Teeny tiny antenna review

[LeoG]

Abbree AR 805S GMRS

I bought this because it was $8.00.  Figured I'd try it out.  My BIL uses the TD H3 for inter-building communication when he is running cables for internet/phone/etc in large buildings.  I figured this might be a good antenna for him because it's very small and looks pretty rugged.

After I got it onto my H3 1st thing I did of course was to key up my local repeaters.  From inside my house I was able to connect to one 7 miles away and another 17 miles away.  No conversations as I know from inside my house my 771G antennas struggle for voice communication from inside.  I was already surprised by this antenna.  I didn't expect them to connect from inside my house. 

Next test was to connect to the repeater 21 miles away.  Even my 771G antenna can't connect from inside my house.  So I took a walk outside and did a radio check.  Got a response and was told I was making the repeater.  I explained I was testing a new antenna while I was walking about and he said I was going in and out of the repeater.  So I stood still and repeated my message.  So at 21 miles away using a 4 watt H3 I could connect although it didn't seem to be a great connection.  But never the less I was able to communicate although maybe no what you would consider reliably.  But this was never the intention of me getting this antenna.  I never thought it would do distance like it has. 

Next, try to connect to my own RT97S repeater.  This is already tough to do because my repeater antenna is below the tree line and doesn't really get to the vicinity of my house.  I walked up to the top of the hill because I live half way down.  I tried with the 805S and it did not connect.  Again I tried with no such luck.  I used the Smiley Rubber Duck and that one didn't connect.  I tried with the Nagoya 771G and was able to connect.  I walked one block over and this is more a direct line of sight, but still with a hill in the way.  I was able to only connect with the 771G.  I did the same thing later that night and was able to connect with the Smiley and the 771G but not the stubby antenna.

So my conclusion is the antenna has limited range although I was able to connect to all 3 repeaters in my area.  Even though I didn't do any voice tests on two of them I am confident it would be satisfactory for both since I was able to connect to the farther repeater with voice.  I need to buy a 2nd one and do some simplex testing.  I expect to be able to connect to about 1/2 mile clearly and maybe up to a mile without much quieting.

Still kind of impressed with the stubby antenna.  It's only 2" tall and I didn't expect it to do well at all.  For close in communications this makes a tiny H3 even more because you don't need an antenna sticking up.  With the antenna on the radio from bottom to tip of antenna is only 5.75".  I did not do an SWR test because I don't have the adapters, so that's something that needs to be looked into.

 

[Socalgmrs]

Yup. Not bad little antennas we use them out to about 5miles simplex.  They do ok if you need short antennas.  Well worth the small cost.  

[LeoG]

It'd be nice to have such a flat area.  I'm in a river valley with mountains on either side.  North and south you can get many "fars" but east and west are limited to about 5 miles max before the signal is blocked by rising ground.  And even in between the larger mountains are tall hills that will cut off different areas from reception.

[WRHS218]

I don't have that exact antenna but use one very similar for in building comms and occasionally outside communication on a 2-3 acre site. Our use is simplex only. I am probably going to purchase ten of them for all of the radios we use. All radios are used by "non-radio" people. A couple of positive aspects (my opinion) for these small antennas:

They work well for close communication 

They make the radio more comfortable to wear on a belt

They help discourage carrying the radio by the antenna ("non-radio" people)

[LeoG]

Are you using the Diamond version stubby?  Most of the ones I have seen are not for GMRS but HAM and go up to 450MHz

[RayDiddio]

Thanks for this. I was looking at those a few weeks ago and wanted more real world feedback and here you are.

[LeoG]

Well like I said, I have no simplex experience with them and haven't the adapters to test the SWR for them.  But I ordered another one so I might do some simplex communications.  Maybe let my BIL borrow them for a week to see how he likes them on his radios inside of a building.

If anyone gets one of these and can do an SWR test please put it here for the Abbree antenna.  I'd like to know without having to go out and buying more stuff.

But I like buying radio stuff... stop it, you don't need it.  What is this "need" you speak of...  More like "want"

 

Oh.. sorry, did that slip out?

[WRHS218]

1 hour ago, LeoG said:

Are you using the Diamond version stubby?  Most of the ones I have seen are not for GMRS but HAM and go up to 450MHz

It is a Bingfu UHF 400-470 antenna. I haven't tried it on anything other than 462.xxxx.

[LeoG]

Is it this?

 

I did look at that one because it was one of the few that ranged in for GMRS.  Liked the shape of the Abbree better.  Looks like you can get 4 of those for a few dollars more than I got one of the Abbree's for.

[WRHS218]

1 minute ago, LeoG said:

Is it this?

 

I did look at that one because it was one of the few that ranged in for GMRS.  Liked the shape of the Abbree better.  Looks like you can get 4 of those for a few dollars more than I got one of the Abbree's for.

Yes. That is it. I got it because it specifically covered the GMRS range. And with the price it wasn't much of a waste of cash if it didn't work as you never know whether some of this stuff is unusable junk.  The two I got turned out to be usable junk. YMMV. 

[Socalgmrs]

28 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Is it this?

 

I did look at that one because it was one of the few that ranged in for GMRS.  Liked the shape of the Abbree better.  Looks like you can get 4 of those for a few dollars more than I got one of the Abbree's for.

This is a very good antenna also.  I’ve used them and they are very rugged.  
 

as for swr on a hand held.  It’s not going to work very well.  Swr on a hand held is hard to do since there are so many variables.