Antenna talk

[GMRSJohn]

I’ve been on an antenna kick here lately. A man gets a couple radios and the next thing you know he wants to reach the stars… 

So.. this is for ham and GMRS but these are the radios I’ve been looking at. Share your antennas and antenna wisdom. 
 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1742230257/roll-up-antenna-kit?ref=listing_page_ad_row-1&sts=1&plkey=27521a89d8b390d58cda3185ac3c2725ddd9d70b%3A1742230257&listing_id=1742230257&listing_slug=roll-up-antenna-kit&variation0=4539522800

 

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-sma165
 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C7KZ3KJK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A12GQLPLI45DLZ&psc=1

 

[WRKC935]

Well, the first two apply to GMRS.  THe third one is for HF (2 to 30 Mhz) operations and not suitable for GMRS work.

So we will start with the 'roll up antenna kit'

This is the same design as the Ed Fong, and other similar antenna's.  If you search around on Google, looking for 'twinlead J-pole antenna' they will pop up all over the place.  There is nothing special about them really.  And they are a KIT.  Meaning that you get to solder them together.  If you are comfortable with that, they are a usable antenna and will work well in the right conditions.

THe one from DX Engineering.  They tend to never sell junk.  If they carry it, it's usable.  No idea on actual performance, but certainly better than the stock antenna's that came with your radio if it's a cheap import.  If you are running around with a Motorola radio, I don't know what you might gain.  Mot puts a lot of effort in to their stuff, and so do the other 'big name' commercial radio companies.   And in truth, if there was something better for their radios, they would be selling them too.

 

[WRQC527]

3 hours ago, GMRSJohn said:

I’ve been on an antenna kick here lately. A man gets a couple radios and the next thing you know he wants to reach the stars… 

So.. this is for ham and GMRS but these are the radios I’ve been looking at. Share your antennas and antenna wisdom. 
 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1742230257/roll-up-antenna-kit?ref=listing_page_ad_row-1&sts=1&plkey=27521a89d8b390d58cda3185ac3c2725ddd9d70b%3A1742230257&listing_id=1742230257&listing_slug=roll-up-antenna-kit&variation0=4539522800

 

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-sma165
 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C7KZ3KJK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A12GQLPLI45DLZ&psc=1

 

The Amazon antenna is an HF antenna. If you've purchased an HF radio, it might be a good choice for portable operation. This antenna has become more popular recently because it breaks down small and it can be tuned for several different HF bands by assembling it in various ways, adjusting the length of the telescoping section and adjusting the coil. I have one on my wish list.

The DX Engineeering Comet dual-band GMRS/MURS antenna can apparently be used on either GMRS or MURS radios, although I don't know of any FCC-certified dual-band GMRS/MURS radios. I'd say there's no such thing, but someone here would spend the next several days trying to prove me wrong. There are, however, lots of us scofflaws who use unlocked Baofengs and MARS/CAP-modified Yaesus and such on GMRS and MURS that might benefit from such an antenna.

The Etsy roll-up J-pole, according to the description, is a dual-band amateur radio antenna for 2 meters and 70 CM, not for GMRS. There's lots of them out there. If you need one for GMRS, search specifically for that. Unless you like to roll the dice and build your own, I would get an assembled one.

What radio(s) do you need antennas for? Share with us.

 

[WRKC935]

3 hours ago, WRQC527 said:

 

The DX Engineeering Comet dual-band GMRS/MURS antenna can apparently be used on either GMRS or MURS radios, although I don't know of any FCC-certified dual-band GMRS/MURS radios. I'd say there's no such thing, but someone here would spend the next several days trying to prove me wrong.

 

How about I prove you RIGHT.

The FCC has clearly said several places in CFR 47 that you can NOT operate a radio on multiple services.  So no radio an legally operate on GMRS and HAM, MURS and HAM, GMRS and MURS or part 90 and any other service.  So yeah, they don't exist. 

BUT, both MURS and GMRS are cut out of the part 90 frequency allocation.  So an antenna like this can and does exist for dual band commercial radios like those offered by Motorola, Harris and Kenwood.  But, and I have said this here before, those manufactures spend a good deal of money designing their radios and accessories, including the antenna's to have the greatest performance possible.  Taking the factory antenna off a 10 thousand dollar radio, and replacing it with one of these may or may NOT give you a performance increase.

 

[WRQC527]

2 hours ago, WRKC935 said:

How about I prove you RIGHT.

I'm more interested in why this young man pulled three antennas from three different radio services and is seeking the wisdom of others concerning them. Especially since he makes no reference to any radios in any one of those three radio services. 

[GMRSJohn]

1 hour ago, WRQC527 said:

I'm more interested in why this young man pulled three antennas from three different radio services and is seeking the wisdom of others concerning them. Especially since he makes no reference to any radios in any one of those three radio services. 

I have a Yaesu VX-6 ham and a Alinco DJ G46 GMRS. I’m just looking at different antennas to tinker with. Hoping to get into ARES and SKYWARN so I’m looking around for antennas for that.

[WRQC527]

1 hour ago, GMRSJohn said:

I have a Yaesu VX-6 ham and a Alinco DJ G46 GMRS. I’m just looking at different antennas to tinker with. Hoping to get into ARES and SKYWARN so I’m looking around for antennas for that.

OK, well the first thing to do is to scratch the Amazon antenna, and any other HF antenna, off the list. The second thing to do is to solicit recommendations for handheld radio antenna upgrades for both amateur and GMRS handheld transceivers. Personally, I tend not to mess with trying to upgrade the antennas that come with the radios, because for what I use HTs for, the additional length of aftermarket antennas starts to become bothersome without much real-world improvement. But that's just me. There's no doubt that a good aftermarket antenna can improve the performance of an HT. Also, there are no ARES or SKYWARN-specific antennas. Any antenna you select needs to match the frequency range of the radio. 

[WRYZ926]

Most Sky Warn nets are held on 2m repeaters. As others have said, there really isn't much to gain by changing out HT antennas. Yes you might get a little better improvement, but it won't be much. Your best option is to hook a HT up to a mobile or base antenna that is properly setup.

If you are wanting/needing something for portable use then I will suggest one of the roll up J Pole antennas. There are a few designs out there. Some are made from twin lead/ladder line and there are some made from faraday clothe.

If you are interested in a faraday clothe j pole and don't want to build your own then check out https://vfcomms.com. They sell faraday clothe j pole antennas for 2m, 70cm, 6m, and GMRS.