WRED210

I'm pretty new to this radio stuff (just using HT's on Jeep runs) so I didn't realize the losses would be so significant. I am trying to consistently reach a repeater around 35+ miles away. I was able to make a brief contact via the HT and Nagoya, so I figured I'd try and get another antenna up higher with the cable I had. I'll get some LMR-400 cable and elimate that from the equation. I've got a 20w radio arriving Friday, so I'll start over with new cable and go from there. Thank you both for your input and advice. It is very much appreciated.

Yeah, I thought I'd give the set up a try with what I had, before I spent money on good cable. I think we may have found the problem.

I'll try a different cable and a shorter run of the same kind and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for your input.

Could it be the 35 ft of cheap rg58 coax? Would that cause enough loss to lose reception?

Well.... I mounted the fiberglass 1/2 wave on a mast about 23 high (about 10 ft above garage roof), and not near that steel covered patio... and get zero reception. It tries to break squelch, but I hear nothing. The nagoya whip on the same HT gets some reception. Could it be that this cheap amazon antenna is just junk?

It was actually a pizza pan, but a small one. There is maybe only 5-6 inches surrounding the antenna. I also tried fiberglass antenna that is not "supposed" to need a ground plane. Would an antenna like that still benefit from a ground plane even if they dsay it isn't necessary?

I have a confusing antenna issue. I've been listening to the Midwest regional net with a 5w handheld. I can pick it up with a nagoya whip on the handheld and even better with a mag mount antenna stuck up on the steel roof of my covered patio. I tried the same antenna on a pie pan mounted on a pole about 10 feet above the same steel roof, and nothing what so ever. Any idea why the same antenna on a pole in the same location would not allow reception?