Hi, my head is spinning a bit about antennas after reading your very informative posts. I am new to radio and just bought GMRS 50 watt radios for myself and my family as well as hand held 5 watt radios. Am just looking for an antenna that is removable from truck to truck us and home use, no drilling and nothing permanent is necessary just quick deployment and mobility. Really just looking for an emergency preparedness setup. Originally was looking at the Nagoya UT-72G for price and package. Do you recommend something different in my application? If needed I'd like to take the antenna from 50 watt radio setup and use it with my 5 watt handheld radio as well. Thanks!
This is one of those few places where a magnetic mount antenna makes a lot of sense*
Here's my opinion on this:
I don't like to screw around with cheap antennas. The antenna is the most important part of your setup. Don't buy a $300+ radio and then hook it up to a $19 Chinese antenna and expect it to work like a $300 radio. It's not, it's going to work like a cheap $19 Chinese antenna.
In other words, you can do better with a little more investment. Good antennas are always a good investment.
-Go with the NMO mount. It is the standard. That'll give you the most flexibility to choose the right antenna for the job.
-There is not one antenna that works best in all situations. Different antennas for different applications.
-Base antennas are a good option. UHF is line of sight. You want the antenna up as high as you can get it if you want any sort of range.
-You get what you pay for.
The only time I use magnetic mounts is for testing. I have two of these:
NMO Magnetic Mount - Square - 12 foot CX (RG-58U) - FME If this is not the NMO Mount you are looking for, please click here to find all NMO mounts we carry or email customerservice@arcadianinc.com to get to one of our customer service team member. *This product is subjected to a minimum order...
www.arcantenna.com
It's expensive, but it's a good mount. One of mine is probably 35 years old.
Here's a less expensive option:
Pulse / Larsen 3.5 Inch diameter magnetic roof mount for NMO antennas. Magnet features 80 lbs. pull strength. 12 foot RG58U cable with FME connector. This Magnetic NMO mount comes with an installed connector.If this is not the NMO Mount you are looking for, please click here to find all NMO...
www.arcantenna.com
Larsen makes excellent stuff. They stand behind their products and have live people you can talk to if you need help. They also sell replacement parts, so these don't have to be more Chinese throw away junk.
Both those magnetic mounts come with an "FME" connector on the end of the cable. That is a small diameter connector that is designed to be routed through a vehicle easily. You then buy the FME to whatever adapter you need to fit your radio:
Here's the UHF adapter that -may- fit your mobile:
FP: Adapter; FME Male to PL259/UHF Male
Here's the SMA adapter that -may[ fit your portable:
FSF : Adapter FME to SMA Female
Then you need the antenna.
There's some thought that needs to go into the exact type of antenna you choose. Like I said, it's not a "one size fits all" thing. Some will immediately jump to the highest gain they can get. Some will buy the ugliest thing they can find. You need the right one for your application.
Not sure what part of the country you live in, but that may dictate which type of antenna you need.
Gain is a trade off. More gain makes it look like you are running more RF power, but that's achieved by focusing that power towards the horizon. That can suck in the mountains, or it can work well on the plains. Lower gain antennas give you a more globular radiation pattern, which can be beneficial in the mountains or even in a city where repeaters may be on top of tall buildings.
Truth is, RF power, wether achieved by higher output from the radio, or through antenna gain, doesn't always make a huge difference. UHF tends to be line of sight. If the two antennas can see each other, usually it only takes a little bit of power to make things work.
So, consider your antenna options. Again, there is no one antenna that works best for every application. If someone tells you that, walk away.
My personal favorite for my usage and my location is a simple 1/4 wave.
NMOQSPEC : Quarter Wave Omnidirectinal Whip Antenna
That antenna will need to be trimmed to the right length to work on GMRS. That is easy to do and they should include a "cut chart" with the antenna that will get you pretty close without test equipment (like an SWR meter). Look on Page 212 of this document:
Base and mobile antenna cutting chart from Larsen Read more about inches, operating, length, charts, mount and antenna.
www.yumpu.com
Or, you may want to try an antenna with some gain:
450-470 MHz Wideband Antenna. Gain (dB) 3.5, Maximum Power 200(Watts), Whip Length 35 1/2"
theantennafarm.com
Nice thing is with the NMO mount, is you can easily swap out antennas and use what is right for the application.
And you don't have to use Larsen antennas on a Larsen NMO mount. It's a standard mount and there are many manufacturers that make antennas that will fit. EM Wave is a good manufacturer, and I've started spec'ing their antennas at work. Laird make some good stuff.
Steer clear of the amateur radio brands, or the Chinese stuff. You won't do yourself any favors with that.
As for home use, yeah, you could stick that NMO magnetic mount on top of the fridge, air conditioner, file cabinet, etc. and it'll work, but you will not get good range with it. An external base antenna mounted up as high as you can safely/reasonably get it will do wonders for your range.
* (make sure your vehicle is steel and the magnet will stick, some newer vehicles/Fords are aluminum)
