YAESU FT-3DR (Best Antenna?)

[SoCalSearch]

Hi everyone!

I just bought a Yaesu FT-3DR and I'm looking to upgrade the antenna. Looking to get the best one our there and hoping to hear some feedback from users. I'm in the Los Angeles area and I'll be using the radio for emergency prepardness and to learn more about HAM.

Thanks!

 

[prcguy]

There are lots to choose from and prices are all over the map. I probably own 25 different hand held antennas and I was impressed with the antenna on a friends Yaesu FT2D so I got one and paid more than I usually do. This antenna is very high quality and matches the looks of the Yaesu very well plus its very stiff and doesn't kink or stay bent like many do. The performance increase is immediately noticeable when you swap out the original.

Here is a link to my now favorite antenna for the Yaesu FT2D and FT3D: High Gain Dual-Band 2m/440 Handheld Standard SMA Antenna

Hi everyone!

I just bought a Yaesu FT-3DR and I'm looking to upgrade the antenna. Looking to get the best one our there and hoping to hear some feedback from users. I'm in the Los Angeles area and I'll be using the radio for emergency prepardness and to learn more about HAM.

Thanks!

 

[vagrant]

TLDR; Go with the antenna prcguy linked.


After testing many antennas, I have some favorites.

Thales 1600500-2 - This model has wider bandwidth and I use it with a Kenwood D74A because of the 1.25 M band it can TX on.
Thales 1600500-1 - I use this with the FT3DR. It offers wide bandwidth as well, but not as good as the -2 model.
Although flexible, these antennas are not floppy and they are around 13 inches long. I use a TNC to BNC adapter for each antenna and BNC adapters on my radios. Yeah, that's more adapters than most would like, but it works very well for me and the way I use my radios. I purchased the Thales antennas on eBay for $30 or less and none of them were from China. The FT3DR has a wide RX range which also favors these antennas for my use.

In second place are the various flavors of the Diamond xx77CA antennas ( BNC, SMA, and Reverse SMA) They're about 15-16 inches long and they work very well on UHF, but not so well on VHF. If you add a 19" pigtail at the base of the antenna, all flavors of these Diamond antennas significantly improve on VHF to the point where they work as well as the Thales for TX on VHF. The Diamond antennas are thin and more floppy than the Thales.

I do not have the antenna prcguy posted, but the SWR numbers someone posted on that link put it between the Thales and the Diamond antennas I noted. If you do not mind a trip to Yorba Linda, you could pick one up for under $25, tax included.

 

[SoCalSearch]

I’m going to purchase the antenna prcguy linked, I’ll let you know how it works.

Thanks everyone!

 

[SoCalSearch]

I really like the antenna, it works very good.

Does anyone have any other recomendations for a longer antenna to be able to pick up more distant repeaters?

Thank you

 

[vagrant]

Thanks for the feedback. I almost purchased one to test, but I use BNC adapters and my new favorite is a Comet SH-55. I also picked up a Diamond RH519 and I am pleased with the results for such a small antenna.

As to your request for a longer antenna, at some point a longer antenna may become unmanageable as well as potentially causing an issue with the SMA antenna mount. I believe the longest flexible handheld VHF/UHF antenna I use is around 15". I do have telescoping single band antennas, but they are not meant for portable use. Basically, the handheld radio would not move. You could try adding a counterpoise. It can be just a thin bit of wire around 19.75 inches. I use a loop connector with some thin flexible wire. It connects at the base of the antenna and just hangs down.

Still, the counterpoise will typically not enable one to pick up more distant repeaters. It will just improve your TX/RX on the repeaters you can hit now. Even a single band telescoping antenna will not suddenly allow one to typically pick up more distant repeaters. An antenna on a vehicle or an external antenna outside would help to some degree.

Ahh...I forgot. You could use something like an Elk Log Periodic or a Yagi antenna, but you may need to hold it in your hand or affix it to something and aim toward the repeater you want to hit. That is a bit much for constant handheld terrestrial use, but works fine when making contacts via satellite.

 

[bgav]

Nelson Antennas Roll Up Slim-Jim/J-Pole if you really want to pull in distant repeaters on your HT especially for emergency situations. I'm also impressed with the Super Elastic Signal stick Antennas.

 

[vagrant]

I'm also impressed with the Super Elastic Signal stick Antennas.

I tested this antenna several times on different radios. I then swept it with a VNA. I believe I threw it away.

 

[bgav]

I tested this antenna several times on different radios. I then swept it with a VNA. I believe I threw it away.

Not scientific by any means but others have had results similar to mine, not yours.

https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=13357

 

[vagrant]

I’m sure I took a look at eHam before buying it as well as other reviews. Hmmm...now I’m wondering if I put it in antenna purgatory, a bin where I store the poor performers. Honestly, I wish it worked better.

Okay, I found it and swept it again with and without a counterpoise. I hope everyone else has better results than mine. It is not the worse antenna I have purchased. I have one or two Diamonds that perform worse than this.

