Best Wilderness / Backcountry Antenna for distance?

[Tracer13]

Just got myself my first ham radio (a yaesu VX-8DR) and am really excited about testing its limits and practical use in emergency as well as regular communication in the bush where I spend most of my time.

I understand I'm going to have to get close to line of sight with any antenna to get it to work optimally, but what antennas would be best that would be portable enough to lug with you in a pack into the wilderness with the main goal of hitting longe range repeaters/units?

Lighter and compressible into smaller space is preferable, but if that will compromise greatly on design I'd like to hear other options as well that are still packable.

73,

Mike
VA7HBA

 

[popnokick]

Considering the VX-8DR is a quad-band radio covering 6M thru 33cm, that's a tall order. And likely to make anything a compromise between optimal match, gain, directivity, and portability. So all in all, you're not asking for much..... NOT!

With all of the above in mind, I'd suggest this mostly because a) it is very inexpensive to try, c) totally portable, and c) it covers at least two of the 4 bands you want to use... maybe more (don't know how it's going to do on 6M):

http://www.ccares.net/Assets/roll up J pole.pdf

 

[Tracer13]

That looks like a cool option. If I were to stick to the 50mhz range would there be other recommendations?

 

[popnokick]

Dxzone has several. Was trying to find one that could be rolled up -
G4AON portable 6m J-Pole antenna by dxzone.com

 

[LtDoc]

I would add two suggestions to that 'J'-pole idea. Get the thing as high as humanly possible. And, forget that RG-174 feed line, use almost anything else! The 'higher' part is fairly self explanatory, VHF/UHF is 'line of sight' so height helps. Take a look at the specs for RG-174 coax, they are not good at all, even for 'shorter' runs of it. Inches of RG-174 equate to worse than feet of almost any other kind of coax in terms of losses. Which says nothing about putting connectors on it. The weight you save just isn't worth the effort.
Another aspect of it is that the lower the frequency/band the longer the -possible- range. Lots of 'depends' with that, but basically a fact. (That 'depends' is like the adult-diaper! Full of something.)
Good luck.
- 'Doc

 

[popnokick]

[correcting and adding to my original post in this thread] Yaesu VX8-DR is 6M thru 70cm (not 33cm) bands. And here is the neatest, most portable 6M dipole I've seen. Maybe just what you're looking for:
KF7ETX 6 Meter Dipole Antenna - YouTube

 

[mmckenna]

A really good/easy solution would be this:
Diamond® Antenna ~ SRH940 HT/Scanner Antenna
This one is 6m, 2m & 70cm.

I use a similar antenna for 2 meters when we are in the back country. It attaches directly to the top of the radio, so you are not stuck under a tree to hold your antenna up.

A J-pole is just a 1/2 wave antenna. A 1/2 wave antenna has unity (zero) gain without a ground plane under it. The above antenna is 1/4 wave on 2 meters, which will have unity gain also. It's smaller, simpler and easier to pack. Since they really work better with a ground plane under them, and the VX-8 is a small radio, you can add a "tiger tail" or counterpoise to the hand held. Just find a crimp lug that is large enough to go OVER the antenna jack and attach a 19" piece of flexible wire to it. Let it hang down under the radio. Screw the above antenna on and go. You won't be stuck to where ever your j-pole is hanging.

Add a speaker mic, and you can hoist the radio up over your head for a bit more altitude. Better yet, hike to a high point.

I use a couple of different radios when we are out on our ATV's. Usually an HT-1000 on VHF. I keep the VX-170 with the 19" long Diamond antenna in my pack along with a repeater guide just in case. 2 meters has always worked well for me. Haven't tried 6 meters. If you wanted to do that, you'd need a 54" (or so) long "tiger tail) under the antenna to provide a good ground plane.

Cheap, easy and packs up small.

 

[gewecke]

Just got myself my first ham radio (a yaesu VX-8DR) and am really excited about testing its limits and practical use in emergency as well as regular communication in the bush where I spend most of my time.

