Strange result that has me re-thinking my setup...

[Sbsyncro]

In the Jeep I have the Wouxun KG-1000G with Midland MXTA24 cable routed to a home-made aluminum mount that is attached to an aluminum Rhino rack that bolts to a backbone frame which in turn bolts to the body tub (all painted/finished connection points).  I'm running the Midland MXTA26 6db antenna.  I also carry a Radioddity GM-30 HT for jumping out and spotting, etc.

On a recent outing to Panamint Valley, I headed back to camp early and left the rest of my group as they headed up a new trail a few thousand feet in elevation above camp and about 5 air miles away.  They then climbed higher and farther back into a canyon, but crossed a few ridges during their trip.  They ended up a good 10-12 miles from me and deep back in a canyon.

From camp I was monitoring them from both my fixed and HT radios.  I was able to talk to them almost the entire time from the Wouxun radio but there were MANY times when I did not pick up their comms on the Wouxun but I did on the HT (clearly enough to understand them).  I dropped the squelch on the Wouxun all the way down to "1" and it made no difference.    The Wouxun seemed to be overly selective and did not open the squelch.  I did not have a chance to turn the squelch off entirely to see the difference.

It was not consistent - sometimes the Wouxun would pick up traffic that the HT did not, but it was usually the other way around.   I found this extremely puzzling.

Should I be re-thinking my in-Jeep setup after convincing myself that I had "the best" setup using the highest quality gear?  Could it just be that the antenna is not grounded properly? Or is it just that the Wouxun is overly selective?

I definitely found it disconcerting that a $30 HT was essentially outperforming my $600 setup in the Jeep in a "real world" scenario!   

[Lscott]

Using a high gain antenna the radiation pattern tends to be flat like a pancake. This concentrates most of the power out horizontally at a 90 degree angle to the antenna. What I suspect is happening is most of the RF power is simply shooting over their heads or hitting the canyon walls. 

The HT antenna radiation pattern is more like a fat donut. A lot of the power is at much higher and lower angles relative to the 90 degree position. This allows you to get a signal to and from other stations at much different horizontal elevations.

What some people do is carry several antennas then swap them out depending on local terrain. A high gain antenna is great for open flat country. A low gain, typically a 1/4 wave like what is commonly found on HT's, when in hilly or mountainous areas.

[Sbsyncro]

But doesn't this only apply to *transmitting* and not to receiving?  In other words the HT was RECEIVING signals that were being transmitted by a 15w radio and ghost antenna and a 50w radio with a 1/4 wave mag mount antenna on a big ground plane. (the latter came in much more clearly than the former).

[Lscott]

21 minutes ago, Sbsyncro said:

But doesn't this only apply to *transmitting* and not to receiving?  In other words the HT was RECEIVING signals that were being transmitted by a 15w radio and ghost antenna and a 50w radio with a 1/4 wave mag mount antenna on a big ground plane. (the latter came in much more clearly than the former).

Antennas are symmetrical devices. They receive about the same as they transmit.