Using HT antenna on a mobile

[JBRPong]

Noob question because I can't sleep.   Seen lots of posts about using mobile antenna on HT but has anyone used a HT antenna on a mobile radio using an elbow connector?
Any SWR worries?   I have a UV25x2 so it's not putting out too much power so it shouldn't go over the rated wattage of the Abbree or Smiley.
When not using that in the car, I have it in the corner of my apartment and after tripping on the mag mount antenna few times, I was wondering how well it would work using an HT antenna. Most of the time I'm just listening so not transmitting to often.

[kidphc]

HT antenna are usually not rated for more than 5w so most don't try. They are usually very compromised and are a barely passible design for the job.

The elbow connectors are generally really bad. They a lot of time are not constructed internally very well. The 90° design often induces other issues. Generally, speaking avoid them.

If the ground plane is an issue. How's about a jpole or slim jim. They are compact and integrate a counterpoise into the design, so no ground plane necessary.



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[Guest]

No. Don’t do it.  You’ve got a radio putting out 20w plus uhf.  That’s 4xs the rates watts of most ht antennas.  How do you trip of something that should be up high?   A floating shelf near the ceiling or in a window opening with a cookie sheet screwed to it works great and it’s up high where it belongs. You old be into it for way less money then a j pole or slim Jim and probably get the same or better results. 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, JBRPong said:

Noob question because I can't sleep.   Seen lots of posts about using mobile antenna on HT but has anyone used a HT antenna on a mobile radio using an elbow connector?
Any SWR worries?   I have a UV25x2 so it's not putting out too much power so it shouldn't go over the rated wattage of the Abbree or Smiley.
When not using that in the car, I have it in the corner of my apartment and after tripping on the mag mount antenna few times, I was wondering how well it would work using an HT antenna. Most of the time I'm just listening so not transmitting to often.

When you ask about using an HT antenna, do you mean the oem rubber duck or are you asking about using an Aubree or Smiley as mentioned in your second paragraph?  As long as it’s rated to handle the power (which you already alluded to), and if you’re using a high quality 90° connector (I like Amphenol) you should be just fine. Try it.  See if the antenna gets warm. Just be aware of the fact that your RF exposure will increase proportionally.

[JBRPong]

1 minute ago, SteveShannon said:

When you ask about using an HT antenna, do you mean the oem rubber duck or are you asking about using an Aubree or Smiley as mentioned in your second paragraph?  As long as it’s rated to handle the power (which you already alluded to), and if you’re using a high quality 90° connector (I like Amphenol) you should be just fine. Try it.  See if the antenna gets warm. Just be aware of the fact that your RF exposure will increase proportionally.

I've never used the oem rubber duckies,  never took them out of the box.  I will get an adapter and try.  It's mostly for listening/monitoring anyway.

[SteveShannon]

35 minutes ago, JBRPong said:

I've never used the oem rubber duckies,  never took them out of the box.  I will get an adapter and try.  It's mostly for listening/monitoring anyway.

I think @kidphc was thinking you meant the oem rubber duck.  He’s right about poor quality elbows causing problems, but there shouldn’t really be an issue with a higher quality one.  The thing is they just weren’t originally designed for true UHF.  the PL259, even though referred to as a UHF connector, was designed for much lower frequencies. It’s too bad the GMRS manufacturers don’t install N connectors on their radios instead of SO239s.

[kidphc]

I think [mention=2261]kidphc[/mention] was thinking you meant the oem rubber duck.  He’s right about poor quality elbows causing problems, but there shouldn’t really be an issue with a higher quality one.  The thing it they just weren’t originally designed for true UHF.  the PL259, even though referred to as a UHF connector, was designed for much lower frequencies. It’s too bad the GMRS manufacturers don’t install N connectors on their radios instead of SO239s.

He asked about using an HT antenna on a mobile. So I geared my answer around it. For receive sure you can use the HT antenna with appropriate connectors, I wouldn't transmit.

My abree 48" tacti-cool antenna is literally a tape measure with flexible heat shrink. I do expect damage to it if I lit it up with 20 watts. Pretty sure I would have a floppy flaming sword.

For apartment/condo/house/camping. A slim jim outside thrown up with some rope is really hard to beat in price, performance, and convenience, regardless of transmit or receive. Oh look incoming storm, oh look potential static conditions, bring down and roll it up. Plus they cost barely any more than a ht antenna.

For receive only I would have recommend a lot of other things to start with. Like a passive/active antenna with a cheap SDR dongle. So much more to listen to, s/m/l wave, vhf/uhf/shf, international broad cast, pirate radio stations, unencrypted traffic, hunting for wspr beacons, slow video scan, yada, yada.

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[SteveShannon]

48 minutes ago, JBRPong said:

I've never used the oem rubber duckies,  never took them out of the box.  I will get an adapter and try.  It's mostly for listening/monitoring anyway.

I assume your Aubree and Smiley antennas have SMA connectors.  You might be able to find a right angle adapter with pl259 on one side and the appropriate SMA connector on the other side.  MaxGain has a good selection of adapters.

https://mgs4u.com/rf-connectors-and-adapters-list/

 

[808Beachbum]

It just seems backwards to me...why bother? It will work, sure, but to very little, if any, advantage. I started out exactly opposite, with an HT connected to a fender mounted "No Radial" mobile antenna on my plastic bodied smartcar. The HT was belt clipped onto a standard drawer pull mounted to my glove box door, and the HT had an optional speaker/mike hung from my mirror as well as a DC power cord connected to the lighter port. Worked fantastic whether parked or moving, great range throughout my usual urban area statewide repeater system and with very minimal "fenceposting". Years later the addition of an OpenSpot 3, allowed for international conversations while commuting...and all the while, the radio was never a potential target for local lowlifes. Unplug the DC cord, twist off the antenna coax, pop on the rubber duckie, and off you go! Just mount a proper mobile antenna and ditch the magmount if you can't keep it on.