kidphc

Part of the reason Marc seams to dislikes the newer CB antennas. Even when they are at 102" he feels they are they are two short and make the radio even more deaf. He wish they were closer to 110" from what I gather. GMRS I would just suggest what ever you are going to install it. Make sure the antenna has no obstructions in it's line of sight. Even more so if it has a loading coil. The coil has to be above the roof rack, the windshield ect... I have seen significant noticeable differences just by clearing obstructions to the coil. Police cars can have the antennas about anywhere, from what I gather there are repeaters everywhere for them at least in an urban environment.

Whole heartland agree with all the above. The more I look at antenna designs the more all the different designs in a particular category tend to look similar. There is no one better antenna. A lot of manufacturing limitations do show up and effect the antenna. Type of materials used, how was everything soldered up etc. This seem to constitute a majority of price differences. Buy cheap get cheap, you don't do something for nothing neither does the manufacturer. The lower cost are usually due to no R&D (cloning), materials, lower labor cost and QA. Conversely, buying expensive doesn't assure you quality. Same with the name. I am finding more and more it is about what you can get away such as 1/4 vs 1/2 vs 5/8ths wave. The installation choice (how it is installed) has a much greater impact. Mobile is already a compromise at best. If you jam a 1/4 mounted to roof rack or magnet mount, you have to be realistic with the overall performance of the package. You have take a compromise and added more compromises, small and easy. You effect gain and ground plane. Both work with a multitude of factors and add up. In the VHF being cheap (quality) with connector, cabling etc, are worse with the losses. Thankfully, not as bad on mobile vs a base. They add up to make your radio more and more deaf. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

If you like rag chewing about weird topics. Then HF or using a digital hot spot (old ham operator calls it fake amateur radio) may be the way to go. We had a 30 minute conversation over WiresX. He brought up a valid point, "i should just call you".

Now for the ear subjective test. Larsen NMO2/70B (open coil variant) The longest antenna out of the three, it is the thinnest of the the 3 antennas. Many antenna designers have a very similar or identical design. Don't let the SWR numbers fool you. This antenna due to the height and gain numbers easily hears repeaters and FRS users from far away. Although, mobiles can handle high SWR numbers better it is really starting to get border line. There is much less picket fencing (signal going in and out when moving), easily gets out further, when compared to the Larsen 2/70SH. A 2m repeater (60 miles away) was starting to break squelch but could not be copied with the 1/4 variant. Yes, the repeater is doing all the work, but it was annoying to have squelch breaks of white noise constantly. With the 2/70B I am able to make out copies with heavy to moderate hashing. The 2/70B, I am hearing a lot more FRS/GMRS users about, and can actually hear them. Not sure if I want to risk a radio transmitting on GMRS/FRS with it though. In a real emergency "F" the radio. It does wag around like a dog tail over every bump, I have yet to notice any ill effects due to this. Because of the flexibility, this will probably survive the longest, and I believe the NMO will rip out first. Because of how happy I am with this antenna, I am eyeballing 60" super gain antennas for the long trips up to Toronto through the mountains. A huge negative to many, you gotta look at drilling to maximize this antenna. Larsen 2/70SH This little 1/4 wave has a spring built into the base. The coil is about half way up the antenna clearing the roof rack. It is an enclosed type, so an eyeball needs to be kept on it as it gets older, to avoid water/ice buildup inside the coil wrapper as it ages.The whip is sturdy, it is about 8-10 gauge in diameter. Did I mention the beefiness. It out performed the UT72 on reception and transmitting. There was still a fair amount of picket fencing, I was starting to believe I couldn't do much about the multi-pathing. However, this antenna out shines the UT72 in reception. It was able to pick out signals 2-3 miles further out then the UT72. The 2/70sh is a keeper, for the trails and around town with low obstructions. When compared to the UT72 I believe a lot of the differences has to do with the coil location (couldn't get a clear view with the UT72) and the ground plane NMO vs magnetic mount. A huge negative to many, you gotta look at drilling to maximize this antenna. Nagoya UT72 The UT72 hears the least and gets the most static. It also has the most amount of picket fencing . I believe it is because the loading coil is built into the magnetic base. Which on my truck is below the roof rack. The big negative is that you can't swap out the antenna, since the magnetic mount uses and N style female connector. I may try in the future to get a ht whip and adapter. The pro, the cheapest and easiest to deploy, since with the base the antenna is about $27. Also the antenna base incorporates a spring. The antenna is fairly stiff, I have managed to knock off the magnetic mount when the spring failed to give enough, it is loud when this happens. SUMMARY A lot of the differences between the different antennas come down to ground plane and loading coil locations. Not so much who makes the better antenna. Really in honesty, that will change with materials and how it was designed. I choose Larsen, since every one of the antennas and NMO has parts available from the manufacturer. Not all manufactures will have parts available much less sell you every component. Either way you will see similar results with similar style antennas. So net effect, listen to the old timers, Break out the drill, and get yourself a nice SWR meter to maximize your antenna.

