Trying out a Dual Band mobile antenna for PMR446

So feeling better and itching to try out one of my Christmas presents, I put the Bofeng UV-5R in the car and went for a drive around to see how well the
Bingfu Mobile Ham Radio Dual Band antenna would do in a built-up area around the outskirts of Coventry.
sorry here is the link for antenna.
www.amazon.co.uk/Bingfu-Anten...

[@DeltaXray444]

Cracking little antenna, seemed to work very well.

[@Al.26TC101]

Seemed not to bad , for driving around the City Cheers bud

[@timothyjones4950]

Not too bad Al, we were listening, and never heard a thing in afraid. A local came in called Sean also, and we had a brief chat on 16 putting occasional calls out for you, not to worry, can't win them all. Regards, Tim HT.

[@Al.26TC101]

I was hearing stuff back of the box, but i only went as far as the bridge on the A45 which is still quite high, but next time im at my spot ill have it with me :-)

[@BoB4jjjjs]

I think Dipsy is all excited about being first 🤣 Interesting video Allan. Looks like you have got over the nasties! Back on

[@Al.26TC101]

Well i do have a couple weeks break over the Christmas period, but really happy to be fighting fit again and back on it and enjoying the radio, the virus really knocked me for 6 and i was so tired and lethargic, i didn't even want to get out of bed, how i managed to take all my Christmas decorations down i dont know.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

@@Al.26TC101 It appears to affect everyone differently, some it is no bother and others need a hospital. I would need hospitalised, in fact I got a letter through saying I would get treatments not available to others because of the health problems I have and had! That makes me sound terrible. I know a few that just didn't have the energy to do anything, a few others just said they lost the sense of smell and taste! It really is an odd virus.

[@Al.26TC101]

@@BoB4jjjjs Vey Odd bud , my daughter even after hugging me when she left tested negative and my other half only lost her sense of taste and smell with a bit of a sore throat, i dont think the amount of alcohol helped that I had, plus running around and stressing about christmas.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

@@Al.26TC101 What is there to stress about Christmas? Drink does not help though. I don't drink these days, so it is not a problem for me!n They were lucky only suffering what they did, but bet they are glad it was like that for them!

[@Al.26TC101]

@@BoB4jjjjs I do all the cooking and organising and just want to make Christmas special for everyone that comes to my place, I think I may pushmyself a bit to much, but i do love seeing happy faces and filled tummys.

[@rvcbuk]

Coventry is quite a dense area with lots of buildings and other infrastructure, so I guess the little antenna did really well.

[@Al.26TC101]

I think it did do quite well, my home base antenna for PMR is on the side of the flat wheres my 27mhz antenna is actually clearing the roof of the flat, pretty low down here, so not bad , looking forward to going to some high ground and see how it does then.

[@cbradioghosttalk1986]

I use the same antenna on one of the trucks for GMRS and it works fine ... I get a good 15-20 miles line of sight from mobile to base. Using about 25 watts out of the truck and fifty at the base. open areas rural. Never blew off the truck and the swrs are always on the money. I like ours much.

[@Al.26TC101]

Cool, Coventry is very bad for radio, built-up area, lots of hills around us, so I'm pleased it worked as well as it did, Actually, got a 5/8th Homebase PMR446 antenna for Homebase from the states as I understand 446mhz is used as an amateur band in the states?

[@ramonloera360]

Was thinking of returning it because i saw a few reviews that say that they don't work for gmrs frequencies i guess it does?

[@26TM034]

Bought something like this to try...fell apart coming out the bag..tried soldering the cheap wire back on he base and super glueing the mag net back in lol....carefull to get a good quality one

[@Al.26TC101]

Oh thats not good , this one is nice and solid , no problems with it atall and seemed to work well. I should of put the link up , but i can rectify that.

[@pmr446]

Well done, good range especially for only a few watts from a Baofeng uv-5r.. A CRT Space U may help increase the range on UHF PMR-446, they are tiny radios but output approximately 17 watts (Albeit a lot of heat is generated from them). Hope to hear you on the air sometime in the future 73's Danielle DC260 North Yorkshire.

