Mini rubber duck antenna

[TNRonin]

https://bettersaferadio.com/smiley-antenna-mini-rubber-duck-465mhz-gmrs-sma-m/

 

I picked one of these up to put on my UV-82HP. I needed something short at the gun range so that it would be more mobile. I'm helping out a little as ar a range master, and we use FRS radios to communicate between the lodge and the lines. I was using one of the tactical antennas that folds over, and while it's a super good antenna, it's just too big to be carrying around hanging off of pocket.

 

I wanted something small yet usable. Watching notaRubicon YouTube channel he was/is pimping the better safe radio stuff. Heck he even got me to spend $200 on a GMRS radio. Knowing how tight I am, that's quite an accomplishment. Fast forward to now, I wanted the short antenna, and I wanted to make sure that it functioned. The antenna was purchased with an adapter for a BNC connection. When I got the antenna and the additional part I was flummoxed because I couldn't figure out how in the heck to get it connected to the radio. After all I was used to SMA female to male connections of the baofeng. I'm thinking, what the heck!? And I typed off a quick email to better safe radio about the situation. So I'm standing in the kitchen, literally looking at the antenna, then looking at the connector. And then I thought what the heck why not tentatively try and twist/unscrew the current connector, which is an SMA male (which will not work with baofeng). It wasn't going to work with the Uv-82hp SMA female. So I'm holding the BNC connector and I'm looking at the antenna, and I gently go to unscrew it. Guess what it does? It unscrews, and low and behold the connector is going to attach and allow me to use the BNC connection system that I currently have set up on the radio!

 

I felt like such an idiot. I hope this helps somebody else, not feel like an idiot. So anyway, I now have the short short rubber duck antenna attached to the radio. And just for giggles I tuned to a 2 m repeater 14.7 mi away. I'm standing in the kitchen, key up give my ham call sign, release the PTT and lo and behold the repeater answers me. This little two or three inch antenna is actually pinging the repeater 14.7 mi away! That's with the 8 watts. That's crazy as far as I'm concerned.

I'm probably going to buy at least one more for my Yaesu FT65R.

 

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[WRPC505]

We've all been there at one time or another, don't worry; I know I have. I won't be laughing at you; I'll be laughing with you! 

Warren, WRPC505 / WQ1C

[TNRonin]

We've all been there at one time or another, don't worry; I know I have. I won't be laughing at you; I'll be laughing with you! 
Warren, WRPC505 / WQ1C

You'll be laughing because of me!

Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk

[WRPC505]

Well...yes. You can laugh back at me when I decide to do something silly.

[AdmiralCochrane]

I accidentally bought the wrong cable to go between my IC-756 PRO and the shiny new Heil mic I just bought.  Its right on the radio end, but wrong number of XLR pins on the mic end (too many on the cable). The eBay seller accepts returns at the shipping expense of the buyer, but the correct cable costs $25 more than the one I got; I would have been out $31 to fix my mistake.  For $13 I got the parts to make the correct connections, savings of $12 over getting the correct cable in the first place, $18 over sending the wrong cable back and ordering the correct one. 

Still not sure if I feel smart or dumb, but I do feel lucky.

[TNRonin]

While testing another antenna I checked this shortty. I could ping the repeater but no voice. 147.00 isn't a good freq (I knew that but still tried it) for this antenna. Oh well.

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[gortex2]

Why would you test a VHF frequency with a UHF antenna ? 

[AdmiralCochrane]

Because you never know without trying, there are a lot of flukes in antennae.   AND it will have some function regardless, its just a matter of how much. It's not a dummy load. 

[WRTU284]

<Resurrecting Old Thread>

I was thinking of betting one of the Mini Rubber Duck antennas for my KG-935G. Are you still able to receive the NOAA frequencies?  I know these are in the 161~162 MHz and the Mini Duck is tuned to around 465 MHz, but I would ok with bad quality if I can still hear it and make it out.

[TNRonin]

I was thinking of betting one of the Mini Rubber Duck antennas for my KG-935G. Are you still able to receive the NOAA frequencies?  I know these are in the 161~162 MHz and the Mini Duck is tuned to around 465 MHz, but I would ok with bad quality if I can still hear it and make it out.

Yep I hear them fine. Picks up local FM as well.

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[WRTU284]

6 minutes ago, TNRonin said:

Yep I hear them fine. Picks up local FM as well.

Sent from my SM-T860 using Tapatalk
 

Superb! Thank you for the reply.

[BoxCar]

Antenna tuning is critical for transmitting as any piece of wire can receive a signal.

[WRUR653]

I have a little UV5R and a 2 1/2 Rubber duck.
It my most used radio because its cheap, if I drop, break or lose it no sleep lost. And in most cases I do not need that much range. I need a small light radio that fits in my pocket easily or I can clip on my shirt collar.
 

[MichaelLAX]

3 hours ago, WRUR653 said:

 And in most cases I do not need that much range. 

Short range communications from the mid-1970s 

Short Range Communications with no batteries required!