Since I don't have to equipment to tune my own antenna yet, I want to know what antenna can bring out the most power from my mobile radio setup for GMRS. Give me your recommendations!
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What NMO antenna has the best SWR for GMRS on a mobile setup that is under 120$?
- Thread starter Pr999
- Start date
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
A higher gain antenna will give you higher ERP.
But, higher gain antennas come with a trade off. High gain is achieved by focusing the RF energy in a specific pattern. That pattern is important and it needs to be a pattern that does what you want. Higher gain is not always better. Don't fall for the rookie mistake of focusing too much on RF power/ERP.
Higher gain antennas are usually narrower bandwidth, so tuning becomes more important. Without the right tools to tune the antenna, you may be losing some performance.
Lower gain antennas have less gain, which gives you less ERP, but the trade off is a wider radiation pattern, which can be helpful in some applications. I've improved coverage of radio systems by using lower gain antennas.
A 1/4 wave UHF antenna will be inexpensive and give you wider useable bandwidth and be more forgiving of not tuning it properly. Your ERP will be lower, but that isn't a bad thing.
Going with a 1/2 wave or 5/8ths wave antenna might be a good middle ground between gain and bandwidth. Usually the cut charts that come with the antennas will get you pretty close.
Whatever you do, pick a known good quality brand. Do NOT buy the cheap Tram/Browning antennas, the few bucks you'll save isn't worth it. Stick with Larsen, Laird, EM Wave antennas. Skip the Chinese consumer/hammy grade crap antennas.
can you link me some good antennas?
Laird, Larsen, PCtel, EMwave, Comtelco. Google will bring up multiple vendors.
Have a Browning antenna and nmo mag mount for my moto xpr5550e that I use for GMRS myself.
In my GMRS days of the 80s and 90s the Maxrad, now PCTEL MUF4505 stacked colinear was the standard around here with very good performance vs cost. I keep a few around as loaners these days. Here is a deal on a used one with mag mount and coax for $24.
PCTEL MAXRAD MUF4505 450-470Mhz Antenna with Magnet Mount, RG58/U N male | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for PCTEL MAXRAD MUF4505 450-470Mhz Antenna with Magnet Mount, RG58/U N male at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Larsen antennas.
5/8th's wave:
Larsen NMO4503CS UHF 450-470MHz 5/8 Wave 3db Gain Mobile Antenna NMO Mount
450-470 MHz Base loaded 5/8 wave 3dB antenna with integrated spring. Maximum Power 200(Watts), Whip Length 19"
theantennafarm.com
Larsen NMO450C UHF 450-470 MHz 5/8 Wave 3.4db Gain Mobile Antenna NMO Mount
450-470 MHz NMO Mobile Antenna. Gain (dBi) 3.4, Maximum Power 200(Watts), Whip Length 33"
theantennafarm.com
Larsen NMOWB450C UHF Wide Band 450-470MHz Mobile Antenna 35 1/2" w/Spring Base
450-470 MHz Wideband Antenna. Gain (dB) 3.5, Maximum Power 200(Watts), Whip Length 35 1/2"
theantennafarm.com
EM Wave.
5/8th's wave:
EM Wave EM-M10003 - UHF High Gain Antennas
UHF 3dB gain roof mount antenna w/ spring 420-470 MHz (tunable range)
theantennafarm.com
EM Wave EM-M10007-LS - UHF High Gain Antennas
UHF 5dB gain roof mount antenna, No Spring 420-470 MHz (tunable range)
theantennafarm.com
EM Wave EM-M10007 - UHF High Gain Antennas
UHF 5dB gain roof mount antenna w/ spring 420-470 MHz (tunable range)
theantennafarm.com
EM Wave EMFLX-M10007 - UHF High Gain Antennas
UHF 5dB gain roof mount antenna, e/m-Flex ® Poly spring 420-470 MHz (tunable range)
theantennafarm.com
Any one of those antennas will treat you well. They include (or have a link to) a cut chart that should get you plenty close enough for GMRS.
I've been using Larsen for 30+ years and they have been very reliable antennas. I have 30 year old antennas I'm still using. You get -EXACTLY- what you pay for. Buy a Cheap Chinese Antenna and get less life out of it. Buy a professional antenna and it'll probably outlast your car and you.
