it reduces the cahnce of getting caught on foliage, low-hanging branches, etc., and reduces your signature in the event you need to 'lay in hiding.'

[@m.p.6330]

Good video, nice to see the incorporation of a PC. You might think about running a molle cummerbund in the future. You could move the radio off the front normally occupied space. Using a radio/mag pouch off the just off front left or right allows you to still work the radio controls, and the front still has a relatively slim profile so you can get low. Also, using a BNC connector for the antenna (specifically for the VX-6R/7R allows you to pull the antenna off quickly to twist the Disco PTT cable on the radio and slip it into the pouch. If your PTT wire spans the cummerbund connection point, you can just leave it connected and swim out the other side.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're right, for a full load out I would attach the cummerbund and relocate the radio. In fact, I don't think the PC is great for trail running. I may just reconfigure this setup for that style of load out. If I do, I'm pretty sure I would stick the CAATailAntennas RTO wearable antenna. As a backup, I would carry an additional BNC antenna. BNC is great, in fact, I run the Diamond SMA-to-BNC adapter on all my radios, including the VX-6R. It's interesting that you mention the Disco32 PTT. That will be included in the next video. I really appreciate all your advice. Very helpful pointers. Cheers.

[@robertchambers5821]

I've used a home made tiger tail for use with APRS and the difference was dramatically better. Truly enjoying your videos. Thank you.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the support and confirmation on the Tiger Tail. The great thing about these tests is that now I have a solid baseline for future antenna tests. Of course the tests are relative my location. Glad you enjoy the videos. It's fun sharing the experiences, insights and failures along the way.

[@zeebraeend]

Was the tigertail made for the Abbree antenna or a rubber ducky? Considering the length of the Abbree I think it could be interesting to compare the mentioned antennas when using them with a tail. 73's de PD1XAN.

[@robertchambers5821]

@@zeebraeend Hello: I used it with a Diamond 310 antenna (2m 1.25 and 440) on an Icom ID - 51. It went from no connection to a solid signal on APRS plus voice went from unreadable to solid copy, still with back ground hiss. I'm building another one for 440. 8P6RC

[@roydugger7303]

@@zeebraeend Tigertails are 1/4 wave at your transmit frequency. For vhf between 17" (public safety) to 19" for ham.

[@Rusted_Link]

I recently installed the TYT TH-8600's on my ATV's. In normal configuration I run the Signal Stuff signal sticks but have the ABBREE as an enhancer. The SSSS at 8 miles was just breaking squelch while the ABBREE was full quieting. At 20 watts it works great and is an asset.

[@adlucem9845]

I use the 5/8 wave abbrees on my 2m field repeater. With a 24' mast it gets reliably 1:1 swr and very respectable distances.

[@shawnwade302]

I've used a abbree antenna (like yours)meant for gmrs and while stationary it works really well.

[@moss-ccw7971]

Tests that I've watched indicate better performance from the 24 (or is it 28) inch abree. Haven't had a chance to get one and do my own tests yet. Thanks for all your hard work bringing great content to us.

[@hellapellanyc6465]

24 " is the best one to buy?

[@nbookie]

On my setup, I just each over the shoulder and fold it up "high", it does not matter much where you fold it. Leaves it higher than you had folded but works. We run these in airsoft and in practice at NTC because we can't get enough working issued radio setup state side (theater is different). At times we leave it and just pull it over the shoulder and strap it to the front of the carrier when we need it shorter. A lot of the time we are not running but when we are, no one cars if it flops. Our radio guy runs this setup, most squad comms just use the 18inch antenna. BUT. Just run a backpack with your comms if you are the rto. Much easier tonswing it around, put on a table or hand off.

[@roydugger7303]

The tiger tail will help (from experience)...usually very easy to make. I would suggest trying the relocation cable with the stock antenna and tiger tail (at the new location). Your body attenuates signal. You may be surprised how much more range with that minor elevation and the counterpoise of the tigertail to refocus the signal horizontally (instead of heating your body and the birds). :-)

[@TheTechPrepper]

I've learned this hard way. The body is an amazing attenuator. I was on a SOTA activation and had my HT in the chest rig on my shoulder. The mere act of pulling it out of the radio pouch and holding the HT at face-level improved my signal reports dramatically. My Elmer is a huge advocate of the Tiger Tail. I cobbled one together quickly, but haven't had a chance to really test it. This was the video that really planted the seed in my mind. kzbin.info/www/bejne/en6qiXqul9Nofbc Spoiler: I ordered the IPX6 145MHz antenna with counterpoise from Mountain Parameters. I can't wait to share the experience with you and the community. 73 de KT1RUN

[@pauloost59]

A tiger tail wil certainly help. But, like u said, holding a HT in the correct place wil help dramatically!... I'm actually very curious to see if you would get way better results with the radio on your shoulder and the Abbree directly onto the radio.. for 2 reasons; better position on the body (and you can take it out and hold it for even better results) and because it takes the relocationcable out of the equation... That cable means more connectors, and that might just be eating half of your signal if not more... For fairness of comparison, you might want to do a field strength test on a setup before taking it out and adjust output so al configurations are that 300 mw before you go into the field... Just my 2 ct. 73's

[@norm_sueb122]

Thanks for the video! Keep em coming!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

My pleasure and will do. It was fun testing out the Abbree antenna for you guys. Cheers.

[@matthewtaylor3301]

Took mine apart and it’s a tape measure 😂. It worked, though. Curiosity got the better of me so I tore into it. Ordered another.

[@TomRolfson]

Our HAM club holds an event once a year teaching how to make one w/tape measure... Once you have a baseline on the tape (resistance based on length) it's quite easy to cut to length and solder connector on. But I'll still pay to have them done for me. If you hang the radio on side/cummerbund- you have access and can leave back for trauma kit(not IFAK), day/night pack and front for mags & map(s). But as someone said, measure signal strength not variable terrain as there's no baseline to compare. A hill could be 20-2,000'.