I understand I'm going to have to get close to line of sight with any antenna to get it to work optimally, but what antennas would be best that would be portable enough to lug with you in a pack into the wilderness with the main goal of hitting longe range repeaters/units?

Lighter and compressible into smaller space is preferable, but if that will compromise greatly on design I'd like to hear other options as well that are still packable.

73,

Mike
VA7HBA

I do some camping as well, and can add that www.mfj.com also makes a multi-band roll up j-pole as well but I don't recall the model #


73,
n9zas

 

[MOGA]

I use a N9TAX roll up for VHF/UHF that is a *great* performer yet won't help with 6m.

 

[N8IAA]

Just got myself my first ham radio (a yaesu VX-8DR) and am really excited about testing its limits and practical use in emergency as well as regular communication in the bush where I spend most of my time.

I understand I'm going to have to get close to line of sight with any antenna to get it to work optimally, but what antennas would be best that would be portable enough to lug with you in a pack into the wilderness with the main goal of hitting longe range repeaters/units?

Lighter and compressible into smaller space is preferable, but if that will compromise greatly on design I'd like to hear other options as well that are still packable.

73,

Mike
VA7HBA

Since you haven't stated what bands for transmitting, I'll presume it will be 2m and 440MHz. Most likely, the 2m band because of its frequency. There are several 2m 1/2~ vertical antennas made. I've used this one for over twenty years: MFJ1714. It folds down to 10.25". Easily stored in a backpack or go bag.
HTH,
Larry

 

[MOGA]

I just got a full copy with a touch of white noise from a repeater ~60m away on 5w using a HT from my back porch connected to the N9TAX jpole. The N9TAX is hanging from a nail 8 ft from the floor of my covered, screened porch. Mind you the City of Atlanta is between my QTH and the repeater in Coweta County, GA. Thermal tunneling may explain the long haul but still this QSO is the best that I've ever had using the roll up j-pole.

 

[Tracer13]

where does one find 300 ohm twin lead now-a-days? I checked the local radio shack, electrical shops, tv stores and even walmart.

 

[n5ims]

where does one find 300 ohm twin lead now-a-days? I checked the local radio shack, electrical shops, tv stores and even walmart.

The WireMan - Antenna Wire

They have both 300 & 450 ohm twinlead in stock. They visit several hamfests with lots of stock as well.

 

[KZ9G]

I use a N9TAX roll up for VHF/UHF that is a *great* performer yet won't help with 6m.

I use the same antenna for portable ops. Works GREAT.

 

[willgrah]

Considering the VX-8DR is a quad-band radio covering 6M thru 33cm, that's a tall order. And likely to make anything a compromise between optimal match, gain, directivity, and portability. So all in all, you're not asking for much..... NOT!

With all of the above in mind, I'd suggest this mostly because a) it is very inexpensive to try, c) totally portable, and c) it covers at least two of the 4 bands you want to use... maybe more (don't know how it's going to do on 6M):

http://www.ccares.net/Assets/roll up J pole.pdf

Dr. Fong sells them on Ebay as well already constructed. I have the original DBJ-1 (PVC Tube) and it performs well for the $25 I paid for it. Not much gain as stated earlier, 2.1DBi/Unity. It hits repeaters well 32' up with 4 to 45 watts.

My only concern would be what are the closest repeaters, hopefully within 30 miles. You may be able to transmit further than that but without a repeater 2m and 70cm might not be the way to go. Bill

 

[dksac2]

If you do use a roll up, get some LMR 240 with the flexable (stranded) center conductor. It is small enough in diameter(about 240"), has far less loss than anything else without going to wire with a .405" diameter such as LMR 400, just too big. I won't use the 174 for anything, it just has way too much loss.
If you can't use LMR 400, the LMR 240 is the next best thing.
Always go big then go down in size for the last few feet. It's well worth it.
The difference between the LMR 600 and LMR 400 does not justify the cost.

John