Best antenna for HT-1250?

[AK_SAR]

Our volunteer SAR team just got some HT-1250's to replace some that are dying. The replacement radios have been in storage for several years. Looks like we may need to acquire some new antennas for the replacement radios. Are there any good quality aftermarket antennas that might give marginally better performance than the basic rubber duck from Motorola? We operate in the public safety VHF bands (~150-171).

Any recommendations we should look at? Or are the basic Motorola ones about as good as we can get?

 

[GlobalNorth]

I use NOS Motorola antennas in my UHF 1250s. I have Ø empirical evidence that an aftermarket antenna is better, worse, or identical than factory, but the factory models are engineered to work with the radio and not many handi-talkies are engineered for QRP weak signal operations.

 

[mmckenna]

I've always found that the OEM antennas were as good or better than anything else. Usually the manufacturers are trying to make their radios work as well as they can, and know not to skimp on the antennas.

There are the "high gain" antennas, but I've never found much difference. Usually the ground plane (or lack thereof) is the challenge.

But we all know that some antenna manufactures love to make you think they've got some special sauce that makes their piece of metal radiate RF better than the other guys piece of metal.

 

[K2NEC]

I've had good luck with THESE antennas, performance wise they don't have any issues that I've seen and they are flexible enough that they have some give if bent

 

[AK_SAR]

I've always found that the OEM antennas were as good or better than anything else. Usually the manufacturers are trying to make their radios work as well as they can, and know not to skimp on the antennas.

There are the "high gain" antennas, but I've never found much difference. Usually the ground plane (or lack thereof) is the challenge.

But we all know that some antenna manufactures love to make you think they've got some special sauce that makes their piece of metal radiate RF better than the other guys piece of metal.

Yeah, that’s kind of what I thought. But I figured it never hurts to ask.

 

[jeepsandradios]

We replace all our antennas with factory MSI units. They just perform well.

 

[AM909]

As someone else said, back in the dark ages, the stud-type antennas on things like the HT-220 and MT-500 were supposedly designed specifically to match the radios, likely neither of which were 50 ohms resistive (probably with good reason). With current metal-frame radios with SMA connectors and a lot closer to 50 ohm resistive impedance, it probably matters less than it used to, but the Motorola antennas are now in the same price range as others (at least single-band), and seem to hold up just fine, other than the annoying white oxidation problem that affects other brands as well. So, what's available where and when can be more important.