[@TheShawna1]

You are going to need a Ground plane, the reason these antennas worked with the AN/PRC-10,25,77 radios was that the Radios body was the ground Plane!The VX-6/7Rs have no appreciable ground plane.Jim KB1PFL

[@BobBob-il2ku]

Would like to see signal stick or Nagoya whip with the antenna relocation cable instead of the abree

[@MhP163]

Hello Gaston. Thanks for the test. This antenna I haven't tested yet, but I tested Diamonds against the rubber ducks, and as incredible as it may seem, the second ones have resulted better in dualband, being much reasonable both in V and in U. When I need it, I just add one of the two tiger tails that I always have in my backpack... cut to the right size and with a crocodile clip on one end, which I attach to the belt holder, since it is in contact with the mass of the radio. This option can make a difference at a coverage edge point. Hug. 🙏

[@robschlotterbeck2566]

7.5 minutes in is the information we as hams care about

[@TheTechPrepper]

LOL. Some front matter was required to set the context. Just trying to test these ridiculous antennas in scenarios that they were marketed towards. Thanks for making 7.5 minutes. It's tacticool, but not practical or efficient when worn on a plate carrier. It would have likely performed better in my hand with the antenna directly attached, but that's also not very practical. Time to box up this antenna and store it in the garage. Cheers and 73

[@theworkenman1936]

I do!

[@JDK45ACP]

I know I’m late to the party, but it should be possible to fold that Aubrey over your shoulder and run it through a molle loop instead of removing the pack, fold and scoot. Not trying to offer you advice or anything, just a suggestion. 😊. Great vid as usual.

[@TheTechPrepper]

There's an idea. I'll have to try that. I actually switched back to "The RTO Wearable" antenna as the plate carrier travels with me and I am constantly throwing it in my duffle. The Abbree got smashed a few times, so it's off the list for me even though it performs a bit better. Everything is a trade off.

[@chunkylover54]

I'm glad you're testing a counterpoise. I've seen a few I wanted to try so I'm interested to see what you went with.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good timing on this comment. I'll be testing this counterpoise. I purchased the IPX6 145MHz antenna with counterpoise from Mountain Parameters. It should be here by Friday. Just in time for another field exercise. Here's their video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/en6qiXqul9Nofbc

[@malenve6vid]

Totally tacticool. I would be interested so see your rubber duck with an extension and tiger tail in the back if your plate carrier. Another good video.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I know you were going to say that. It's going back in the package. I am out $24.00, but will likely donate it to a new ham out here. We're two videos away from testing out the tiger tail. I am planning on testing the tiger tail with the new 145 MHz antenna and the rubber duck. It's coming from Canada. Are you familiar with Mountain Parameters?

[@scorpion2669]

Yup, just like the military short whip on our old comms, they bend when you don't want them to all the time. I feel your pain.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I thought I was alone on this one. In my follow up video I switched out the Abbree with a shorter antenna from my FT-818ND. It works much better and does not get in the way. Take care.

[@markhuisinga1698]

I have 3 abbree antennas. The first one I got broke as soon as I got it. It was not a genuine abbree. I got a full refund and didn't have to send it back. I disassembled the "loading coil" to fix the antenna. I discovered that the "coil" was a crap piece of wire with no q for proper loading of the whip. I bought a second one and checked it with my antenna analyzer and it was looked great so I tried it and had great results hitting several repeaters 20+ miles away with a baofeng on low power. I bought a third one labeled for 27mhz. This one showed a bandspread that was very good for 10m and I now keep it with my yaesu ft-817nd or my xeigu x6100 for portable operating. Personally I would never depend on these antennas while moving. But maybe in a backpack with the antennas deployed for maximum reception and transmit. The thing I see them handy for is you can fold them quickly then throw the bag on your back and move. I always keep the velcro attached to the antenna so you're never searching for it.

[@franciscolopez3229]

Also, tha Abbree is designed to used in its full length, because in the video test that I saw, the SWR is kinda high when it is folded.

[@preacher1776]

I just stumbled across your presentation. I'm 1:26 in, and I can ABSOLUTELY agree that the Abbree whip antenna is hot garbage! It had pretty good reception from my normal locations to an area repeater (about 6 miles in wooded terrain). Problem was construction. Thing fell apart after two excursions! Enjoyed your chat on this video.

[@SIGINT007]

For comparison, public safety systems are (usually) designed with portable body loss and building loss factored into system coverage calculations (talk in and talk out). The body loss alone is usually factored at 10+ dB, then add some junk antenna into the mix and it quickly goes south. In your case with wearing it up high, one could assume it would perform better but I’d assume that without a good counterpoise (the radio), it will be at or below a typical +/- 10dB loss. I have an 18” ABREE and it generally outperforms the stock duck when mounted directly to the radio on receive but I’d assume it’s crap on transmit.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You make an excellent point. I had no idea that they were engineered with body attenuation in mind. Based on my tests over the last few weeks, I have concluded that the best course of action for optimal RF performance is to wear your radio in a location where it can be easily taken off body, held in your hand and run with a quality high gain antenna. This is clear given that the rubber duck is out performing all the on-body options. There are situations were on-body systems are required and have their strength , but personally, I'll be moving away from them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my next antenna with the tiger tail is going to be the sweet spot.

[@renealamo899]

I have the same PC and antenna, the antenna is mounted to the left rear of my PC, connected to my Baofeng UV5R. In this configuration I am able to reach behind me and fold the antenna back over and place a strip of velcro around it to retain it. I'm a small guy, 5' 4", and I don't have long arms and it's easy to manage myself without removing any equipment.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear you made it work for your needs. That's all that counts. Thanks for the feedback. I switched to a smaller 6m/2m/440 antenna. Tests results are pending.

