Great job on your videos. As someone whose radio knowledge is limited to “push button to talk”, your videos are exactly what I need. And I think that level of understanding applies to a LOT of people. HRCC’s channel has some great videos that are close to this level of simplicity, but your videos are “more simpler”. Looking forward to the next videos.
Thank! I’m glad your finding it useful! I am trying to limit technical terms so it’s easily understood for everyone who is new to the world of radio! If you or anyone else has questions feel free to ask here in the comments.
Hi , just read your comment . I would like some advice please . I just bought 3 Baofeng UV5 - AR . I want to use them as a back up to my CBs moving mobile homes . In your research , is there a better antenna including a magnet mount that would be better to get around the 14' mobile home behind me that blocks all line of sight to my rear escort which is usually 200' behind me ? Thanks for any advice . ( I'm just to getting into anything above regular walkie talkies . The Baofengs are unlocked , so I don't even know what frequency I'll be using . I have not had a mobile home to move since I bought the hand helds .
The long abbree is 42.2 inches long and I have one. It's a good antenna. But do not mount the antenna on your radio. Mount the antenna on a back pack or plate carrier then run a cable from the antenna to the radio. I use that system a lot, and it works great.
High as possible. Best coax. Tight hardware. Good ground. A layer of electrical tape is not "waterproof". Workmanship and quality both count. "Bad weather" is blamed for a lot of bad signals caused by installation problems - especially on repeaters.
I have the 18" abree antennas for hand held use. I have the 48.8" mounted to my hiking pack with the cable and carry pouch for the radio on the inside of thenpack and a microphone speaker on the left shoulder strap. Pluss the abree antennas seem to be horse safe when riding. The uv5ra seems to work best with the 48.8" mounted to the pack frame. The cheap uv5r with the 18". The extra watt seems to push the antenna better where the weaker radio cant.
Thanks! I’m filming some more stuff tomorrow. A quick one with hints and tips on chirp. Just a couple frustrating issues that I had when I first started programming Baofengs and took me forever to figure out. I’m hoping to start filming some more antenna stuff next week!
Yes any of the antennas that fit the Baofengs should work on the Anytones. I did find this paper that another ham put together that has a valid point on the length of the threaded portion though. hamradio.joomla.com/images/Anytone/Correct_Antenna_for_Anytone_868-878-878plus.pdf
I have an 18 inch Abbree for my Baofang Uv-5RX. So far I've noticed it works better when it's folded, then when it's open. Anyone else experience this?
So I have 200 acres of bush and need to set up my uv-5r in the house sometimes as a base station . Could a portable J pole antenna be run up to the second floor to increase range through a mile of bush ?? Thoughts.
Yep that should work well. I’ve hooked up to external antennas when out portable camping to do exactly that. It really helps with the range. Use good coax for the long run inside from the antenna and a short thin flexible jumper coax to hook the radio to the larger coax.
At a minimum use RG-8X for the run up to the antenna. LMR-400 is much better, but its thicker and a little more expensive. But if the run is longer than 50’ definitely use the LMR-400 or equivalent.
Yeah there are a couple of them. I’ll find links and post them here today. I’ll also go correct the link thats no longer working, thanks for letting me know!
This is probably my new favorite! But you also need to order a short piece of coax, I’m hoping to have a video up soon with this antenna. vfcomms.com/shop/antenna/fara-j-antenna/ Here is a nice piece of coax to go with it. You’ll still need an adapter if your radio has a SMA antenna connection. amzn.to/3Z8bYwy
Hello I have a UHF antenna with a 10 inch spring for a UHF cp200 radio. I just got baofeng radio dual vhf/uhf. Question is can I use that antenna for the baofeng, and if not why so 🤔
The Motorola radios I’ve worked with in the past use a different connector than the Baofengs. The brochure for that radio doesn’t list what connector they used on that radio. Also the antenna with be mono band as the radio is sold as a vhf OR uhf only. The Baofengs and duel band vhf/uhf so you need a antenna that will work on both. I hope that answers your questions.
@@GetYourCommsUp well my main question is , if I replace the whip rod of my UHF antenna I have with a longer whip rod will that convert it to a VHF antenna and UHF dual band or do antennas only work with designated frequencies from manufacturing like the UHF I have
It would depend on what the connector on the rollup antenna is. But most likely it’s a BNC. If thats the case then this adapter would work. amzn.to/3ROXFcU
Great video. One question, how far can I get with the Abbree 28” on simplex? Trying to find the best solution for about 4 miles (driving, shorter as the crow flies). Would give my friend the second one in two pack, if they would work. Thanks.
