Tnttalkkd9rzl
Member
I’m seeing all kinds of high gain antennas out there but I’m not sure what one I should pick for my base
does anybody know of one I wouldn’t go wrong with
does anybody know of one I wouldn’t go wrong with
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Recommendations for base GMRS antenna
- Thread starter Tnttalkkd9rzl
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I use the Laird antenna's but the browning is a good control station antenna for GMRS. But it depends on your need. If its all simplex then sometimes higher gain is better. If your just using it on repeaters less gain is normally fine. Also remember your cable.
theantennafarm.com
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Tnttalkkd9rzl
Member
Thank you
The_NotARubicon
GMRS Hobo To The Stars aka Randolpho (Randy) Cafe
I use a Tram 1486 as both a base antenna and a repeater antenna, and it does the job just fine. I chose it because it has very small radials which made wife-approval very easy.
iMONITOR
Silent Key
I'm curious, are you the real "NotaRubicon" of YouTube fame?
https://www.youtube.com/c/NotaRubiconProductions
Tnttalkkd9rzl
Member
I will be getting a tram 1486
jnojr
Member
Can you expand on "remember your cable"? I know there are different types (RG-58 vs. RG-8 vs. RG-213, maybe others?) I assuem there'd be differences in brand. If I want to set up an antenna and run the cable once, minimize gain, have it stand up to the elements, not wind up falling apart due to UV or whatever, etc... what should I get?
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Why do you want to "minimize gain"? Are you purposely trying to limit range?
There are a couple of things that happen with coaxial cable choices:
1. As the length of any cable increases, so do the losses.
2. As the frequency used increases, so do the losses.
Ideally, you want to take a close look at what kind of coverage you are looking for, figure in your antenna gain/pattern, and then figure out what your loss budget is in your cable.
If it's a short run and you only need a little bit of range, something like RG-58 might be "good enough". RG-58 is usually more than enough for a mobile installation where cable runs are short. Not a good choice for a base installation where cable runs are long.
If it's a long run, then you want lower loss cable (usually physically larger/more expensive cable) to get the most amount of signal from your antenna to your radio.
If you are trying to pick up really weak signals, then the lower loss cable is a good choice.
Remember that cable losses work the same in both directions:
Higher loss cable means less power gets from the transmitter to the antenna.
Higher loss cable means less signal gets from the antenna to your receiver.
There are various "coaxial cable calculators" available on line that will help you determine what kind of losses you'll see with different kinds of cables. Make sure you put in the length and frequency correctly to get accurate results:
jnojr
Member
I meant "loss", of course
CaptDan
Member
I'm curious, did you get the tram 1486 ? How is it working ?
bill4long
Member
Comet. 7DBd gain. And use LMR-400 or 3/8'' Heliax coax. If you run more than 50ft, LMR-600 or 1/2'' Heliax.
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prcguy
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I think the advertised gain is a little inflated on that one.Comet. 7DBd gain. And use LMR-400 or 3/8'' Heliax coax. If you run more than 50ft, LMR-600 or 1/2'' Heliax.
Comet Antennas CA-712EFC Comet CA-712EFC Commercial/GMRS UHF Base Vertical Antennas | DX Engineering
Free Shipping - Comet CA-712EFC Commercial/GMRS UHF Base Vertical Antennas with qualifying orders of $99. Shop VHF/UHF Base Vertical Antennas at DX Engineering.www.dxengineering.com
bill4long
Member
It's 3.048 meters in length, which is electrically phased to about 8 stacked 5/8 waves and has ground radials. 7dbd seems about right. The Tram works just fine for a lot of people. I can hit my local GMRS repeater on an HT with a rubber duck inside the house. It comes down to desire and need.
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