Can I use an 10ft (roughly) ship antenna with my uv5r?

[WSBP642]

can I safely, generally use adapter kits to connect hts to big antennas? what ab cable length when doing so? the antenna im referring to isn't actually a ship antenna its prob meant for marine vhf

[SteveShannon]

20 minutes ago, WSBP642 said:

can I safely, generally use adapter kits to connect hts to big antennas? what ab cable length when doing so? the antenna im referring to isn't actually a ship antenna its prob meant for marine vhf

Yes, you can safely, generally adapt a handheld radio to an external antenna that’s matched for the correct impedance. 
Use the appropriate type of cable for the frequency you’re using and keep the cable length short to avoid losses.

Using an external antenna that’s meant for a different frequency than the radio may easily be less effective than the rubber duck antenna that came with the radio.

[WRXP381]

Before I got my base station I used my ht’s with a 10’ comet antenna with 40’ of Lmr400   It More then tripled my range.  However if your antenna is a vhf then NO.   Gmrs 460mhz is uhv so you need an antenna tuned for that range.   It can be a duel band but must be tuned to 460-470 

[WRQC527]

4 hours ago, WSBP642 said:

can I safely, generally use adapter kits to connect hts to big antennas?

Yes.

4 hours ago, WSBP642 said:

the antenna im referring to isn't actually a ship antenna its prob meant for marine vhf

Probably not going to work very well. Best practice is to know what frequency range the antenna is designed for before blindly sticking it on a radio. VHF marine antennas are not compatible with UHF GMRS radios, even though they can be connected.

[dosw]

I [may have] hooked a UV5G (allegedly unlocked) to a Shakespeare 6db fiberglass Marine VHF antenna on the transom of a boat, as well as to a Tram 3db Marine VHF stainless whip at masthead, then to a Comet CA-2X4SR-NMO (VHF/UHF) at masthead with 40 feet of LMR400. I [may have] been testing antenna SWR and propagation viability at Marine VHF frequencies, MURS, and in the case of the Comet antenna, GMRS.

If the antenna is designed to work at the appropriate frequencies, you absolutely can use it with an HT, just as you would with a larger mobile radio. You'll still be somewhat limited by the quality (or lack thereof) of a $25 radio. But the external antenna will help a lot.

 

Similarly, I've tested an MXTA26 6dbi GMRS antenna, MXTA25 3dbi GMRS, Comet CA-2X4SR-NMO, Laird TE B4505SN 5.1dbi GMRS, and HYS SDN1-T 3dbi GMRS antenna on my old Bronco, as well as on my trusty window air conditioner using the same UV-5G at GMRS frequencies, and in the case of the Comet, also at MURS frequencies. With the stock rubber ducky, and with a Nagoya 701G the Baofeng was barely audible five miles away with city terrain between. With the external antennas I was able to reach back home with varying levels of much better clarity than with the small HT antennas. Of course switching over to my 40w mobile made a huge improvement in this test, but it did go to show that external antennas can make a situation where an HT would barely get through into a situation where it can be heard.

 

And finally, with a good external antenna at home hooked up to the Baofeng, I'm able to pick up simplex mobile radios ten miles away, and can work repeaters 64 miles away.