Truck setup

[WSAL354]

I am new to this and i have read so many different things.  I am going to be installing a radio in my truck and not sure the best antenna to use. I live in Vermont so there is lots of trees and hills/mountains to deal with. Thinking about going with BTECH GMRS-50V2 and Midland MXTA25.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[WRYZ926]

Are you restricted in antenna heights above the cab of your truck? If not, a longer antenna will perform better especially in the middle of your cab roof.

I drive a 2023 Ford Escape and park in the garage so I am limited to a maximum of a 20" tall antenna. I first tried the Midland MXTA51 that came with my MXT500 radio. That antenna is 6" long. It did okay. But I do get better results running the 20" Nagoya UT-72G antenna. I would rather use a longer antenna if I could.

[WRUU653]

I'll jump in here... I'm using the Comet SBB-5NMO, it's about 38" and works pretty great for 2m/70cm and pretty good for GMRS. My previous antenna was the Midland MXT26 Antenna and it works great on GMRS. Just don't try it on 2m. 

[Sshannon]

13 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

My previous antenna was the Midland MXT26 Antenna and it works great on GMRS. Just don't try it on 2m. 

That’s for sure!

[Radioguy7268]

If you plan to work repeaters for most of your mobile driving, it's really hard to beat a simple 6" hatpin antenna. They're inexpensive, low profile, and they simply work.

If you're trying to impress the ladies, then by all means, get the longest possible antenna.

[nokones]

You'll find the Midland MXT26 Antenna, is a very good antenna for GMRS freqs with excellent VSWRs. Other good mobile antennae are the Larsens and Lairds but, they need to be trimmed/tuned to your radio as a complete system. If you want good results it's best to use professional grade antennae and not amateur/hobbyist grade antennae.

[WSAL354]

I read so correct me if I am wrong, for a more dense area like cities because of buildings and wooded areas you should use a low dB antenna?

[Sshannon]

3 hours ago, WSAL354 said:

I read so correct me if I am wrong, for a more dense area like cities because of buildings and wooded areas you should use a low dB antenna?

It might be, but honestly it’s hard to generalize. Gain simply means that the power delivered by the radio is more focused in certain directions. If you know where you want to direct your signal that can help, but if you need your signal to be received by a station that is moving around, or much higher or lower in elevation, a low gain antenna can be better.
 

[BoxCar]

4 hours ago, WSAL354 said:

I read so correct me if I am wrong, for a more dense area like cities because of buildings and wooded areas you should use a low dB antenna?

 

24 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

It might be, but honestly it’s hard to generalize. Gain simply means that the power delivered by the radio is more focused in certain directions. If you know where you want to direct your signal that can help, but if you need your signal to be received by a station that is moving around, or much higher or lower in elevation, a low gain antenna can be better.
 

A lower-gain antenna works better in areas where the signals can reflect from many surfaces (multipath). Gain works two ways, not only by increasing the radiated output but also by increasing the received signal. In an urban environment lower gain helps reject multipath signals, while in a mountainous area, it reduces the multipath reflected from hard walls. YMMV

[WSAL354]

Thanks to everyone for the info.

[WRYZ926]

Let me clarify my last reply a bit. When I was talking about a longer antenna, I was not necessarily talking about an antenna 30" or longer. I know that not everyone wants or can have an antenna that long. There are good antennas in the 16-20 inch length too.

[WRQG411]

I run a Comet dual-bander on the driver's side back edge of my hood on a Midland NMO mount.  My radio is a Kenwood TM-V71A.  This setup works very well for me.

[WRYZ926]

Out of all the Comet antennas I have, the SBB1 is the only one that has horrible SWR on GMRS channels, the others all work well on 2m/70cm and GMRS.

[WRQG411]

My Comet model is the SS-680SBNMO, and it does ok at 1.5 on GMRS frequencies.  It's 27" long, and is about 1/2" too tall for my garage door, but is so extremely flexible that I don't even worry about it rubbing when entering or exiting the garage.