Larsen NMO 2/70B (Untuned) 2 meters 144-148 MHz 3.8 dBi 1/2 70 cm 440-450 MHz 5.2 dBi 1/2 + 3/8 144.000 MHz SWR 1.14:1147.999 MHz SWR 1.86:1 Lowest (144.4 MHz) SWR of 1.11:1 420.000 SWR 1.88:1450.000 SWR 1.82:1Lowest (438 MHz) SWR of 1.06:1 FRS/GMRS Frequencies462.5625 SWR 2.68:1467.7250 SWR 2.52:1Lowest (465.750) SWR 2.51:1 (doesn't matter out of band)

Larsen 2/70SH 144.000 MHz SWR 1.37:1147.999 MHz SWR 1.14:1 Lowest (146.96 MHz) SWR of 1.09:1 420.000 SWR 1.77:1450.000 SWR 1.44:1Lowest (444.6 MHz) SWR of 1.18:1 FRS/GMRS Frequencies462.5625 SWR 1.59:1467.7250 SWR 1.48:1Lowest (466.320) SWR 1.44:1 (doesn't matter out of band)

Nagoya UT72 on baking pan The stats from BTech 's website: https://baofengtech.com/NAGOYA-UT-72 144.562 National 2m SWR 2.53 :1144.000 MHz SWR 2.89:1147.999 MHz SWR 2.21:1159.300-163.500 lowest SWR of 1.18:1 420.000 SWR 1.92:1450.000 SWR 1.33:1444.900-445.800 lowest of SWR of 1.3:1 FRS/GMRS Frequencies462.5625 SWR 1.35:1467.7250 SWR 1.40:1 Nagoya UT72 on truck with about 20" of ground plane in all directions. Loading coil is below the roof rack. 144.000 MHz SWR 1.90:1147.999 MHz SWR 1.3:1 Lowest (148 MHz) SWR of 1.3:1 420.000 SWR 2.28:1450.000 SWR 1.36:1Lowest (447.3 MHz) SWR of 1.3:1 FRS/GMRS Frequencies462.5625 SWR 1.13:1467.7250 SWR 1.48:1

Heard the very simular setups when some agencies need to run more antennas on the old Bronco fiberglass topa. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Could always get a gladiator (probably not inclined as much to take the top off. Then you get a bed to work with. Or you can drill through the roof and put a big old piece of sheet metal inside as a ground plane

Those extra channels on the Midland are bit of bs. They basically are the regular channels set with tones. https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2008/05/how_midlands_extra_channels_work.html Make sure the btech is set the same. Plus past channel 30 on the BTech settings won't be saved.

No offense. Just sad you went through the troubles and kinda got outed. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Good god... that is a a mouth full.

Since NanoVnas are getting really affordable sub $80 to a little over a $100. Many people are resorting to them as a cheap way to to get SWR readings or do some antenna analyzers. Often they the Smith chart is left on and clutters the display. Now what is a Smith chart and how is it used you ask... Well just watch the little youtube video to start getting an idea. Explanation of a Smith chart and a basic how to read.

Have you looked at digital via hotspots or echolink which you can run on your phone or pc. Sure they aren't Rf but they may tickle the reason you got your amateur or dwevle in to hf. Not every ham is a dick. It socks your local enclave are so elitist. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

NOTE I have only gotten YSF. I do have a DSTAR login for my old call sign. I am connected to 30c but hear nothing.

DROIDSTAR for android. Dudestar for Windows 10. Droidstar playstore link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.dudetronics.droidstar&hl=en_US ** You need a valid call sign. ** It is listen only.. they want to add transmit capability ** the AMB conversion is done via software so a slow device is not something I would recommend. ###Both do DSTAR, DMR, P25, YSF NXDN DUDESTAR For WIndows 10https://github.com/nostar/dudestar ##Receive only unless you have a USB AMBE chip or mmdvm. Then you can transmit it will crash...if you leave the host empty. 1.) choose your mode IE. "YSF" 2. Choose your host "Americalink" 3. Enter your callsign. 4. hit connect

I loved my Nagoya UT72. Thought it was the bomb. Drilled a hole and put in a Larsen 2/70sh and now I had to add squelch. The antenna changed how much it was receiving. Now weak signals that I never heard before are trying to open the radio. Will never go back to a mag mount, well at least for my trucks.

If you trim them THEN you will affect performance. Leave them as is and you should be good to go. You may get more performance by adding radials or lengthen the ones you have.

Call sign w identifier. "(callsign) wifey this is (callsign) mobile 1 are you there?'. Mobile 1 and wifey can be substituted for whatever that suits your fancy. So call sign & individual identifer.

Probably won't help on a car. As far as at home, you should check/experiment with the vna. Although, what I have read, long radials or simply addding more have severally diminishing returns. Something anecdotal on ground radials mostly for HF but you'll get the idea.

Yes, theoretically. Even continuous chicken wire, not the braided should provide a ground plane. The x200a has 3 long radials, however RF is going to do what RF wants to. So depending on wattage, you might want to do a field exposure study. Especially, if you are directly below it. My antenna is above a closet, an unused bathroom and a hall way. I was told not to put the HF dipole in the attic because even at 50 watts the exposure was iffy.

The antenna says it has 5.0dbi gain. So theoretically, I would expect a best of 3w input and 15w at the antenna. What does the SWR look like across the band?

Not marc. I have one mounted in the attic, I still grounded it like it was an outside antenna, since my LMR400 is going down the side of the house. Plus I'll be set up for an outside antenna (wishful thinking). The biggest problems are, coupling with wiring (metallic) objects in the attic, potentially irradiating family members below, copper granular shingles, radiant barriers and some losses associated with going through the lumber and shingles. X200a mounted in the attic.

You can do it. When you are scoring mid 90's on the test it is pretty much a pass at that point. Gl Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Tech is super easy. Just study and take the practice exams. BTW, most just study for the general at the same time. Lots of cross over material. I wish I had done that.