Antenna Recommendation for a Multifamily Unit for GMRS Baofeng UV-5R (Newbie Here)

[JoReyes80]

Hello everyone, i am in Massachusetts, in a a suburban area, more building than houses, but only 3 family buildings at the most, not much open areas, growing population, 30-45 minutes from the main city. I own a multifamily, legal 2 families with a finish attic, so like 3 family. Which antenna do you recommend for GMRS? Right now, I don't have a scanner. Also I am planning to buy a Retevis RT97 Repeater, there aren't much near me, Is there any advice ?

Thanks in advance, God Bless Everyone.

 

[KF0NYL]

The Comet CA-712EFC is a good antenna for base units. It is tall at 10 foot long.

Comet CA-712EFC 460-470MHz Base/Repeater Antenna

Quite a few of my friends and myself use the Comet CA-712EFC with good results.

 

[JoReyes80]

The Comet CA-712EFC is a good antenna for base units. It is tall at 10 foot long.

Comet CA-712EFC 460-470MHz Base/Repeater Antenna

Quite a few of my friends and myself use the Comet CA-712EFC with good results.

Thank you very much, this is a good start and price very reasonable.

 

[mmckenna]

Also I am planning to buy a Retevis RT97 Repeater, there aren't much near me, Is there any advice ?

The repeater coverage is only going to be as good as the antenna system. The key to good coverage is getting your antenna up as high as you safely can.
You would probably be limited by what you can put up on your home, but getting a good antenna up high will be important.

Trouble is, the larger the antenna is, the more robust the support needs to be.

So, yes, good antenna, but make sure you can install it somewhere that it is in the clear and has a good view of your surrounding area. A 10 foot tall antenna may result in quite a wrestling match to get it installed.

For years, I ran a small low gain antenna from my home. Worked well for me, but I'm in a valley, so long range wasn't as critical and being able to reach repeaters on the mountains above me was more important.

FG4500 : 450-470 MHz, outdoor Omni-directional UHF base Station Antenna with N-Female Connector for GMRS

The FG4500 from Laird (formerly Antenex) is a heavy duty, omni-directional fiberglass UHF base station antenna operating at 450-470 MHz, providing Unity/ 2.15 dBi of linear gain. Compatible with GMRS repeaters. *Note: This antenna DOES NOT ship with mounting hardware. We recommend the ROSA-HDM1...

www.arcantenna.com

That was a very durable and manageable antenna size. You can get higher gain models that are longer:

FG4603 : 460-470 MHz, 3 dBd/ 5.15 dBi Outdoor Fiberglass Omni base Station Antenna with N-Female Connector

The FG4603 from Laird (formerly Antenex) is a heavy duty, omni-directional fiberglass base station antenna operating at 460-470 MHz, providing 3 dBd/ 5.15 dBi of linear gain.*Note: This antenna DOES NOT ship with mounting hardware. We recommend the ROSA-HDM1 mounting bracket*

www.arcantenna.com

MFB4605: PCTEL / Maxrad 460-470 MHz, 5dB, FIBERGLASS BASE, 77 Inch

MFB4605: PCTEL / Maxrad 460-470 MHz, 5dB, FIBERGLASS BASE, 77 Inch 16 inch jumper N-Male Connector 250 watt input Omnidirectional Please note: This item has a minimum order qty of 10 pcs.

www.arcantenna.com

Make sure you get good quality coaxial cable to feed it. Repeater use requires the right kind of cable, usually something like Heliax. LMR-400 type cables are not well suited for repeater usage.

 

[KF0NYL]

Thank you very much, this is a good start and price very reasonable.

You're welcome. I have been very pleased with all of the Comet antennas I have. I am using a Comet GP9 for 2m/70cm and a Comet SBB1-NMO 2m/70cm on my vehicle.

The Comet CA-172EFC only weighs 3 pounds so weight is not an issue. I have it mounted to a J mount on top of my roof.