[@chrisgriffith9252]

@@TheTechPrepper Could you attach a length of 550 cord or equivalent to the antenna in order to reach it and bend it back into a folded position without having to remove your carrier? Not sure that would affect the antenna or signal.

[@neubert500]

Sounds like the Abbree doesn't meet your trail running needs BUT it does meet my base camp or SHTF base camp usage where the antenna is deployed in the extended configuration and the little gains mean a lot. I wish we could all find the perfect antenna, but as our needs differ, so must the antenna. Excellent video as always! Thank you.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's not for me, but I fully understand that my requirements are different than other operators. I think this would be perfect for your use case. In fact, you have me thinking...I convinced myself that this antenna was going into a box in the garage, but I think there is value using it when stationary. So, I think I'll store the Abbree in the Jeep as a backup antenna. It could come in handy if I am walking around and need a higher gain antenna. Thanks for the food for thought.

[@neubert500]

@@TheTechPrepper If I have been able to give you a good idea, I am HONORED after all the information you have freely given to me and other hams!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@neubert500 My pleasure. Just a guy sharing experiences while trying to figure out comms for preparedness. I thought this area of preps was just going to take a month and that was over two years ago.

[@W9HJBill]

For a base antenna, get a roll up Slim Jim. It is much better than an Abbree. I've tried both and the Slim Jim is much better (and smaller when stowed). As far as little gains meaning a lot ... not really. Even a +3 dB antenna gain is still only 1/2 an S-unit and is imperceptible on the air. For portable operations, especially with a low powered HT (like all of them are), height is might. Get the Slim Jim and 20 feet of coax and 50 feet of cord, throw the line over a tree branch and hoist the Slim Jim up 20 feet. Your range will increase dramatically.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@W9HJBill The Slim Jim's are must have. I've been running the N9TAX Slim Jim with good success for a couple of years. It's alway in the day pack.

[@Bob814u]

It is a scout system. Observe and communicate.

[@matthewwagner2492]

I dont think I heard this but what frequency did you perform your tests on? Because I have had a few simplex contacts with this antenna at 30 miles and a 80 mile repeater contact. It performs amazing for me. But I also didnt have the 300 miliwatt base station transmitting I had some other HAM transmitting 25 watts or more.

[@jhutch1470]

I run the 18" ABBREE on the back of my plate carrier, of course with the relocation kit. I leave it "deployed" and haven't had any problems yet. Seems to do well for me.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing.

[@adlucem9845]

The 18" is good for 150-158mhz. Its swr sucks outside that.

[@patricksaunders3800]

Great videos very informative. Thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you like them! Cheers. More on the way!

[@TheSpitfiregoggles]

I wonder whether something like the Abbree would work better if it was a half wavelength (approx 39" long)...it wouldn't need a ground like the 48" you used does although the matching arrangement would be a little more complicated. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the Tiger Tail, I've used one on my 4m band HT to good effect. 73, G0CIQ

[@TheTechPrepper]

A half wave could possibly work better. The 5/9 wavelength probably needs a ground plane, too. I think the real issue was the on-body configuration. It would be interesting to run the same test with the Abbree directly mounted on the HT and transmit with the radio in my hand. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to transition to that quickly in the field given how it's woven through the gear. Glad to hear the Tiger Tail is working for you. Based on your call it looks like you're just across the pond. 73's from the US.

[@chrisv4167]

Just watched this and the cattail video. Great vids and data capture. Good job! ... Have you considered running the relocation kit with the stock HT antenna at the end, sticking Just out of the top of the back plate? Just a thought. 😉

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yep. That's what I'm doing now. Works great.

[@Sparkfly88]

Facinating. Josh's(HRCC) tests showed the large abbree tested out absolutely wonderful, yet your tests show it dang near equal with the duck. Maybe the voltage differences change the ratio between the duck and abbree.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I never saw Josh's video. He was likely holding the antenna in his hand. The signal was very likely being attenuated by my body given that half of it was threaded through the plate carrier when fully extended. I did not want to run the test with it in my hand and off body as that's typically not how they are run in a tactical configuration. For my use case of running in the backcountry, there's no way for it to be run directly off the radio. I know I would break the antenna, or worse, break the SMA connector my HT. I am sure many find will find this antenna useful. Everyone's objectives and requirements are different. Thanks for the comment!

[@Sparkfly88]

@@TheTechPrepper I have mine ran off the back of my plate carrier as well, but my plates are ceramic, so maybe they don't effect it as much. If I had a second yaesu that has ARTs to do the test with, I would. I only have one ft70d.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@Sparkfly88 Ceramic plates are the way to go. For this test, I was not running my AR500 steel plates. I took them out for the test. I was just running the Qore Performance IcePlate to keep cool and have icey cold water for hydration. The FT-70 is a solid radio. I've been meaning to try it.

[@Sparkfly88]

@@TheTechPrepper I personally hate the 70d and wish I never bought it. 🤣 The battery life is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. the charger included with it is slow as molasses. It feels like I spend more time charging it than I do actually using it. The main thing about the radio that I like, is its crystal clear speaker. I love the audio. I should have just spent a little more and got a vx6, but I was a total newbie when I bought the 70d.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@Sparkfly88 Good to know. The battery life on the VX-6R is pretty terrible, but it's an acceptable trade off given it's other strengths. I like that I can field charge it via the DC port directly on the radio. Now that I am finding 300mW to be acceptable in my area the battery life is less of a problem.

[@TheNoCodeTech]

Great video man. Love your dedication to the process. What is the reason for the notch in the brim of your hat?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. It's called the Notch. It's designed to be worn with wrap around sunglasses or eye protection. The glasses secure into the notch. It gives a really snug fit and allows the bill of the hat to be curved more aggressively to block out the sun. I'd feel like an idiot wearing sunglasses in the garage. 😂

[@TheNoCodeTech]

@@TheTechPrepper That makes a lot of sense. Have a prescription pair of sunglasses and often they interfere with the cap.

