New to GMRS

[Chessy68]

I have a question on antennas for hand held radios, I've got a few Baofeng uv-5G and wondered what antenna would be good for suburban area's. I live just outside the Houston in a area with homes,warehouses,chemical plants and schools. The stock antennas work ok at about mile but after that not so much. Looking for groups around the Pasadena, Deer Park, and channel view area's but no luck. Any suggestions on this, thanks for any help y'all can give me. 

[WRXB215]

@Chessy68 Welcome to GMRS. As far as antennas go, Both Nagoya and Abbree make a 771G which is a very good antenna. Nagoya also makes a 701G which is shorter but still typically better than the stock antenna. Abbree doesn't offer the 701G yet, only the 701UV. Abbree does provide some good Tactical antennas. I haven't tried one yet but so far all the reviews I've seen have been good.

I live in Baytown. I'm not aware of any GMRS clubs in the area but there are a lot of good repeaters around here. Check this site, myGMRS.com and also texasGMRS.net to find lots of good repeaters.

[WRXP381]

As already stated the 771g or a tactical foldable.  You can get them upto 48”.    They look silly but do work.   Also an external antenna on the house and car with an adapter to your hand held will work wonders.   Gmrs is super line of site to get what ever antenna you use get it up as high as possible.   The city is also hard on gmrs signals.  Out in the open a 4/5watt hand held can do 30plus miles all day long but the same radio in the city will fall off at a mile or so.  Height is might.  

[GreggInFL]

Same with foliage.  One would think that flat Florida would be perfect for radio, but trying to push 5W on a stock antenna through the woods means 1/2 - 2 miles, max.

[WRWE456]

15 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

Same with foliage.  One would think that flat Florida would be perfect for radio, but trying to push 5W on a stock antenna through the woods means 1/2 - 2 miles, max.

Ya its almost like being under water. You have to get the antenna's above the surface so to speak. Both party's need a tower. That works for base to base but your out of luck with HT's and mobiles.

[nokones]

Just use the antenna that came with the radio. Most of the other types of antennae is just foo foo stuff.

[WRXP381]

11 minutes ago, nokones said:

Just use the antenna that came with the radio. Most of the other types of antennae is just foo foo stuff.

Not true at all.   A stock antenna n most hts will do 10-20miles for me.  I can do 50-60miles with a 771g.   So double or more.   And even further with a 48” foldable.    Bigger antennas that are built right not only get up higher but have gain.  

[WRXB215]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

Most of the other types of antennae is just foo foo stuff.

I'm not sure about "most" but for a UV-5R I've done several tests in my neighborhood and the stock antenna doesn't cut it from my house to a particular point at the end of a bike ride. Both the 701 and 771 do make the trip with the 771 a little clearer than the 701.

Mind you there are a lot of trees and houses full of f...furniture in my neighborhood.

[WRYZ926]

I have used both military issue and commercial Motorola radios while in the Army. I have never gotten anywhere close to 50-60 miles range with any hand held radio even in the wide open deserts of California or the Middle East.

We used commercial Motorola radios when I was stationed at Ft Irwin California. We had to use repeaters on base due to the mountains. Otherwise we could not talk to main base while on the live fire ranges on the north part of base.

[WRXP381]

Ummm since you brought up the high desert of California (fort Erwin) our clubs repeater is on the mountain in crest line ca.  we have many people in our club from Huntington Beach that reach it with hand helds all the time.  As well I get from wrightwood area to Rosamond and even tehachapi and Barstow as well as calico on a $20 ht.   So it happens all the time.  You’re the same type of  guy that tells me I can not talk to Las Vegas with a 20w $125 base station over 200miles away.  Again 4/5w and even 8w doesn’t really matter as far as what maker of radio you have for distance.  People talk to the space station with $20 uv5rs all the time.  A $20 ht will for sure transmit just as far has a $500 ht.   So it’s still all about features and quality.  Those are personal decisions that no one can decide but the end user.  

[WRYZ926]

Talking to the space station or satellite is a little different since there is a completely open line of sight from the ground up to space. And I am glad to hear that you can talk that far. But that is definitely not going to be the norm for most people.

And it doesn't matter if it is a $20 hand held radio or a $1000 hand held radio, UHF is only going to reach so far depending on location and terrain. UHF is a line of sight. After a certain point then the curvature of the earth will come into effect. UHF doesn't skip off the atmosphere like HF does.

My last reply to this thread is based on personal first hand experience using VHF and UHF while I was in the military. Now if we were on top of the Granite Mountains on Ft Irwin, then we could reach farther with a hand held, but we still weren't getting the range you say you are getting.

[Chessy68]

12 hours ago, WRXB215 said:

@Chessy68 Welcome to GMRS. As far as antennas go, Both Nagoya and Abbree make a 771G which is a very good antenna. Nagoya also makes a 701G which is shorter but still typically better than the stock antenna. Abbree doesn't offer the 701G yet, only the 701UV. Abbree does provide some good Tactical antennas. I haven't tried one yet but so far all the reviews I've seen have been good.

I live in Baytown. I'm not aware of any GMRS clubs in the area but there are a lot of good repeaters around here. Check this site, myGMRS.com and also texasGMRS.net to find lots of good repeaters.

Thanks for the tips, I'm to gmrs and know antennas help out because I'm a truck driver and used CB radios for 25+ years and the antenna makes a big difference. I'm learning asi go with GMRS, excited to see how far I can take it.