Comtelco and Laird, are all good quality antennas. The PCTel that prcguy linked to would be an equally good brand/option.
Make sure you put in an equally quality mount from one of those same brands. Again, skip the Cheap Chinese Antennas/mounts, hammy grade consumer antennas/mounts, or any brand name you cannot pronounce. Saving a dollar or two on the antenna isn't worth it. There's a very good reason you don't see Tram/Browning/Diamond or similar hobby grade/Chinese antennas on top of public safety vehicles.
I'm using a Laird B4502N 2.4 dB 1/2 wave non-ground plane omni and my VSWR is 1.3 and the antenna is tuned for approx 465.5 MHz. I think the rod ended up being cut at about 10 3/8" and fine-tuned/adjusted accordingly. Also, I have some Part 90 freqs (461-469 MHz) programmed in my radio but, I tuned for GMRS.
This is a most useful thread for mobile GMRS users. Since many antennas end up being mounted at the edges of the vehicle roof or hood (such that the ground plane is asymmetrical at best), should a “no ground plane required” antenna be considered (along with the amount of gain) in choice of antenna?
Not really. Most UHF antennas will match up just fine at the edge of a roof or hood or trunk lid. The resulting skewed pattern towards the mass of metal will be the same with a no ground plane type.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I'd agree. It's not hard to get 6" under the antenna, even if you mount it off to the edge.
I think if someone really wanted to get the most out of their system, they'd do well by putting more effort into the antenna installation as compared to a lot of the hobby installs that get posted here. Some seem to leave the antenna as an afterthought. GMRS can work really well with a good antenna.
I do run a 1/2 wave VHF antenna on the roll cage of a UTV. It's worked well, tunes up fine, but I don't see any more range with that antenna than the buggies with a flat metal roof and a 1/4 wave antenna.
I think if someone really wanted to get the most out of their system, they'd do well by putting more effort into the antenna installation as compared to a lot of the hobby installs that get posted here. Some seem to leave the antenna as an afterthought. GMRS can work really well with a good antenna.
I do run a 1/2 wave VHF antenna on the roll cage of a UTV. It's worked well, tunes up fine, but I don't see any more range with that antenna than the buggies with a flat metal roof and a 1/4 wave antenna.
You're running a great radio into a compromised antenna setup. I can guarantee you that if you got rid of the mag mount and put an NMO mount on the roof and a quality brand antenna (brands already mentioned), then you would see performance improvements. Not to mention how much cleaner it would look.
Ultimately it's your system/install and your call, of course, but the advice stands and I know @mmckenna and others here would agree.
That's solid advice. Add my name to the list to recommend this to you.
The best mobile antenna installations always involve "Drill baby, Drill". Real ground planes work the best.
having spent a LOT of taxpayer money on antennas, i'm going to echo what most of them have already said.
You know whats on every agency vehicle i've put my hands on?
EM Wave and STI-CO.
I've even been swapping out the Laird NGP VHF antennas that have served us well for years with EM Wave antennas.
You want to know whats on my personal truck?
EM Wave for the most part. Yes, i've bought tram/browning antennas, specifically for the rear mount which tends to get swapped out a lot depending on what radio its connected to and what i need, because they're cheap and i'm not running anything mission critical on them, but the scanner, the cell booster both have EM Wave antennas, and when my work radio is hooked up to the rear mount, its also got an EM Wave.
I 100% agree with the EM Wave NMO mount antennas that @mmckenna has posted. For GMRS specifically, this little guy: EM Wave antenna is dirt cheap, rugged, forgiveable, and is as close to a "screw it in and it works" as you're going to get. In fact, i'm about to order one, because now that i have a GMRS mobile, i need a better antenna then the one i was using.
As far as mounts, its your vehicle, you choose whats best for you. Professionals will drill holes because thats what we need.
This is what my truck roof looks like:
None of us expect everyone to do the same thing, however, most of us who do this for a living will try and steer you towards quality over cheap amazon crap, because we know that you expect it to last and expect it to work.