[@530eman]

You may or may not know about the company Disco32. Good comms relocation options.

[@devinpierce2154]

The Spiritus Systems LV119 is an awesome carrier for running comms. Plenty of cable routing options and super comfy (much better quality too)

[@TheTechPrepper]

They have really nice gear. It's time for an upgrade. Ceramic plates will also be part of the upgrade. Take care.

[@dansklrvids7303]

I own two Abree antennas. Both will not stay extended after being folded for a few months. Do others have this problem?

[@RebelAsteroid]

I saw you had that little gooseneck flexible metal extension thing plugged into it between the coax and the antenna. I've seen a few statistics that say that part in particular has degraded that antennas abilities so you maybe try taking that off and retesting it.

[@radiopole_spb]

Hello, I use a counterweight made of thin wire and terminals. Counterweight length 14inch, wire agw15-17

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for sharing. What frequency are using it with it? Most of the 2m/440 tiger tails that I've seen are using a 19" counterpoise.

[@radiopole_spb]

@@TheTechPrepper The frequency range for such a counterweight is 144-146 MHz.

[@danielapalenek9453]

I've been playing with plate carrier coms setups.. currently I'm running a disco32 antenna "basically a wire wrapped in waterproof something looped through the carrier" and am working in an antenna switch that I can QD plug in a portable yagi antenna into for longer range coms. have yet to test the yagi to see the improvement but the disco32 antenna I tested back in Kansas and was able to get about 2 miles on 2M while sitting in a truck and extended up to 3 miles when facing my back towards the other radio and standing outside the truck

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's a great experiment. I tested this a few weeks back. I typically have the Arrow II Yagi (backpacker model) in my ruck sack. It uses an a BNC connector which works great with my SMA-to-BNC connector on my HT (Yaesu VX-6R). I just use a short 6' run of RG-316 with BNC. I have a bit more elevation than you, and have no issues hitting repeaters 20 miles out.

[@danielapalenek9453]

@@TheTechPrepper literally the antenna I got for testing. The 7 element 440 arrow. I'm working out an antenna switch mounted to the carrier right now so that I can plug the yagi in without disconnecting my carrier antenna. Or in theory swap between bands without disconnecting anything. I have a VX7R the model that does 2m/6m/440

[@danielapalenek9453]

@@TheTechPrepper also I don't know that you're at much more elevation than me. Based on your map in this video where you have your base station set you're basically across the street from where we used to board horses

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@danielapalenek9453 Good to know. I am at roughly 2,300'. This really helps when talking to the boys down in Phoenix, Gilbert and Mesa. I don't do that with 5-watts. I typically pair the yagi with the FT-2980R and will run anywhere from 25 to 80 watts to make those longer simplex contacts.

[@LiveFree-pk8ej]

Try the HYS TC-79 gooseneck antenna with a 1 inch× 18 inch aluminum flat strap to get a good match. Works well with molie. I have put out a video of it. 5.3 dbi gain I believe

[@TheTechPrepper]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing another option. I'll need to check it out.

[@franciscolopez3229]

My Abbree worked for me great, it is the 72cm vertion which I picked after all my research which among the four variants meets my needs. The farthest contact that I've made with it is 74 km. on simplex me in elevation of around 200 ft. above sea level at 4 watts using my trusty ICOM IC-02AT. May I add, from the test that I've seen of all four variants last before I bought one, the 48 and 28.4 inch just have the same performance that is why I took the 28.4.

[@michaelditurno4372]

Great test and video brother. I have always wondered about those Abbree antennas. Thanks for sharing. Mike KC8OWL

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, man. They're decent for receive, but it's not for me. I'm sure operators that connect it directly to their HT and use it in free space will have the best success. I'm still looking for something that's rugged, performs well and can easily be deploy while active. Take it easy.

[@bthemedia]

@@TheTechPrepper As for easy deploy, I have seen some mount antennas on chest to deploy/retract… probably same place as hand mic? Or “Rx only” use as the mil vet posted about.

[@mertklck]

Hello, which antenna has the best performance?

[@abccde3832]

mic is standard horizon MH73

[@thomasmanson1119]

Prepper, have you compared the performance of the abbree folded versus extended? I’ve got the single length, the double length and the triple length but have never tested any of them on my 6R to see the difference. 73, Tom KC3QAC

[@somewhereinoklahoma5574]

I know this video is older, but did you measure SWR with the relocation cable?

[@thatufoguy]

Just out of curiosity, what freq were you using and why such a low wattage? 300mW makes me think you were trying to stay writing the FRS standard but if that's the case why use a yaesu radio capable of so much more? Not trying to be a snob or anything like that, I've really gotten into radios lately and am curious if the logic behind it.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good question. I used 146.400 MHz (2m band). It falls within Arizona's band plan for simplex (radio to radio, no repeater). The are several reasons for the low RF power: 1. It's considered amateur radio best practice to use the minimum power needed to make a contact. 2. Military doctrine is the same as #1, but they use it for operational security to minimize detection. 3. As a prepper, I field charge all of my gear with solar, so more power means less run time and more time to recharge. 4. While I enjoy running, I had no intention of adding several more miles to each test. More power would have increased my range. I could have increased my power by 15x. The range would not be 15x, though. 5. Some of the antenna configurations I tested, were not tuned for the frequency I was using, so the SWR was higher than is safe for the radio. On the high end, one of configurations was 4:1 SWR. You may want to check out my first video in this series as I explain why this radio. I operate in harsh environments and all the cheaper radios have died due to heat, moisture or running into something hard. The VX-6R is a tank and survival tool. Take it easy.

[@richgulley2819]

Love seeing the AMS swag! Are you going to Copperhead?

[@TheTechPrepper]

90% likely. Not as a player. Just to observe the commo stuff. Frosty invited me. The swag is top notch. I need to pickup 4 more shirts. The material is super soft and comfortable.

[@richgulley2819]

I hope you make it I look forward to meeting you.

