Mobile antennas

[WRYQ303]

Looking for a good mobile antenna and have been looking at the Laird BB4502N or BB4505N. I have several repeaters in my area (Fort Worth, TX). Is there any advantage of 5/8th vs 1/2 wave? Open to suggestions on other antennas.

Thanks.

[Lscott]

A 5/8 wave needs a really good ground plane for a good match, and to get the claimed gain increase.

A 1/2 wave in general are ground independent, i.e. they don’t need a ground plane, thus you can mount them just about anywhere. 
 

If all you need is reaching some local repeaters a cheap 1/4 wave would work fine. It does need a small ground plane. The antenna is about 6 to 7 inches tall, which means you might get your vehicle in a garage, drive throughs, not catching tree branches etc. and worry about ripping it off the roof.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/338-cheap-14-wave-gmrs-antenna/?context=new

 

[Socalgmrs]

How far away are the repeaters?   What wattage mobile unit are you running?   

[WRYQ303]

58 minutes ago, WRXP381 said:

How far away are the repeaters?   What wattage mobile unit are you running?   

Fairly local approximately 10to 15 miles. Running a Kenwood TK-880 25 watt.

[gortex2]

I'd just use a 1/4 wave. 

[WRYQ303]

1 hour ago, gortex2 said:

I'd just use a 1/4 wave. 

I do have a 1/4 wave 6 in laird. Will try that first. Thanks.

[nokones]

Here are some of the Laird antennae I have available and use. From left to right, I use the Laird 1/4 wave unity gain with my Kenwood TK880-1 on my Porsche up in the hills and mountains during the Porsche Driving Tour runs with great success; the middle antenna is the B4502N non-ground plane 2.4 dB 1/2 wave I use with my Motorola XTL5000 on my 21 Silverado Dually Diesel; and the right antenna is my Laird B4505NS non-ground plane 5/8 wave 5 dB antenna that I never had to use so far.

Based on the information posted, you should be ok with the quarter wave unity gain antenna.  Try that one first and if you feel you need a little more antenna than the 1/2 wave B4502N that is propery tuned would be the next antenna to try. The 1/4 wave unity gain does not require any tuning.