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My point is the two different lengths of the poles make for 3 differently tuned ground planes. I paid no attention to the frequencies the plane offered; it was not easily available. One length is one band, the other a second and combined you end up with the cheaper 20" 'UHF' option. The cheaper one will work but you have no ability to trim/tune it on the plane. That is assuming Nagoya has the assembly for each band somewhere. You can guess around 8" is GMRS if nowhere else to start and try the other one for best SWR. I doubt 20" is optimal for any GMRS antenna. There are reasons, I'm not getting into, why this is not as much an issue on a car but I will add moving the magnet around is enough to 'tune' the plane on a mostly-flat metallic surface >8".

Not if you bought it on Amazon...

No response from Retevis as of today. Despite being cooperative, polite, and giving them all the photos and information they requested over multiple emails (as detailed in my earlier posts), Retevis has not responded since my last post on this subject back in April. So I cannot recommend Retevis. They sold me a defective radio and do not stand behind their products, in my experience. If you get a dud, you've just thrown your money away. Buyer beware. Radioddity, on the other hand, did take of me, and I CAN recommend them.

I literally clicked on both link and looked at them. That's how I knew what they looked like. You asked, acontextually, which one was best. You gave no context. And then you started insulting the people and software they are running who are trying to help you.

To what do you have the antenna mounted?

Since NOONE is bothering to look, the 2 items are ground plane brackets, that I don't believe I even need, other than to attach a cable at one end and antenna on the other. I asked the question before I wasted anymore money on the Nagoya if the result will be the same, I needed a bracket, similar to the Midland MXTA-23 I believe only without a cable attached to mount the antenna more securely to the top of the 25' flagpole I put it on top of. Having gotten my answer with that, I do still have questions as to why I'm still getting the problem as far as the links, most forums will convert links to photos and since there's so many sad hams here I quit coming here for answers and generally look elsewhere. Not able to find what I was looking for for, I posted in the most logical place to ask my question. Other forums will convert posts to visual of items and even those that don't, most people actually at least click on one to know what they're talking about before even posting comments back. Then sad hams aren't part of those forums either

I knew who he was talking to. I also know that something's awry with the 4.6 SWR readings. I'm running a tuned Laird B4505CN on top of it. Tuned using a Laird G8 base. I expected it to be off, I didn't expect it to be off that much.

He certainly might have been. If that’s so I apologize for interrupting.

As a relatively new member, my experience with @SteveShannon couldn't be more opposite.

Look, anyone can post two web links and ask which is best. It’s the laziest way to post. But without explaining exactly what you mean by “best” nobody can give you a serious answer. Now had you explained what model of Laird antenna you had and that you think it might require a ground plane, people would be able to give you a serious answer to your question. So, why don’t you try again. I might not have the answer and if I don’t I won’t act like I do, but at least you won’t look like an entitled idiot.

I think he was asking @SDJeffrey whose name also happens to be Steve.

That's right, because you think you're too good to help people just want to complain about them not knowing anything but, don't want to help, just start crap.

I second this. I have the same antenna on a 36' mast for my repeater and I get 10-15 miles depending upon the direction. Terrain is less favorable to the northwest than in the other directions. When I'm recovered from my shoulder surgery, I'm going to put the antenna on a 50' mast. The greatest "bang for the buck" is almost always getting the antenna up higher.

Understood. I have the same interest for our neighborhood here in Hurricane Central.

He was responding to me, not you. And he was very helpful. If you're getting an SWR 4.6, something is definitely awry. What kind of antenna are you running on the Tram base?

The tri-band Nagoya wouldn't get acceptable SWRs on one band (I forget which) no matter what I gave it for a ground plane, including in the middle of the roof of my car. The Nagoya HD-A (2m/70cm) didn't have an acceptable SWR on any band, despite being allegedly a no-ground-plane antenna. A couple of other Nagoyas did perfectly fine, including the UT-72. I've had (I think) 3 Trams and haven't had problems with any of them. With regard to how far they will tx/rx, I haven't noticed anything worth mentioning. However, in the area where I do most of my driving, the topography imposes a practical limit on any mobile antenna. Again, I'm not sure this means anything with regard to their ground plane units.

I appreciate the info. I am up to speed on bands. I didn't notice that the Nagoya was tri-band. So aluminum is better for tri-band than brass? Why would that be?

I help with our ham repeaters, but I don’t operate one of my own. I’m slightly interested in putting together a portable GMRS repeater for our rocket club.

Now I remember why you were on my ignore list …

Did you even look at what I referred to?

Towers not up yet. Still packaged in the shop. And yes, only GMRS. mine mine mine.

So Steve, do you have a repeater?

I just used Convert.Guru HLP to TXT converter (https://convert.guru/hlp-converter) to convert the 7 HLP files in 49D Version 6.30 and attached them to this post. Slightly different version but should be close enough... 49D Help Files.zip

is that tower only being used for GMRS?? I'm lucky,, on a 30' mounted 14' ABGL and my house sits on a hill 225' above the valley below..

You were a week too early. Cainhoy 700, short range. https://mygmrs.com/repeater/10685