[@DuckingAround58]

What kind of plates are you running, or do you not? I have steel level 3a plates in my carrier but I’m thinking of switching to soft armor. I prefer the benefits to steel but my back is not what it use to be

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'm running AR500 steel plates, but need to switch to ceramic. The weight is a killer. My plates have an anti-spalling coating, but the ceramic plates are still safer.

[@pale_2111]

I had one until it broke. They're great for around the house, but not for what you're going for. I have a Diamond SRH770S for my FT3D and ID-52. Just got the ID-52 in on Tuesday. After getting it programed, I put the SRH770S on it and was able to key up a repeater about 40 miles away, almost full quiting from a good spot. With the 42" Abbree on my FT3D, I'm able to pick up APRS beacons, where the the rubber duck can't. As for the SRH770S, I'll pick up a beacon every now and then. Being a flexible whip, the SRH770S might be a good choice to get. No need to get a jumper to attach the antenna to the radio. You might get smacked with it because of the flexible base section and stiff upper half, but it works great for me.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for sharing. I love the Diamonds, but they do smack me in the face and I have broken two of the SRH320A Diamond antennas with the radio mounted on my shoulder. I get about 500-600 miles of trail time before the top third snaps off. I used the SignalStick and Comet BNC-24 in the same configuration, but can't risk the eye hazard or handle the slapping, so I passed on the SRH770. I did however, pickup the Diamond SRH999 quad band antenna, but will likely carry it in a small PVC tube and attach it when needed. The SRH999 is perfect for the VX-6R with the MARS mod. The Abbree works well as a receive antenna when it's off body, but that's my use case unfortunately. Every antenna is compromise and the right antenna depends on the operating conditions and operator's needs. Enjoy your ID-52! It's always nice when you stop by. 73's

[@wcatfn7928]

VHF and UHF, not great at going through buildings/hills. Does not matter at that point if you have an untuned (deaf) antenna or the most awesome, it will just not work. The real test of the antenna is a clear line of sight between the TX and RX antenna. In this scenario the main contributor to signal attenuation is the inverse square law (imagine a bubble expanding from the transmitter, the further away the more of that bubble surface is NOT getting to you), then at that location, swap amongst the various antenna configurations. I have a cheap copy of the 47cm fold-able antenna (RHD-771) - folded it will receive from a 433Mhz repeater 10 miles away with clear line of sight, about the same as the OEM 'rubber duck' - signal 3, unfolded it will receive the same station at signal 5... using a cheap dual band car mag-mount whip that goes up to signal 7... because it has a larger ground-plane. However, if I relocate even a few meters behind a hill or buildings (driving away from the hilltop location), the best antenna loses signal (0) almost straight away. Any antenna that is in proximity to your body (you are wet and salty and conduct Electro-Magnetism) will change the antenna properties/Standing Wave Ratio such that the performance may be reduced significantly. Also, as someone has already said, you are heating your body instead of radiating EM. Conclusion : Any other antenna is better than the rubber duck. Realistically comms will benefit most from 1) line of sight, 2) getting the 'field' antenna above local clutter (buildings, trees, terrain etc.) - Climb to the roof of a tall building or the top of the nearest hill. If you want penetration through and around terrain features you will need to go way down the radio spectrum to HF or VLF which will require a much larger antenna.

[@Arcain321]

What’s the point of a pc without ammo? Wouldn’t a chest rig or even just a backpack fit your needs there way way better?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I typically run with a chest rig. This first video was just test the initial radio setup on a plate carrier. I test the full load out with the plate carrier in the next video.

[@felts8031]

I’ve got the Abree 18 tactical and it is not as good as the 771 whip. From a carrier setup, I also will have a Btech mic attached to it and then an additional audio cable from that to any headset I use.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for sharing. I have a Nagoya 771 for my Baofeng UV-5R. I found the 771 to be a great performer. You have yourself a nice little setup. Take it easy and thanks for stopping by.

[@Exarach]

Nice shirt! Was wondering if you were a player due to the gear. See you at CH7

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! Frosty gave me the hat and shirt when I visited him for the American Milsim event in Perry, Georgia. I'm not a player, but was invited to observe the commo scene. The Air Soft season is huge. I had no idea the games were so elaborate. I made a video while I was there. Check it out. I'm trying to make it out the event in New Mexico.

[@Exarach]

@@TheTechPrepper Best training ever haha. Thats a good, thing Airsoft needs a comms boost to this century

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a blast watching you guys train. I am working on it. That's why I'm headed out to the next event. I have some custom comms software and hardware I am working on that's similar to CivTak/ATAK.

[@Exarach]

@@TheTechPrepper nice! I have both of those on my phone and have been messing with aprs. I hope you get it to work. That software is amazing.

[@marcusalancate1782]

How many folds are in the antenna? If it were only the one nearest the radio, it looks like one of the keeper straps might secure that joint.

[@TheTechPrepper]

There are two bends. That could work. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@LarsLarsen77]

You need to actually measure the signal strength, not just go by where on the map you lost signal. That's because of line of sight, not signal strength. If you set something up to measure signal strength with an SDR you can actually tell how strong each antenna is.

[@leveretth]

If you use a velcro strap that stays put on the ABBREE antenna, folding it down while wearing the plate carrier might be possible.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's a good idea. That would have worked better. Honestly, it's not worth the headache. Others are reporting that this breaks easily anyhow, so it's not for me. I'm on to the next antenna. Cheers!

[@stevdsvegasful]

Who else misses radio shack?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I do. My friends and I had a blast going after school back in the 90s.

[@ericthemidget9685]

I’m getting much better signal with a Diamond antenna over the stock rubber ducky.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The Diamond antennas are superior performance wise to the rubber duck. Personally, I can't use them as I run with my VX-6 and the top of the Diamond antenna always snap off after about a year of running. I used those antennas way out of spec according to Dismond's technical support.