For a mobile GMRS radio, depending on your vehicle type, fender mounts, lip mounts, permanent roof (hole) mounts, or mounts that clamp on to things are all possibilities for permanent or semi permanent installations.
Do most of us think magnet mounts are worthless? Yeah, thats the prevailing attitude. They have their purpose though. For a temporary install i'd prefer someone sticks a mag mount in the center of their roof then any other type of random crap. However, if you expect to actually MOUNT that mobile, wire it correctly, and keep it there for a while, mag mounts have far more disadvantages then advantages.
You know whats on every agency vehicle i've put my hands on?
EM Wave and STI-CO.
I've even been swapping out the Laird NGP VHF antennas that have served us well for years with EM Wave antennas.
You want to know whats on my personal truck?
EM Wave for the most part. Yes, i've bought tram/browning antennas, specifically for the rear mount which tends to get swapped out a lot depending on what radio its connected to and what i need, because they're cheap and i'm not running anything mission critical on them, but the scanner, the cell booster both have EM Wave antennas, and when my work radio is hooked up to the rear mount, its also got an EM Wave.
I 100% agree with the EM Wave NMO mount antennas that @mmckenna has posted. For GMRS specifically, this little guy: EM Wave antenna is dirt cheap, rugged, forgiveable, and is as close to a "screw it in and it works" as you're going to get. In fact, i'm about to order one, because now that i have a GMRS mobile, i need a better antenna then the one i was using.
As far as mounts, its your vehicle, you choose whats best for you. Professionals will drill holes because thats what we need.
This is what my truck roof looks like:
None of us expect everyone to do the same thing, however, most of us who do this for a living will try and steer you towards quality over cheap amazon crap, because we know that you expect it to last and expect it to work.
For a mobile GMRS radio, depending on your vehicle type, fender mounts, lip mounts, permanent roof (hole) mounts, or mounts that clamp on to things are all possibilities for permanent or semi permanent installations.
Do most of us think magnet mounts are worthless? Yeah, thats the prevailing attitude. They have their purpose though. For a temporary install i'd prefer someone sticks a mag mount in the center of their roof then any other type of random crap. However, if you expect to actually MOUNT that mobile, wire it correctly, and keep it there for a while, mag mounts have far more disadvantages then advantages.
^ Amen and hallelujah! ^
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
"But, I saved a buck fifty by buying a Cheap Chinese Antenna"
the tram multiband i got on amazon when i had an urgent need to throw a dual band mobile in the truck as i drove to florida was $30.
the EM Wave i replaced it with when i got home was $50
Did the tram work? Yes.
Will i keep it in the truck as a spare? Probably.
Did i think "why the heck have i never contemplated putting a ham radio in the truck until i'm heading to a hurricane assignment" yeah.
the EM Wave i replaced it with when i got home was $50
Did the tram work? Yes.
Will i keep it in the truck as a spare? Probably.
Did i think "why the heck have i never contemplated putting a ham radio in the truck until i'm heading to a hurricane assignment" yeah.
Laird was recently bought out and the quality control may be an issue with some of the mobile antennae. I recently bought a couple QWB450 Unity Gain antennae and the VSWRs were more than 4:1 and a couple G8M mag-mounts and the cable affixed to the NMO was shorted out and I had a VSWR of 99:1.
I also learned that Larson is now Pulse Antenna. I wonder if these two great antenna corporations now Chinese owned.
I also learned that Larson is now Pulse Antenna. I wonder if these two great antenna corporations now Chinese owned.
pulse is an american company, subsidary of a taiwan componant company who bought them about 8 years ago.
Its operated as a subsidiary, and when they bought larsen, it was mostly for the patents and designs of the lower end stuff, like omnidirectional antennas. Pulse antennas were mostly specialty, so the two product lines complement each other.
Its operated as a subsidiary, and when they bought larsen, it was mostly for the patents and designs of the lower end stuff, like omnidirectional antennas. Pulse antennas were mostly specialty, so the two product lines complement each other.
also, laird's parent company was london based, didnt get into the antenna market till the 90's, and when it was aquired, the antenna part was sold off to TE Connectivity, formerly known as TYCO.
So hardly a cheap chinese company either.
So hardly a cheap chinese company either.
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