Need antenna for Baofeng UV-82?

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SCPD

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If you are using the UV-82 as a base radio, a ground-plane antenna should provide good reception from the hilly terrain surrounding Keene. They are relatively easy to fabricate, if you are so inclined. An SMA female adapter is required to connect the antenna.
If you want to maintain the portability of the UV-82, a Nagoya might do the trick. They provide much better performance than the stock rubber duck.
Regardless of the cliches, the UV-82 is a capable unit. I bought a pair of them basically as toys, but ended up using them more than my Yaesu H/Ts.
Good luck.
 

djg320

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I'll second that. MAY be possible with a -genuine- Nagoya if you want an in place portable replacement.
 

trlydon88

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Okay, im looking into the Nagoya antenna. I was hoping for mobility. I was looking at going all out and getting a base unit, but this would me MUCH cheaper, and that's a major factor for me. $50.00 compared to $250 works. lol.

What I might be able to do is set it up as a base and find some private live streaming so I can pull it up on my phone.

Many options to consider. If I get too much reception, I will connect to Brattleboro VT. They have a base with the same frequency. Our dispatcher can pick them up. Any advice knowing this? But we have 3 drivers on the VT/NH border that Swanzey dispatches for. I would ideally like to pick them up. Thats the hard part.

Any advice?

Thanks!
 

Delta33

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Hi All,

I have decided to get a Baofeng UV-82 handheld radio. I need to get about about 25 miles of range. I am located in Keene, NH, and am looking to monitor First Student, on 155.295.

Radio: BAOFENG UV-82 Dual Band UHF/VHF 137-174/400-520MHz 2 Way FM Radio + Earpiece US 700729912225 | eBay

Thanks! Any advice would be helpful!
. A mobile radio and power supply would have the power necessary to transmit 25 + miles with a suitable antenna. Doubtful a handheld would allow this easily.
 

Rred

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I doubt you'll ever see anything like 25 mile range from a handheld, ANY handheld, unless you have a direct line of sight to the other site. I've done 20 miles on a VHF, to a repeater located on the top of the Empire State Building, with clear line of sight. But without that line of sight? No way. You might make five mile range, to an elevated antenna, but that's all.

Changing the stock antenna, which is actually pretty decent, is going to be like putting better tires on your car: It won't double your speed or mileage.

Trying to pick up "drivers" in the valleys of New England, even 1/2 mile away on the other side of a ridge? Sorry, radio in general just can't do that. Not simply or cheaply.

200 miles straight up to the International Space Station? No problem. Wrapping around hills and valleys? Big problem.
 

Delta33

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I doubt you'll ever see anything like 25 mile range from a handheld, ANY handheld, unless you have a direct line of sight to the other site. I've done 20 miles on a VHF, to a repeater located on the top of the Empire State Building, with clear line of sight. But without that line of sight? No way. You might make five mile range, to an elevated antenna, but that's all.

Changing the stock antenna, which is actually pretty decent, is going to be like putting better tires on your car: It won't double your speed or mileage.

Trying to pick up "drivers" in the valleys of New England, even 1/2 mile away on the other side of a ridge? Sorry, radio in general just can't do that. Not simply or cheaply.

200 miles straight up to the International Space Station? No problem. Wrapping around hills and valleys? Big problem.
Red, that's what I told him in post #5.
 

SCPD

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Rred, I respectfully disagree regarding line-of-sight.
The attached elevation profile shows the path to a 2-meter repeater in whose net I occasionally check. It's hardly line-of-sight. I can kerchunk at 5 watts using a rubber duck or at 1 watt using a 6-element Yagi. In order to check in with voice, I need 5 watts and the Yagi. I can receive the repeater indoors with a rubber duck.
I could post about a dozen other elevation profiles for repeaters I can communicate on without line-of-sight. But my point is that line-of-sight for VHF is not an absolute rule.
 

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teufler

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Well Put

Good explaination of radio expected coverage. Using a Motorola 2-way radio Range calculator, it show to get a range of 25 miles , at 5 watts, you need a 6dnd gain antenna, at 300 feet agl, Any trees around the transmit site, a minus 3 to 7 dbd loss.Now a 50 watt mobile, with a 6dbd gain antenna, only about 90 foot tower. Now these are simplex calculations assuming you are level ground.
 

Rred

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kilo-
That nice graph doesn't show what is being graphed. Is that a terrain cross-profile? Is there an elevation gain? Where are the two antennas? Pretty, but no information the way it posts.
Line of sight may not be everything, and VHF can wrap and diffuse and follow terrain or bounce through atmospherics. Or be used with a yagi antenna, as you are. But the OP is using a handheld and unlikely to cable that up to a yagi and then try to swing it around. He's apparently trying to work over a ridge and into a valley, and the simple "no line of sight, no contact" rule for VHF is good enough for that. Skip, bounce, terrain effects, all very nice, but not something you can count on to tell someone with an h/t whether he will RELIABLY be able to work over a ridge and down into valleys. To drivers on busses, probably running simple 1/4 wave whips.

Sometimes, you just need to know if you can get into the ballpark. Can't see it? Gonna be hard to reach it. No simple "better" whip antenna is going to help that.
 

kayn1n32008

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Knife edge propagation could be a possibility. There is a club in Northern BC that used knife edge to on a remote base to lnk a VHF repeater that was on the other side of a mountain. AFIK it was a pretty stable link and no line of sight.

When I first was licensed, I used to talk simplex to a guy about 45min drive from me. He had 2x 11 element yagi phased and pointed at a rock face to bend around a valley. I had a loaded 1/4 wave and 2 watts. No line of sight.

Just because there is not line of sight, does not mean it is not possible to hear what he is interested in listening to.
 

SCPD

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Rred, the graph shows the elevation profile between my antenna (0 miles) and the repeater antenna (26 miles). Note that I don't even have a line-of-sight to the peak at approximately 3 miles, let alone to the repeater antenna.
The OP will have to experiment and find out what works best for him, and whether or not he listens to any suggestions on here is his choice.
I don't think that it would be overly ambitious for the OP to establish a functional post to monitor the school bus comms with his H/T, even given the terrain of his surroundings.
Sure, an improved whip might or might not work when he's on the go, but, with a decent ground-plane antenna tuned to his specific frequency, it isn't going to make much difference whether he's monitoring with an H/T or a base rig with all the extras.
"No way"? I'd say let the OP find out for himself. I think it can be done.
 
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