Recommendations for a good HT antenna

[Rezarf]

Among the myriads of choices, can I hear some of your favorite antenna choices for a HT radio... Specifically the Yaesu FT-60R.

I've got a little diamond stubby but I'd like something with a little more reach even at the cost of storing issues. I'm thinking of something with some reach to throw into my hiking gear for coms. Maybe something that could actually be mounted to the radio or the pack itself.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Diamond RH77CA (BNC, SRH77CA is SMA version) is about the best HT antenna you're gonna find for a 2m/70cm radio. It's also long enough to be a major PITA.

This is what it looks like on my VX-7R.

 

[DaveInDenver]

BTW, I put the Diamond SMA-BNC adapter on all my Yaesu HTs. I prefer to buy BNC antennas since they can be adapted to other uses and are more universal. If you ever get a FT-817, for example, or want to use an external antenna BNC is kind of the common denominator. Plus the SMA connector isn't meant to stand up to much mechanical abuse and this adapter reduces the chance of breaking the connector off at the PCB inside the radio.

http://www.diamondantenna.net/bncj-smap.html

For example, this mount I find handy. It closes in the the window of your car and puts the antenna outside for a hasty mobile antenna. It's nice to keep in a go kit. Although I notice they add an SMA version, so in theory you wouldn't need a BNC like mine has.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamantht/0204.html

 

[AimCOTaco]

If you want something more unwieldy and with more reach, I have an MFJ long-ranger that fits the bill, telescopes to the ceiling (ok, almost, it's 40"). I carry it as a long range option/emergency antenna, great for hiking, cheap. It makes a big difference on how my HT sounds into a repeater and receive is great so it definitely works well.

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1714


Another good hiking/emergency/backup with great performance but requires a place to hang and some cables is a roll up j-pole dual bander that can be had from N9TAX. This one performs even better but I always "forget" to bring it along. You can find him on the web here: http://www.2wayelectronix.com/

 

[AimCOTaco]

I really dig the universal radio window rig Dave just posted above (edit:Opek AM800) , at $15 I'm going to need one of those to leave in my wife's car, that's just the thing for that job!

 

[DaveInDenver]

A J-pole is better than the MFJ-1714 on top of an HT. If you want a 1/2 wavelength add a 19" rat tail from the connector's outer shell that hangs down and you'll have made a center fed dipole with a true (well, close anyway) 72 ohm feedpoint impedance. The impedance of an end fed 1/2 wavelength antenna is in the 2K ohm range so MFJ has to put a network in the base to transform that to 50 ohms. This means that anything other than a full 1/2 wavelength the impedance is going to extremely low and hard on your radio's finals. But fully extended it does work great since it's ground plane independent. Just IMHO not practical for an HT. If you need the range take the time to use a decent mobile or portable antenna (a J-pole rolls up nicely) since it's unlikely you're going to be walking around with the thing extended to 38" anyway.

 

[AimCOTaco]

A J-pole is better than the MFJ-1714 on top of an HT. If you want a 1/2 wavelength add a 19" rat tail from the connector's outer shell that hangs down and you'll have made a center fed dipole with a true (well, close anyway) 72 ohm feedpoint impedance. The impedance of an end fed 1/2 wavelength antenna is in the 2K ohm range so MFJ has to put a network in the base to transform that to 50 ohms. This means that anything other than a full 1/2 wavelength the impedance is going to extremely low and hard on your radio's finals. But fully extended it does work great since it's ground plane independent. Just IMHO not practical for an HT. If you need the range take the time to use a decent mobile or portable antenna (a J-pole rolls up nicely) since it's unlikely you're going to be walking around with the thing extended to 38" anyway.

Dave, I fully agree, I was understanding that he wanted an additional long range unit to carry as a supplement to a primary HT antenna. I don't use the MFJ-1714 often but it does stay in my hiking pack in case I need a little more antenna. The J-pole is much better (and dual band) but I rarely haul it because it's more bulky and fragile and requires the hang point so mostly just gets used for experimentation and stuff around the house.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Dave, I fully agree, I was understanding that he wanted an additional long range unit to carry as a supplement to a primary HT antenna. I don't use the MFJ-1714 often but it does stay in my hiking pack in case I need a little more antenna. The J-pole is much better (and dual band) but I rarely haul it because it's more bulky and fragile and requires the hang point so mostly just gets used for experimentation and stuff around the house.