It’s going to be the best bet to try. But it depends what is between you and your friend (hills, buildings and such) it you are both elevated with nothing between you then several miles should be no problem.
I would recommend a dual band mag mount antenna with an adapter for mobile use. Greatly improve signal by getting a higher gain antenna outside the vehicle. Grant it even a cheap mag mount might still be twice the value of a Baofeng...
What about a authentic Nagoya for the Boafeng 3t-GTP Mark iii ? I’ve heard the connection is slightly different than a standard UV-5R. Should I just get the regular Boafeng UV-5R being that it’s the same radio but difference in compatibility for accessories. I already ordered the 3t-gtp’s for me and my dad but I’m concerned getting extra batteries and even though it comes with a sansonic antenna I’ve heard that the harmonics aren’t great. I’m getting my dad one of these for an early Father’s Day as a surprise. He’s a ham operator and has basically every radio communications related gadget except one of these little guys. He owns his own repeater and I want to get him the portable long range package if possible. I’ve heard Nagoya is the best. That snap flap tactical antenna looks pretty cool. He’s been wanting me to get my ham license since before cell phones were relevant and became life Lol. I know very little (very basic understanding) about radio coms but if this Boafeng is legit like everyone says it is I would consider getting my ham license. It just seems like most of those guys are such dicks (no offense you’re cool) and I remember as a kid wanting to turn off his radio when his hamster buddies were calling and he wasn’t there even though I was forbidden to touch it. Anyway sorry for the rant but this has got me looking at Kenwoods and such... I smell another expensive hobby on the horizon. Great video and hopefully the 3T-GT3 Mark iii will be able to take a official Nagoya 771... ironically I hate knockoffs but this is just a trial run. I can see my new Jeep Grand Cherokee getting some upgrades as well. Especially the way the world’s gone to shit in the past year. I started prepping and coms is vital in a SHTF situation. Again, sorry for the novel I just loved your video and presentation of the products! Big 👍
I’ll have to look up the 3T-GTP. There are two Different versions on the sma antenna connector and it’s possible that has the opposite one from the normal baofengs.... if thats the case Nagoya makes both styles.
@@GetYourCommsUp very cool... thank you! Ended up getting another set of Radios🤦♂️... I can’t stop Lol. I got a set of the UV-5TP for me and my father. Also, got the Expertpower 7.5” 669C (I think... don’t quote me) which works well. However, I’m not licensed yet and I want to pickup the ISS feed if I can? Now, to my understanding it’s not illegal to listen so I was thinking of getting a larger antenna for picking up and listening range. I’m thinking about a 771 or the folding Abree’s I’ve been seeing. I probably won’t go above 18” for now until I get my feet wet so to speak
The harder you try to push that little radio, the more disappointed you'll be. The UV5R is more than competent, but only when it is used in a realistic manner and setting.
Loved it, mostly common sense but put in an easy way On the roll up one, if you put an exact length that should be easy to make. Is the very top connected leg to leg?
I was testing all my random antennas with a surefire SWR tester. witha dummy load at 150:900 i was at 99.9% I had a a wrist slap antenna and a long felxible one that you recomended. they were both around 80% the others were under 50% efficient. what kind of swr numbers are you getting with these?
Unfortunately there isn't a good way to test SWR on a handheld antenna. The manufacturer takes the interaction with your radio, you holding it in your hand, and the proximity to your head into account when they design the rubber ducky style antennas. So even if you try to recreate it, by putting a SWR meter or Nano VNA on the antenna you change the equation. The simplest test is a range test for transmit and a signal strength test for receive. If they perform well under those tests then you can figure it's a good antenna. Several of the other channels (www.youtube.com/@HamRadioCrashCourse, www.youtube.com/@HamRadio2) have covered this, and it's covered in a video I have in my que. (but like about 8 other videos, I just can't seem to find the time to get completed and published) Also please make sure you are authorized to transmit on the frequency your testing on 150.9 is not a HAM band and is also not one of the "license free" frequencies either. I don't want anyone getting in trouble with the FCC. And the antennas your testing are probably tuned for the Ham Bands or FRS/GMRS/MURS channels, picking a random frequency to do a SWR test is going to give you bad readings. I hope that helps! Thanks for the question!
@@GetYourCommsUp thanks it didn't seem like good data as it would jump around a lot. We use hand helds a lot at work and more and more clients are showing up with cheap radios instead of the icoms and Kenwood's. I'm a helicopter mechanic and there has been a lot of We can't hear you , you can't hear me snags where the helicopter gets blamed . I think it's the proliferation of these radios with cheap antennas causing most of this trouble. I have a few now for testing and I'll be sure to test the one you hang in a tree , that's sounds like a good quick base station.