[@SimonVK3XEM]

I don't have an Abbree antenna but did you consider turning it 90 degrees in the Molle to prevent it bending when running?

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's an interesting idea. But the polarization would be wrong for FM if it was turned 90 degrees. FM uses vertically polarized by convention and SSB uses horizontal. In the end, I have finally settled on The RTO by CATTail Antennas. It's the only antenna that will not get damaged. It's not as efficient, but I personally prefer to take a performance hit, but have something that will not get damaged.

[@SimonVK3XEM]

@@TheTechPrepper I still Meant vertically polarised, rather the flat part of the antenna facing your back instead to your side. Not that it is a real issue as your evaluation showed it to basically be on par with the original antenna.

[@rufusrizzo78]

Just a thought. Did you try the rubber duck and the relocation kit? I'm wondering if the loss of the relocation cable affects the Abbree performance. I have an Abbree, they're cool, but big and unwieldy.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I did not test the rubber duck in that configuration as it takes me 3 days and 15 miles to test each antenna in a particular configuration. Personally, the rubber duck works great shoulder-mounted and I would never in practice relocate it. By the same token, given the size of the Abbree attenna, it only makes sense deployed with a relocation cable. There is likely some loss and a higher SWR with the relocation cable. It seems that people have great performance with the Abbree when directly mounted to the HT when operated in free-space. That's not my use case, so it's something I did not benchmark either. I am on a mission to find the perfect antenna for a specific configurations. That use case is man portable while actively moving at a decent speed. I am still looking. Great question. Thanks for posing the question. Has anyone tried this?

[@rufusrizzo78]

@@TheTechPrepper @The Tech Prepper I understand, that's the first thought I had. I agree the Abbree is too big to use all the time. I keep mine in my bag, in case I need a little more range. Josh at Ham radio crash course has tested different HT antennas. I worry that anything too close to the body will have problems. Your rubber duck and Abbree have more air space away from your body. It's going to be hard to get "best" propagation, it'll have to be what works best for your kit.

[@adlucem9845]

I can add I have a very hard time running my ammo can repeater and abbree with a relocation cable. Even large high quality cables. If you can run them direct to the radio you always should do that.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@adlucem9845 The relocation cables throws things off, but there is no way to run the Abbree directly off the HT moving at speed. It's a recipe for breaking the connector on the radio.

[@adlucem9845]

@@TheTechPrepper wonder if you can run a cable from the top of the coil?

[@MrJrich713]

What brand of M4 taco do you prefer? There are tons of manufacturers out there.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have only used High Speed Gear.

[@elitecombatfitnesscentral6170]

Where did you get that plate carrier stand?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It was custom built as a birthday gift by a friend.

[@elitecombatfitnesscentral6170]

@@TheTechPrepperWell, sound like the market needs a stand like that for kit storage. Hint hint…

[@niemdan]

Running and transmitting is not something you will do. Nobody can understand someone if out of breathe and running. 45 mins is a very short amount of time to set up a kit. You have probably already figured out that you set it up for a couple hours, then go train with it or go for a run and some calisthenics. Then you might need to completely rearrange or atleast adjust and tighten. Do this over and over until you are completely confident it cannot be done better. Then you can look at taping up and cutting off unneeded material. Thanks for sharing all the radio vids

[@wildlandoutdoors51]

Curious if you thought about the super eleastic signal stick or if so how it compared

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have a couple of SignalSticks, but stopped using them while running and training. They pose too much of an eye hazard and getting slapped in the face and head is annoying. They're good, rugged antennas and perform well enough. These days I keep one in each of my manpacks and don't use them for HT's. My use case is probably different than most operators. My preferred whip antenna is the a Comet BNC-24. I run these on my FT-60's and occasionally on the VX-6.

[@wildlandoutdoors51]

@@TheTechPrepper was curious how it would work weaved through the molle

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@wildlandoutdoors51 I may try that at some point as it would be significantly less bulky and more streamlined. I'll revisit that test if time permits. Take it easy.

[@timm2020]

NA 771 is a better antenna for the Baofengs etc.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I agree. If you get authenticate Nagoya 771, that's the way to go.

[@gregorybirchfield4952]

Just out of curiosity I wonder how a signal stick would perform with this same set up.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That would be something to test. I have a SignalStick, but I don't use it anymore on runs as it whips around a lot and can be an eye hazard. Also, it's no fun getting smacked on the face and head. I primarily use the SignalSticks now my manpacks.

[@gregorybirchfield4952]

I have the same issues with mine although I like it’s performance. I just bought the Caatail but haven’t throughly tested it yet. Your video came up at the perfect time.

[@candrasko]

Doe the Abbree antenna fit on the vx-6r?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, if you get the SMA-male version. Most Japanese radios use SMA male antennas.

[@candrasko]

@@TheTechPrepper it looks like it is too wide to fit with the plug for the audio jack in place.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

I'm wondering how a diamond or Nagoya would work in these tests.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have a Diamond SRH999, but I have a feeling that my body would still attenuate the signal. This configuration is not for me, so I will likely not test this configuration. If I route the antenna higher in free space, I'm back to the sane problem of getting smacked with the antenna while moving.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

@@TheTechPrepper i guess I really don't have that problem as of yet. I haven't gotten to the point of trail running. Usually when I have mounted an ht up high, it was either behind or in front of my left shoulder, mostly in front.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@douglasvamateurradioandmore That's a good point. I'm also looking at it from the preparedness angle. In the absence of rule of law, you may need to move very quickly with a fair amount of gear on your person. That's one of the reasons I see trail running with a load out to be a good way to cross train.

