Best 2m/70cm antenna for around Calgary (mountains)

[yycwrangler]

Hopefully I can be specific enough that you guys can give me a brand and model.

Using a HT (for listening) until I get my general license. Then plan on getting a true mobile (most likely a kenwood or icom). Calgary is about 80km from the Cdn Rockies. I spend a good amount of time in Banff and Canmore which is right in the Rockies. I also do some off-roading in the Waiporous area which again is at the base of the Rockies. There are some mountain repeaters that I would like to be able to hit, if I get into trouble in Waiporous (when I get a mobile). And then Cochrane, where I live is in mostly flat land.

So I understand a 1/4" is the best for mountainous terrain (correct me if I'm wrong) and 5/8" would be a good middle of the road for mountain and flat.

The next problem is that I will be mounting it on a Jeep Wrangler JKU and will be mounting it on the front cowl which seems the best for a ground plane.

I hear Larsen is a good model. I don't necessarily want a mag mount. Have a mount for the cowl and can drill it out if necessary. Would also like to fit in garage. I have a 3' firestik which mounts on the front cowl mount and fits in garage so around 36" for total length of antenna.

Can't think of anything else I need to identify. Using a friends Baofeng HT to just monitor as I study and I will have to pick up adapter for where the antenna connects to the antenna.

Based on the above any suggestions on a brand and model number.

Thanks for any feedback

Cheers
Al

 

[teufler]

When I went to Las Vegas, coming from the flat lands of Kansas, many locals used 1/4 wave antennas, because they offered a higher take off angle,. for getting a signal to the top of the mountains or hotels. I had a 5/8 wave, what was used in the flat lands, seemed to work okey, but 1/4 wave was optimum. The cowl mount on the jeep, I have seen a small l-bracket used between the hood and fender. Check the local peace officers cars for the type antenna they are using. A good guide for what works. Radio for a jeep, something small and durable, hat can take alot of vibration. A yaesu 1800, they used to make a 1500, that has held up great. A friend of mine, he has a late 60's jeep, finally the body rusted out so bad, that he got a stainless steel body from the Phillipines. The radio attaches to the right side on the dash, and still works fine. Speaker is loud though he runs an external speaker, non amplified. What ever antenna, I would go with a wire antenna, possible shock spring, trees and bushes tend to take a toll on stiff fiber glass antennas. You can't go wrong with Larsen brand antennas, though there are some less expensive "clone" antennas that work about the same for a few years. Larsen just lasts longer so over the years of ownership, they are less expensive.

 

[yycwrangler]

Thanks Teufleur

I think were saying the same, a 1/4" would work the best for mountains but a 5/8" antenna is a good all around covering both flat and mountains. Asking the RCMP would be a good idea but I doubt they would know what antenna they are using. As a captain with the Calgary Fire Department I have to be honest I have know idea what we use on our trucks, but will look into that. Do you happen to know the Larsen models and if so do they sell a 1/4" and a 5/8"..I think at this point I'm sold on a 5/8" due to me living in the flatlands around Calgary and it sounds like it will do ok out in the mountains. If not will change it later..I want to go quality as I understand the antenna is so important but you mention alternative brands. Can you identify any models you could recommend and the model number based on our discussion.

Yes front cowl of the jeep is where I'm going to mount it..Just have to drill out the bracket to accommodate a ham antenna as opposed to a CB antenna

Again thanks for the info and if anyone has anything to add would greatly appreciate it

Cheers
Al

 

[wb6uqa]

I like the Magoya 1172 dual band mag mount with the rare earth mag. I talked 60 miles on UHF simplex with it.

 

[mmckenna]

1/4 wave is usually ideal for mountains, but they work just fine out on the plains.

Issue you might run into is not being able to get an ideal ground plane on VHF on the cowl of the Jeep. There's a third option you could consider, but it would be single band. Half wave antennas are "ground independent" in that they don't require a ground plane to work effectively, however they work better if they have one.
I'm not aware of any dual band half wave antennas on the market, so you ~might~ need to use separate ones for VHF and UHF and get a diplexer to connect both to the radio.

On the other hand, keep in mind that a 1/4 wave VHF antenna acts as a 3/4 wave antenna on UHF. I've used them off an on for years with dual band radios with excellent results. Nice thing is they are simple and cheap.

I wouldn't get too hung up on the 1/4 wave vs. 5/8 wave thing. I live with mountains around me and have spent a fair amount of time on the flat lands. At no point have I ever needed anything other than the 1/4 wave.

 

[yycwrangler]

Thanks WB6. I'll have a look at that antenna. I was hoping for something I could mount as opposed to a magnet.

Mmckenna. Thanks for responding. The more I read the more I'm coming to the same conclusion regarding 1/4 vs 5/8. I just don't want to sell myself short on this aspect. 1/2 wave is a consideration but I do want dual band capabilities. I know I Couldn't have picked a worse vehicle for ground planes however I did a good bit of grounding when I had my CB and the swr in the rear was down to 1.3 and 1.2 on the front cowl which was also grounded. Can you recommend one or two brands and model of 1/4 wave that I could research

Again many thanks for your input guys

Al.

 

[mmckenna]

Mmckenna. Thanks for responding. The more I read the more I'm coming to the same conclusion regarding 1/4 vs 5/8. I just don't want to sell myself short on this aspect. 1/2 wave is a consideration but I do want dual band capabilities. I know I Couldn't have picked a worse vehicle for ground planes however I did a good bit of grounding when I had my CB and the swr in the rear was down to 1.3 and 1.2 on the front cowl which was also grounded. Can you recommend one or two brands and model of 1/4 wave that I could research


Al.

One more nice thing about 1/4 wave antennas is that they are dirt cheap. Easy to find them for less than $10. At that price, it isn't much of a risk to try it before spending more on something else.

I'm a big fan of Larsen brand antennas. I've been using them for 20+ years without any issues. There are other good brands, Laird, etc. Stay away from Tram or Browning. These are Chinese knock off antennas. I've looked at them at trade shows and I'm not impressed. The few cents it would save you isn't worth it.

Larsen NMO-Q is a good option.
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmoqw144-722.html
or
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-qw144-718.html

The Larsen NMOQC is a nice upgrade. It's got a black base and uses a better gasket system. You have to cut these to the right length, but it comes with a cutting chart that's usually right on. You can also add a spring to the base if you need to.
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmoqc-767.html

These antennas come in a black version that might look nice, but be aware that the black coating on the whips generally tends to chip off after a while. They look good for a few months, but then, not so much.

 

[yycwrangler]

That nmoqc looks interesting. So if your looking to cover 2m and 70cm how would you cut it. I guess I can see how you would cut it if you were using specifically certain 2m frequencies but to cover both 2m and 70cm. Hmmm. Guess I need to get my hands on one and read the instructions.

Again you feel that if I get a 1/4" wave I should still be able to monitor 70cm and eventually be able to tx on the same

Al

 

[mmckenna]

If you cut the antenna for 146MHz, the center of the 2 meter amateur band, the antenna will naturally be 3/4 wavelength at the 70 centimeter band.

It's probably going to be about 19" tall. You can find the cut charts on line. There won't be any mention of the dual band nature of it, but it works. It actually works pretty well.

 

[yycwrangler]

Excellent. Thanks again.

Over and out

Al Gilliland
Calgary