MHz / VSWR 146 = 4.2 446 = 2.5

w/Counterpoise 146 = 2.2 VSWR 446 = 2.3 VSWR

It swept best at 170 MHz / 2.2 and 460 MHz / 2.3 VSWR without a counterpoise.

 

[vagrant]

Does anyone have any other recomendations for a longer antenna to be able to pick up more distant repeaters?

I forgot about the Diamond SRH-770S. It is relatively new. This antenna breaks down into two pieces and it is 70 cm long when put together. The base looks to be quite flexible based on a video I observed and I will probably purchase one. This looks easy to pack and I would more than likely use it with a counterpoise as well. Clearly Diamond realized it needed to break down for packing into a bag due to length and it would be used in fringe areas.

 

[SoCalSearch]

I forgot about the Diamond SRH-770S. It is relatively new. This antenna breaks down into two pieces and it is 70 cm long when put together. The base looks to be quite flexible based on a video I observed and I will probably purchase one. This looks easy to pack and I would more than likely use it with a counterpoise as well. Clearly Diamond realized it needed to break down for packing into a bag due to length and it would be used in fringe areas.

That antenna looks really nice actually, I might try one out. Thanks!!

 

[k6cpo]

There are lots to choose from and prices are all over the map. I probably own 25 different hand held antennas and I was impressed with the antenna on a friends Yaesu FT2D so I got one and paid more than I usually do. This antenna is very high quality and matches the looks of the Yaesu very well plus its very stiff and doesn't kink or stay bent like many do. The performance increase is immediately noticeable when you swap out the original.

Here is a link to my now favorite antenna for the Yaesu FT2D and FT3D: High Gain Dual-Band 2m/440 Handheld Standard SMA Antenna

I have a couple of those longer antennas, one from Diamond and another from Nagoya (for the Chinese radios.) They are a lot more efficient that the stock antennas, but the length can get in the way. I quit using them when I almost poked myself in eye with one. My favorite HT antenna now looks like a shorter version of that antenna and is made by Wouxun.

 

[W5lz]

I don't know. A 1/4 wave antenna with 5 dB gain? If you live close to farm land, you could make a fortune waving that antenna over their fields, you know? 99% of all antenna claims are B.S. but this one goes a bit too far.

 

[prcguy]

Ignoring the bogus advertised gain, the Powerwerx brand antenna is a big upgrade from the stock antenna and its feel and construction are the best I've found for this size antenna. There are many others to choose from but the Powerwerx looks and feels like something Yaesu would supply with the FT3DR.

I don't know. A 1/4 wave antenna with 5 dB gain? If you live close to farm land, you could make a fortune waving that antenna over their fields, you know? 99% of all antenna claims are B.S. but this one goes a bit too far.

 

[W5lz]

All 1/4 wave antennas have a gain of less that 1, which translates as negative gain, or loss. That's as normal as it gets because legitimate comparisons are made with a 1/2 wave antenna. If you don't understand where/how those numbers are arrived at, you could do some more reading.

 

[prcguy]

I understand more than you can probably imagine. A 1/2 wave dipole is not the only legitimate reference antenna, most commercial antennas I deal with are rated in dBi or isotropic. These are not toy antennas but some I work on costing upwards of $5mil. You will not find any commercial or military satellite antenna rated in dBd.

For the sake of this thread, and as I mentioned before, the Powerwerx dual band antenna is a big upgrade from the stock Yaesu FT3DR antenna despite its questionable advertised gain ratings. I have one, I've tested it in a makeshift antenna range against several other antennas and while I didn't record the gain difference, its quite noticeable. If you would like I can measure it again and tell you exactly how much more gain it has over the stock FT3DR antenna.

All 1/4 wave antennas have a gain of less that 1, which translates as negative gain, or loss. That's as normal as it gets because legitimate comparisons are made with a 1/2 wave antenna. If you don't understand where/how those numbers are arrived at, you could do some more reading.

 

[W5lz]

...and your measuring would be showing how bad that stock antenna is.
I don't have much experience with array antennas as you deal with so I'll take your word for them.
I've used Powerwerx products but not any of their HT antennas. If they follow along with their other products I'd have to think they work as well as any other brand of the same type/size antenna. I prefer another brand I have had good luck with. That isn't saying they are 'better' just that they work for me.

 

[prcguy]

If I measured again I would be using the stock antenna as a reference and comparing the Powerwerx to it. I know the stock antenna is a low performer and I don't really care what its absolute gain or loss is compared to a dipole. That is also difficult to measure accurately and even though I have the equipment to do so, I don't have a proper range environment for absolute gain measurements. I only care if my aftermarket antenna is better than stock by some reasonable amount to justify its size.

...and your measuring would be showing how bad that stock antenna is.
I don't have much experience with array antennas as you deal with so I'll take your word for them.
I've used Powerwerx products but not any of their HT antennas. If they follow along with their other products I'd have to think they work as well as any other brand of the same type/size antenna. I prefer another brand I have had good luck with. That isn't saying they are 'better' just that they work for me.

 

[ham1138]

Made a contact using the powerwerx antenna. Repeater is 17mi away. Distance to contact was 34 miles. Thanks PRCguy!