[@gregembury3510]

I'd try a Signal Stick. Excellent performing antenna, flexible, very lightweight, low cost. "Tactical". I don't think this word means what you think it means. Complete Chinese junk antenna. But it's a good match for the "tactical-military" Baofeng junk radio.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have a few SignalSticks, but for this application they're a bit painful. The smacking gets worse when you start to move faster than 5 mph. For me it's a no go. Instead, I use them on my mobile manpacks. I try to support the guys at SignalStuff when I can. They do great work. 73

[@keithtreisch6890]

Swr is extremely high. Hung from a pvc stand I test all my homemade antennas on. Short coax. I have the 42.5" and it's gmrs setup supposedly. Even in 155mhz it is 2.34 swr. The repeaters on gmrs are ridiculously terrible. 7.98 on ch16 gmrs repeater. And simplex ch 16. 5.3 swr. Absolutely terrible. After 5 min of tx and rx the handheld starting not responding to ptt and is def. Not suited for a usable antenna. Not a fan of the abbree folding.

[@bruehlt]

I think it's just a tape measure under the plastic, as well. It is actually based on an L3 Harris antenna that is supposedly used in teh military, just made in china.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're right, it is. I'm sure the Harris is built with much higher quality. I was thinking about finding a Harris on eBay, but thought I would test the concept and deployment with an expensive Chinese knockoff first.

[@bruehlt]

@@TheTechPrepper I shared the link here but it appears that it got deleted.....the Harris antenna is for 30MHz to 108MHz. I am not sure it would work for the 2m band, but who knows?

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@bruehlt I'd have to measure the SWR with a VNA. The frequency range would work for the 6m band. The VX-6R can transmit on it legally with the MARS mod. YT is hit and miss when comments contain links. Most get auto deleted.

[@RonnieRawdawg]

*i straight up broke the abbree the first day i got it*

[@TheTechPrepper]

Sorry, Ronnie. I am not surprised. For $24 it's bound break. I'm likely never going to use this again and will likely give it away.

[@RonnieRawdawg]

@@TheTechPrepper it broke when i was prone on my side shooting when i had it mounted on the back of my PC like you have here.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@RonnieRawdawg I figured it would break easily with any type of physical movement. At least you know now that you can't count on it to save your bacon.

[@kiethlowry2862]

What is the plate carrier used for?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's used to carry body armor. I have front and back steel plates to protect vital organs. My personal reason for having one is for personal protect and as a minimal load out in the event of civil breakdown. Now that times are good, I'm just using it on my trail runs as an opportunity to get comfortable wearing it and getting used to how it behaves under physical movement. Having a little extra weight helps keep the runs a bit more intense, too. Good question.

[@kiethlowry2862]

@@TheTechPrepper THANKS. BODY ARMOR IS ON MY TO DO LIST.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@kiethlowry2862 Excellent. If I could share a mistake I made...I wish I had gone with ceramic plates instead of steel. It's more money, but they are safer and much lighter. Don't wait too long. Gear like this has tendency to spike in price and demand when anything goes a little sideways in these crazy times. The were impossible to get during the pandemic. There was also talk of making body armor illegal by certain politicians not too long ago. Be safe.

[@sorryforthings72]

That’s just like a PRC-77 antenna

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yep. But not as well built.

[@spockspock]

I’m not sure we’re using the word “tactical” correctly. 🙃

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're probably right. 😂

[@gjnezat]

Good job on not buying a 28.00 radio. Yeasu is a solid choice.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'm a big fan of Yaesu's. I've been running the FT-60R for about four years, but started transitioning to the VX-6R about a year ago as I needed an IP67 rated HT given how much I sweat. For what it's worth, I started out with a $25 Baofeng UV-5R, but broke most of them out here in the desert. They're a good "gateway drug" to get you into the hobby. It has always baffled me why people will spend $1,000 USD on mil-spec, comms-capable headsets and then connect $28 radio to it? The VX-6R is great, rugged work horse and will run you about $250 new.

[@gjnezat]

@@TheTechPrepper awesome sir glad to hear back from you. I totally agree on the irony in gear choices. People will spend top dollar on weapons and skimp in other areas like med comms and training.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@gjnezat I'm with you on medical and training. I'm in a firm believer in skills acquisition. The physical training is often overlooked. It's great to have a stockpile of firearms and ammo, but how far can you move on foot with your gear? Physical training and health is also an un-sexy area of preparation that is ignored. Take care of yourself and stop by anytime.

[@daviddurflinger3104]

You know in the army, they don't transmit on the run, with that said, they stop, transmit, then move, because the enemy will use triangulation to find your position and you are toast.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Understood. I am not in the service. We don't have cell reception where I live, so radio is the only way for me to stay in touch with family during my runs.

[@daviddurflinger3104]

Cool, cell service sucks here to,however not many repeaters eather, I am still learning to be a better ham, I was in radar Intel in the army, but that is different thanks for the videos, lots of good ideas 💡 KN6GZP DAVE 73s.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@daviddurflinger3104 it's amazing how some parts of this country still have low bandwidth internet and poor cell coverage. I can't complain as I enjoy living in the country. I'll have do an update video on how I use ARPS and my HT to send SMS text messages to my wife. It think some of the new viewers would appreciate this as this is a little ham secret. Cheers.

[@daviddurflinger3104]

@@TheTechPrepper you know I would like to see that video, I was thinking you are about 30 years old right? Smart as a whip, I can tell, with your knowledge and skills you should join the national guard, honest, sign up for radioman or Intel communications, you would go to basic eather at Lenard wood or sill, OK ,where my son is a drill Sargent, which would be a cakewalk for you, like boy scout camp, then off to AIT at ft Huachuca for a couple of months, you could drive home on weekends, the schools alone would be worth the time, after that one weekend a month, and two weeks in the summer, talk about easy money 💰 their giving 20,000.00 bonuses just to join, and your MOS probably more, my son in law is a Captain of a MEEPTS station in Iowa, if you want I can call him and get a number of someone here who can help you, I can tell you got what it takes, 😉 let me know, you know what they say nothing ventured, nothing gained, 73s.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@daviddurflinger3104 Where were you 15 years ago? I regret not serving in my youth. Is there an age cut-off for the National Guard? I am actually in my 40's and I'm trying to retire from the software/consulting industry and start a second career. It will likely be doing communications consulting & training, communications product development, and KZbin if the channel continues to grow like it has these last few of months. I have several communications projects in-flight that could make this a reality.

