Mobile dual-band antenna, but...

[jnojr]

Most mobile antennas are tuned for 420-450 MHz that I can see. I want one tuned higher... it seems like all repeaters I find are 440+, and I want GMRS too, so a 440-470 + 144-148 dual band is what I'd like. And short... no 4' high monstrosities, I have to be able to park in a garage without constantly fiddling with the antenna.

 

[DeeEx]

Diamond makes one for sure, Comet as well I believe. Not sure modern model numbers.

 

[prcguy]

A 5/8 from PCTEL, Laird, etc, is about 16" tall and should be wide enough for amateur and GMRS. I've used many in the past. One model is the PCTEL MUF4503 or a Laird B4503.

 

[mmckenna]

If you are not going to get stuck on "perfect" SWR, there are many options that will work. All of these are less than 20 inches tall.

Larsen NMO-2/70SH will work just fine on 2 meters and 70cm. I used to have one. Tested out around 1.4:1 on GMRS.


EM Wave M10001 does just fine on 2 meters and 70cm as well as GMRS. I run one of these on my work truck:


The Larsen NMO-150/450/756 will work fine on 2m, 70cm and GMRS, have been running this on my personal truck for a few years now. Here's the UHF plot:

Here's the VHF plot:


Or, if you want to keep things simple, a 1/4 wave VHF whip (19") will tune up just fine across a wide swath of the UHF band, including 70cm and GMRS. Radiation pattern starts to shoot a bit up on UHF, but I never had any issues doing that.

Nice thing is that all of these are professional grade antennas that will outlast your vehicle, and probably several beyond that. No cheesy ham/hobby products, low profile, and often less expensive than the ham stuff.

 

[jnojr]

@mmckenna thanks! I was looking at the Larsen NMO-2/70SH I've also had the Comet SBB-1NMO recommended. Some searching suggested maybe a Browning BR-136 or Tram 1181

What tool generated those charts?

 

[mmckenna]

What tool generated those charts?

Agilent N9342C
https://www.keysight.com/us/en/product/N9342C/handheld-spectrum-analyzer-hsa-7-ghz.html

When I purchased it for work back in 2013, it was about $15K

You can get a NanoVNA that will do similar charts, with much lower resolution, for around $50 off Amazon. A good tool to have for a ham that likes to dabble in antennas, or one that builds their own antennas.

https://www.amazon.com/AURSINC-NanoVNA-H-Vector-Network-Analyzer/dp/B07Z5VY7B6/ref=sr_1_3?crid=WSLKBP1EIR6V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KpK0Pfjf8M6oqS_O_Es2G9TyMLKT2tzQUO8tPPqhD9xPQj-NWBOLGe5aJOUvSlirrfC7KqxbJfm_33yUs8YQgfkTPPIbxgCukbmiwSldd0FgKQkdLzTowckZ9JTnxjbCnYWwHxwG8oXux9x2gMe4IF47GKAFZSwxiAf7abCzbSrRt-uNHnFJVz_wHNC4qB-OxqkiODsote6N5hfqy19Cv_HbZ2H8LOJFhKYinGugS8Q.v6ib_DJR7rZPw_X99x0TMkZMxkcR5D6i1YCilnZwXSM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Nano+VNA&qid=1732487551&sprefix=nano+vna%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-3

 

[jnojr]

Thanks, there's a NanoVNA on Black Friday sale for $47 so I grabbed one.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks, there's a NanoVNA on Black Friday sale for $47 so I grabbed one.

They are fun little tools to have in your kit.

Learning curve is a bit steep. There are videos on YouTubes on how to work them. Some of the videos are good, most are horrible. Keep watching videos until you find one that explains the function in a way that clicks for you.