[@Al.26TC101]

Thanks, Danielle , I've spoken to you before I think on FB Messenger about the PMR. I'll deffo look into maybe getting a better radio for the car and i was happy with the outcome especially as i was in a built-up area with houses around. Thanks for the comment.

[@pmr446]

@@Al.26TC101 Hi Al, yes I am active in some of the PMR-446 and CB groups so I am sure we have talked before. Yes UHF can be suprisingly long range I think many people put it down because of lower powered radios and not using the correct antennas but it can travel very far. All the best.

[@therixon]

She's a keeper bud!!

[@Al.26TC101]

The antenna or the better half LOL

[@Chris-hy6jy]

8w with an external antenna on PMR446? Have the regs changed since I last checked, which admittedly was many years ago.

[@Al.26TC101]

Nope not that i know , im just trying these things out.

[@pjohnwilliams6941]

Hi mate, what's the name of the radio your using in your video for receiving?

[@Al.26TC101]

Its a Anytone AT-778UV it also covers 2 meters and 70cm. I had to program it myself , but pretty easy once you get your head around it .

[@stevemclennan2459]

Hi al heard you today on 505 gave you a shout back but was wiped out I was on the purbecks you were briefly 5 and 9 would of loved to of made a contact with you. Love the vids. For the love of the hobby. Macca ct 4337.

[@Al.26TC101]

Nice one bud I may have been trying for Jamaica at the time on LSB and managed a couple of contacts, but i was also speaking to a few others on 505 usb. I was also recording, I do try and keep my ears open for the distant stations, can be difficult, Maybe one day bud, im pretty spontanious when i decide to go out.

[@killerbites3963]

PMR is generally never much good during the week, and not to much activity on Sundays as it’s cold, good test will best next summer

[@Al.26TC101]

I always have a listen out and its radio, i do here a lot of activity , but mostly business and schools, although the longest contact I had was when I was at Broadway Tower in the Cotwolds and made the trip 68 miles to Darbyshire hills

[@chrisb3989]

Anu chance of checking the swr?

[@Al.26TC101]

Yeah I only recently got a swr meter for PMR, but really not a lot of activity here in the Midlands sad to say.😢

[@chrisb3989]

@@Al.26TC101 I always like to check the swr on these cheap antennas before transmitting into them. I once got one that claimed to be 2m 70cm the 2m swr was usable at 2.1 but at 70cm was swr 15…..yes….FIFTEEN 😳

[@drsysop]

What frequency are you using there?

[@Al.26TC101]

446.093 hope that helps

[@drsysop]

@@Al.26TC101 That is pretty close to our FRS/GMRS frequencies in the US.

[@Al.26TC101]

@@drsysop We have whats Called PMR 446 in the uk with 16 channels we can use with max power of 500mw Freq is 446.006 (ch1)to 446.193(ch16) with a 12.5 shift between each channel

[@KnugenMooMoo]

Just coming to be the 1st lol

[@Al.26TC101]

LOL well done i think :-)

[@KnugenMooMoo]

Hey mum mum grab you're VHS recorder and record that I'm 1st 🤣

[@Al.26TC101]

@@KnugenMooMoo 🤪😅🤣

[@KnugenMooMoo]

@@Al.26TC101 🤣🤣🤣

[@alanbond1269]

Hi Al my current base to mobile is with my brother on the A303 Road East to West at 48 miles. But brother thinks I hit him around 70 miles but that could of been some one else calling out in the background 73s

[@Al.26TC101]

I've had 68 miles hilltop to hilltop and on a bofeng uvr5, it's not to great in Coventry even thou ive got the hieght at the flat i don't hear much atall apart from alot of buienesses and schools

[@alanbond1269]

@@Al.26TC101 Hi Al thanks for the reply. Location and height is the key. My brother was a moving target so very hit and miss. My South facing beam 5 element receives ok backwards can you get your pmr beam up a bit for the south mine will be going up about another 2 metres to beat most local hills but up the ladder in the cold has knocked me a bit

[@Al.26TC101]

@@alanbond1269 yeah I can get the beam southwards, send me a message with your location and I'll try and aim it your way and see what we can do, but im centre of coventry so might be a problem with buildings and such like south east is prob a no go. But worth a shot.👍🏻