[@W9HJBill]

Relocation kits are garbage. If you are a light radio user, just keep a relatively small and flexible antenna mounted on your radio on the font of your plate carrier. If it's short range, ie for squad communications, then you are just going to be listening to local traffic 99.44% of the time and won't need much range. If you are worried about attenuation and getting out, pull the radio out of your pouch and raise it to your head and stop wasting energy by transmitting into your body and gear. If you are the comms geek in your squad, then get a real radio, not BaoFeng garbage and mount it to your back plate carrier and mount the antenna to the radio and remote the mic/speaker and use the buttons on that to change channels if you need to. It's your job to keep the others informed for longer range comms, and a 5 or 8 watts BaoFeng isn't going to cut it. I'm a licensed Amateur Extra in ham radio, hold a GMRS license and the CO for my unit.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I appreciate you sharing your experience with the community. Based on the all exercises I've completed, pulling the radio out of the radio pouch with an upgraded antenna works the best in terms of raw RF performance. Again, every scenario is different and may require a different radio/antenna deployment suitable for the objective. Do you have any experience with the next generation Body Worn Antennas (BWA) by Harris? Based on the literature they claim to achieve a balance between Specific Absorption Rate and Gain Performance by moving the BWA about 10mm from the body.

[@W9HJBill]

@@TheTechPrepper I've not had any experience with them. For the high end tactical gear that I do work with, that mainly comes from units like the MPU5 from Persistent Systems and the Streamcaster 4200 from Silvus Technology. Both systems are WAY too expensive for preppers (about $10k an end) and only have access to them because of my company. From what I've read about the L3 antennas, they look interesting for the UHF band (225-450 MHz), but the antennas appear to have a low gain (loss actually) from -6.7dB to -15dB depending on mounting location and frequency. Raising it greatly improves the gain (some documents say +2 dBi). But even still, the Army has only put out a spec to have these be operational out to 5 clicks (3.1 miles), which really isn't too hard with a handheld and a 771 antenna. Personally, I like throwing a drone in my pack and battery operated 50 milliwatt UHF repeater. Weighs 250 grams for the drone and 140 grams for the repeater and battery that lasts 10 minutes, but launch it, go 300 feet straight up, and bounce your signal off that and you have line of sight for miles to get your signal out. I've worked other stations 40 miles that way. Not to mention you still have "eyes" for other uses from the drone for a force multiplier.

[@adlucem9845]

I get annoyed at the "xyz is garbage cause it's not super expensive. I don't know why it's garbage but I repeat what others say" Nothing garbage about baofeng. It has intermod like 99% of HT's. Intermod is a problem for maybe .1% of users right next to strong RF.

[@BikerGirlTraveler]

I think that it is crap, but it depends on the frequencies you test. Here is a link to a guy who did a test on this antenna and a few other antennas. He used specialized equipment to test the antenas, one of the best antena tests I’ve seen. “ABBREE V/U "tactical antenna" under test” kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZbGaHx7bZZ1r80

[@willt2036]

I know the 42" Abree I have is total crap. It's literally worse than my rubber duck on both bands.

[@manny2246]

I just don't like that he uses Km. Very informative tho

[@TheTechPrepper]

Sorry. I do a lot of land navigation with UTM in the backcountry, so I always think in terms of 1 km square grids. For the record, I ditched this setup and just use the "RTO" from "CAATail Antennas".

[@ryanjones9305]

Those abbree antennas are junk. Nothing near the quality of the flat whips of the military radios antennas. I thought they were actually 11m antennas anyway. Stick those small antennas on a rig expert stick if you have one, you’ll be surprised. I was surprised to see which small antennas were actually resonant and which ones had better numbers on the analyzer at least. That includes those 18” Diamond 2m antennas and the signal sticks.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Mine is in a drawer and something that I'll likely donate at the next hamfest or Goodwill. It was interesting testing it anyhow. I am pretty sure this is just hits the "cool" factor. In my opinion, it's too delicate, not terribly performant and a bit awkward to use in practice. I have moved onto another antenna system for the plate carrier use. While not terribly resonant, the RTO wearable is proving to be the best antenna (for me) as it will not break while on the plate carrier. Cheers.

[@mctscott123]

Cat tail antennas are ew... should definitely throw it on a VNA with full kit the way you'd carry everything and see how bad it really is.

[@TheTechPrepper]

To be fair they're not designed for the amateur radio bands. I tested "The RTO" as worn on my kit in the previous video and the SWR was high on 6m, 2m, 222 and 440. I ran the same test with the Abbree and relocation cable with the VNA mounted where my radio is mounted. For 2m, the SWR was really high at 4:1. At the moment, personally, the best performance while being active is to simply run the stock rubber duck shoulder mounted. It's also the solution that's simpler and still provides full IP67 water protection.

[@mctscott123]

@@TheTechPrepper I agree with that solution, not the highest gain, but ideally the best in terms of longevity for the radio.

[@t.c.2776]

I didn't expect much from your "review" when you started out by saying "I think this thing is going to be HOT GARBAGE" and "They all look like CRAP"... that show negative immature unprofessional bias... just sayin'... so, if it bends when running more than 4.5mph... are you really going to be trying to verbally transmit running that fast or faster with the load you were carrying? Also, the way you have your radio crammed in, you don't have access to changing any settings without first un-cabling it... and you're complaining about refolding the whip antenna... I'm thinking you have some misplaced priorities... anyway, just some observations... no worries I won't be returning to watch any more of your "reviews"... be well... ✌

[@legallimitoutdoors9917]

Tactcal crap... 1st u cannot tx on a folded antenna.