Im hoping to increase distance from what I can get out of a few fra handhelds.
I think you meant FRS handhelds?
Good news is that this isn't hard to do.
FRS radios are limited by a couple of restrictions. Some of those restrictions were intended by the FCC, some are because of the low quality.
- By rule, the FRS radios cannot have a removable antenna. This means you get what you get. Since FRS radios with long antennas are not favored by the general public, the stubby non-exchangable antenna is a big limitation to performance.
- By old FCC rules, FRS radios are limited to 1/2 watt of transmit power. Don't fall for the rookie mistake of thinking more power means more coverage, it doesn't work the way that many think. As Chief said, it's much more about the antenna and line of site than it is about transmitter power. Don't think that simply increasing transmit power will fix all coverage issues. With all other things being equal, it takes about 4 times the power to double range.
- By nature of cost savings, the consumer grade radios, like the FRS and FRS/GMRS radios have poor receivers. To save costs, the manufacturers use minimal quality parts. They don't spend much time tweaking the radios for best performance as they are going down the assembly line. Like antennas, receiver performance is a big factor in radio coverage. You can have a 50 watt transmitter, but if the receiver on the other end is deaf, it won't matter.
May pick up a used motorola mobile25 watt for base station. Will this antenna work as a base antenna?
Before you purchase a radio, you need to do some homework…
-By FCC rules, any radio you use on GMRS needs to have Part 95A certification. Finding this can take some work. Good news is there are lots of people here that can help you.
-Not all UHF radios will work for GMRS. Most commercial UHF radios come in several "band splits". In other words, often there isn't one model UHF radio that will cover the entire UHF band, so you need to be 100% sure you are purchasing a radio that will cover the 462 - 467MHz portion of the bands. Purchasing the wrong band split will result in disappointment. Not all sellers on e-Bay are willing to tell the truth, or understand the differences. Buyer beware.
Browning is a low tier Chinese antenna.
It'll probably work for what you need, but you can -easily- do better. If your budget is tight, you really need to consider a few options.
If your budget isn't too tight, really, spend the money on a better antenna.
Might last a few years, and that might be all you need, but you'll want something better eventually.
And don't forget the coaxial cable. At UHF frequencies, cable losses can be a thing, so you need to weigh your budget against your expectations. Longer cable means more losses. Losses impact your received signal AND your transmitted signal. Cheaper cable has more loss than more expensive cable. Finding a happy medium is the trick.
I know this doesnt need a ground plane, but how to i electrically ground the antenna/ protect from lightning strike?
Proper grounding won't protect the antenna from a lightning strike. What it will do is help get some of the energy to the ground, which is where it wants to go. You want to give the energy a better path to ground than passing through your radio.
The way to do that involves running a cable straight down to a ground rod under the antenna.
- The grounding cable needs to be large. 6 gauge or larger.
- You may need more than one ground rod, this will depend on the soil conductivity. None of us can accurately guess that over the internet.
- The grounding cable needs to be as straight as possible. Sharp bends can be jump off points for energy.
- The ground rod(s) for the antenna need to be bonded to your house ground. This is a requirement of the National Electric Code. Don't ignore the code.
- You can ground the antenna and the mounting clamps.
- In addition, you need to protect the cable where it enters the home. That means a device like a Poly-Phaser. That's going to add $50 or so to your costs.
- There really needs to be some professional input on grounding. If you want it to work well, you don't want to be guessing, or doing what a bunch of random strangers on the internet told you to do.
- There is a LOT of bad information out there on antenna grounding. If you want good info, you need to consult the National Electric code and it's a good idea to look at the Motorola R56 document.
- Don't let someone tell you that grounding your antenna will "attract" lightning. That's B.S.
- Direct lighting strikes are not the only thing you need to be concerned about. Even a nearby strike and induce enough energy to damage, burn, injure, kill, etc.
Is there a limit to how high I can mount it? I am planning on mounting to gable end peak of house.
There are limitations on how high you can mount the antenna, but gable peak won't exceed that. If you are looking at mounting locations, putting it on the end closest to your electrical service entrance is a good idea. That makes it easier to bond your antenna ground to the home ground, which is usually near the meter.
Any recomendations for a handheld unit?
Lots.
Depends on your budget and exactly what your needs are.
Kenwood TK-390 is a good inexpensive/used option. Older radio, but only recently went out of production. Capable, lots of options.
Some older Icom models will work, too.
Stay away, FAR AWAY, from the low buck Chinese models. If you cannot pronounce the brand name, you are probably looking at the wrong stuff. Cheaper is not better. Poor receivers, lack of proper filtering, many of them do not meet the FCC Part 95 certifications (they'll try to hide that fact), and you'll have no end of frustration.