[nokones]

10 hours ago, WRXP381 said:

I can do 50-60miles with a 771g.  

Wow that is not bad for a CCR. I can do a ton better then that with my Motorola XTS5000 UHF Type 3 that has front panel programming using a Motorola 5 1/4" flex antenna and a Motorola 11 year old battery that still has about 94% capacity after a complete recharge . And on some days I can communicate from Phoenix all the way to Albuquerque with that portable.

I bet your CCR can't do that.

If I need to listen to NOAA I can whip out my VHF XTS1500 and as for AM-FM stations, are they still on the air? I haven't listened to a commercial-laden AM FM broadcast station well over 20 years. I have commercial-free XM in all of my vehicles and trailer, except for one vehicle. That vehicle is only equipped with a Motorola XTS1500 Type 2 UHF Two-Way Radio that is  connected to a Phantom antenna.

[OffRoaderX]

Just now, nokones said:

I bet your CCR can't do that

I bet a CCR standing in the exact same spot as you and your XTS can.  As a matter of fact, I guarantee that it can.

[nokones]

28 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

I bet a CCR standing in the exact same spot as you and your XTS can.  As a matter of fact, I guarantee that it can.

I have all the confidence in the world that you can make your CCRs make the trek because you have those special CCRs that were blessed by Zenu. I think I better pass on that bet.

[OffRoaderX]

Just now, nokones said:

I have all the confidence in the world that you can make your CCRs make the trek because you have those special CCRs that were blessed by Zenu. I think I better pass on that bet.

all kidding aside.. Although far, FAR better in build quality, the fact is that your (and my) UHF XTS5000 radios put out the exact same power, and sometimes less power, than most CCR GMRS radios, and they have virtually the exact same fars.

[nokones]

12 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

all kidding aside.. Although far, FAR better in build quality, the fact is that your (and my) UHF XTS5000 radios put out the exact same power, and sometimes less power, than most CCR GMRS radios, and they have virtually the exact same fars.

Seriously, I do to agree. A watt or two or three more really doesn't do squat insofar (ooh semi-pun?) as "Farz"

[GreggInFL]

Alright, let's settle this once and for all.  Is it "Fars" or "Farz"? 

[WRXB215]

I think "Farz" is the European spelling. 

[Sshannon]

On 4/25/2024 at 8:53 PM, OffRoaderX said:

all kidding aside.. Although far, FAR better in build quality, the fact is that your (and my) UHF XTS5000 radios put out the exact same power, and sometimes less power, than most CCR GMRS radios, and they have virtually the exact same fars.

Exactly right, and we hear people frequently saying that their Baofeng transmits just as far as a Motorola, but I suspect there’s a huge difference in how well the Motorola radios receive compared to the Baofeng. To me that’s the important distinction. 

[WRQC527]

10 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

Exactly right, and we hear people frequently saying that their Baofeng transmits just as far as a Motorola, but I suspect there’s a huge difference in how well the Motorola radios receive compared to the Baofeng. To me that’s the important distinction. 

I'll second that. My UV-5Rs transmit just fine, but they have the worst receivers of any of my HTs. Same thing with my Juentai JT-6188 mobile (KT-8900 clone). Not only are the receivers deaf, they have extremely poor adjacent channel rejection. My JT-6188 is unusable as a mobile radio. I stick to my Yaesus for any important comms.

[OffRoaderX]

5 minutes ago, WRQC527 said:

Not only are the receivers deaf,

Although on paper the UV-5R is not as sensitive as my XTS5000 and XTS2500's, the UV-5R is far from "deaf".  and in my daily, "normal person" usage, I have never noticed the difference in sensitivity between my Motos and my Baofengs. I dont doubt that you may notice a difference, but the average, normal person, doing average, normal things, will not notice any difference 97% of the time.

[Sshannon]

20 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

Although on paper the UV-5R is not as sensitive as my XTS5000 and XTS2500's, the UV-5R is far from "deaf".  and in my daily, "normal person" usage, I have never noticed the difference in sensitivity between my Motos and my Baofengs. I dont doubt that you may notice a difference, but the average, normal person, doing average, normal things, will not notice any difference 97% of the time.

I ran into it just the other day. Our repeater has frozen up (older DR1) and until the snow melts we won’t be able to access it. 
So we have begun doing a simplex net on the receive frequency. Last Monday I turned on a Baofeng UV5RA that I just got from my son-in-law. My Yaesu FT65 heard everything including from net control who was parked on a bridge several miles away. The Baofeng did not. Maybe it’s just this “sample of one” but it was surprising. 

[WRXP381]

1 hour ago, Sshannon said:

Exactly right, and we hear people frequently saying that their Baofeng transmits just as far as a Motorola, but I suspect there’s a huge difference in how well the Motorola radios receive compared to the Baofeng. To me that’s the important distinction. 

Nope not at all.  They receive just the same also from my experience.  I’ve used and tested many hts boofwang, woxoun, Motorola retives, tid ect.  They all receive and transmit just about the same. Some cheap ones a little better at times some expensive ones a little better at times.  But in the end it’s about quality and features and your personal budget but that’s about it. 

[WRXR255]

One of the things that was an issue with the UV-5R, and this probably is not new info but might have a reason they do not pick up as well, was the factory squelch settings were terrible.  So might be a Duh! we knew that, but I toss it out as well.

I set mine and they work well for me with a spread up to around 60, with level 1 being one.  I can run mine on that setting 90 percent of the time with good reception and no problems.