A 100000mah battery would be about the size of a Kleenex box. So yeah they are lying about that. There are a few models that do produce 8 watts but the ones that claim 10 usually don’t produce even 8. Your always better off with a better antenna than more power. As more power into a bad antenna won’t go anywhere where as a little power into a efficient antenna will go quite a ways.
The Nagoya 771 is a really nice antenna. I like the ABBREE antennas as well but they are heavier. So the radio doesn’t tend to sit on a surface as well. If it’s in a pouch this isn’t much of a problem.
I actually just got a tool to show the SWR curves! I’ll see about finding some time this next week to film that one. That should be an easy one to get done.
I can try to get started on that one. I am trying to get the programming video done and up this week. But I’ll start shooting the antenna remote mount as well. That one should be easier to get done. I’ll try to get it up by next week.
Thanks for this. When I change the antenna on my uv-5r I get intermittent reception. Google says I am overpowering the radio but I don't understand what that is. Can you help?
It is possible to overload the front end of the radio. So if you are in the city then sometimes a high gain antenna can cause the receiver to become overloaded with signals that may not even be what frequencies you are trying to listen to. That is one of the downsides to the Baofengs, higher end handheld radios still can have this issue (just not as bad) but due to the size of a handheld radio they just don’t have the room for really good filtering.
The antennas that come with the radio are a decent match for the areas that these radios can operate on. As are any of the "duel band" antennas such as the ABBREE or Nagoya 771.
As near as i can tell either one of these should work on the Btech v1 GMRS radio ABBREE 18” folding antenna amzn.to/3qqU9UR ABBREE 28” folding antenna amzn.to/3uQIxOl
Super long antenna's aren't going to make much difference on VHF and UHF frequencies and will just be bulky and inconvenient. They would be beneficial on HF frequencies and CB frequencies
All they really do is move the active element up higher a foot or two. The UHF wavelength is about as long as a cigarette. You can't make it longer. Put up a Yagi :-)
Is it weird I've been listening to Ham radio for two years and I've never heard anyone? Is that normal in some places? I just bought a yaesu, hoping it maybe will work?
@@ih8Joos what area are you in? You should be able to hear a local repeater in most locations in the US. Simplex is only short range, but repeaters usually have decent coverage.
@@GetYourCommsUp I have to drive 30 minutes just to go to the grocery store so it's probably where I live ..but here's hoping the yaesu 65r or whatever it is ends up being a little better then my other radios😂 I'm just bored out in the country I think is why I want it to work lol
@JJH0326 for simplex you can try listening on 146.52. Sometimes there will be traffic on it as that is the national simplex frequency. The other thing to do is look up the repeaters in your area. Try the Repeater Book app, or www.radioreference.com/db/browse/ To find the local repeaters. This should help you find something to listen to!
LOL, broadband because it's wide? LOL No, that's just a sheath for the wires inside; it is not a conductive surface. Have you ever seen a SMA connector fail? LOL we use those commonly in aerospace; the breaking stress is FAR greater than the levering forces that antenna (even the longest one) will apply.
@@PepeDeezNutz doubt it all you want, Nagoya whip is a better antenna for Baofengs. Better range, better clarity. The Abbree was straight garbage in everyway other than looking cool.
I’ve had good luck with both. Unfortunately they both have knock offs out there too. Some of which have been just as good, but a lot of them don’t hardly work at all. But I’ve had name brand antennas fail to perform like they should as well.
@@GetYourCommsUp I suspected I had a knock off initially but based on what I found online my packaging and markings were all correct for the real deal and I bought from a reputable radio dealer not just off Amazon.
Closer to the tree branches? Look around. If it's a good antenna, something's in the way. TH-camrs don't have the resources to instrument field strength tests, so they guess.
Those long antennas are an attempt to squeeze more performance out of those radios than they are designed to deliver. I have two, one for each radio.. They're kinda silly, except under pretty uncommon conditions. The tree antenna looked interesting, but not very mobile. Don't people make fun of yours?
The Baofeng radio does NOT require a reverse SMA, it is a SMA F (female). A reverse SMA has a pin instead of a socket and will not connect. Also the SMA male will fit but not work, resulting in a blown transmitter !
