DaddyO

The wife has already started quoting “If you give a mouse a cookie”.

I really appreciate all the informed responses! The truth is that I can afford more, but the logic of the question was really the crux. After doing some more measurements, my cable run is likely to be considerably longer than I had originally expected, so I’ll probably go LMR400. My chimney has a metal top that I’m considering a mag base for, but I’d have to pull It down if I ever (extremely rarely) wanted to use the fireplace. I see the other option as a long piece of pvc tube with some guy wires, but that doesn’t get nearly as tall as my second story chimney. I’m pretty sure that standing at the closest upstairs window to Dallas that I’m already hitting repeaters close to downtown with the longer (included in the GM30 plus kit) whip, so I’m betting that I’ll be ok no matter what.

Hello all! New user here. Recently purchased the dual pack of GM30 plus units. Since I live in “the suburbs” with lots of folliage, and houses and whatnot, about 10 miles from my city center (Dallas for those who care) I figure getting an antenna up on my rooftop is my next order of business. Hardline with some unobtanium antenna is the “best”, but for those of us who want to pick a price point and go… Where is the division between cabling cost vs antenna cost? 50/50? Does an $80 antenna with RG8 make more fars than a $20 antenna with LMR400? Or vice versa? Do I bother with N connectors for something like this, or, since I’m just going to SMA, do I just get something thin and not bother? My particular application calls for about 50 feet of cable to get to the top of my chimney, and I’m hoping to budget around $100 on this simple setup.