You are partially correct. I worded it poorly. I should have said the radio was reversed from what the big three do. Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood all put the SMA female on the radio and the sma male on the antenna, where Baofeng puts the sma male on the radio and the sma female is on the antenna
Your roll up antenna in your video is not the same as what you have listed.(Roll up antenna (made in USA) @t) Wheee did you get the double cable please.
the one I have is a Ed Fong from eBay. but the links tend to change every couple weeks. I’ll see if I can get one that will stay current. as the one from Amazon is no longer offered.
Antennas need to be matched to the frequency you are transmitting on. It's very possible to damage the radio by using a antenna that is not properly tuned. 27mhz is a very long way in the radio world from 146mhz and 440mhz that these radios operate on. basically the mismatched antenna can reflect the transmitted power right back into the radio and burn up the internals of the radio!
Yes you can. There are quite a few home brew HF antennas that use a tape a d you just unroll it to resonance. There was one commercially made one a long time ago to. It had two 100’ reel tapes on it. So you could wind out a dipole antenna to resonance!
My radio connector is SMA male. Isnt there a BNC connector I can attach to have it in between that and the SMA female connector on the antenna? The mission is to stop constantly screwing and unscrewing the antenna from the radio.
They make excellent antennas as well. The trick is buying one that isn’t a knock off. Amazon and eBay are full of knock offs, some of which have the same performance, but some are awful. The true Nagoya should be in a green package most knock offs come in yellow.
Turn your volume up? All my videos should have the sound level set to about the half way point on most devices for people who aren’t hearing impaired. That should give lots of room to make it louder….. not sure if that helps at all….
Great job on your videos. As someone whose radio knowledge is limited to “push button to talk”, your videos are exactly what I need. And I think that level of understanding applies to a LOT of people. HRCC’s channel has some great videos that are close to this level of simplicity, but your videos are “more simpler”. Looking forward to the next videos.
Thank! I’m glad your finding it useful! I am trying to limit technical terms so it’s easily understood for everyone who is new to the world of radio! If you or anyone else has questions feel free to ask here in the comments.
The BEST and most simple radio antenna explanation video that I’ve seen so far. And I’ve been researching this for over a year now
It's hard to evaluate antennas without a lot of time and expensive equipment. Plus, it's an art. You can't just line them up.
Hi , just read your comment . I would like some advice please . I just bought 3 Baofeng UV5 - AR . I want to use them as a back up to my CBs moving mobile homes . In your research , is there a better antenna including a magnet mount that would be better to get around the 14' mobile home behind me that blocks all line of sight to my rear escort which is usually 200' behind me ? Thanks for any advice . ( I'm just to getting into anything above regular walkie talkies . The Baofengs are unlocked , so I don't even know what frequency I'll be using . I have not had a mobile home to move since I bought the hand helds .
The long abbree is 42.2 inches long and I have one. It's a good antenna. But do not mount the antenna on your radio. Mount the antenna on a back pack or plate carrier then run a cable from the antenna to the radio. I use that system a lot, and it works great.
Yeah the sma connectors aren’t that strong. Large antennas are much better remote mounted!
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to make these videos, much appreciated.
Thanks! I’m glad people are finding them helpful!
@@GetYourCommsUp thanks for the video! Can you please give us a follow up video on moving the heavier antennas to your back
It would be neat to see a more in depth video on antennas in general and which ones are best for different situations
High as possible. Best coax. Tight hardware. Good ground. A layer of electrical tape is not "waterproof". Workmanship and quality both count. "Bad weather" is blamed for a lot of bad signals caused by installation problems - especially on repeaters.
Great video for those just getting into radios. Hope you get back online to produce more content.
Hi, I have six years learning about bf radios, thanks for your explanation, is pretty accurate. Will watch your video about distances.
Dang, hope you find the time to post more! Very informative.
Great video. Wish they were all this straight forward. Thanks. :)
i got the foldable antenna and its super big, used on a tall mountain to transmit downhill and a walkie took the signal good, really recommend it
Nice to hear the Uilleann Pipes in the intro ( Sean Bui, I think) and outro. Interesting Video too.
Thanks will try the roll up antenna for 70cm having hard time reaching DMR repeater about 15-20km away rolling terrain trees
But I thought size didn't matter :(
She lied to you! Two years late to comment but I still did it !
@BamaChad-W4CHD you get points for persistence! We all were thinking that! Lol! 😂
3 years later comment here.. he clearly stated that short stubby one gets the job done just fine. ❤❤
Size doesn’t matter it’s how you use it😎😎
Nice video👍👍,but
BAOFENG UV-9G GMRS
What antenna can I use for baofeng uv-9g gmrs radio
Nagoya 771 15.6' or 8'
Thank you 👍👍👍
Damn right I'll like, comment and subscribe! Great video, man. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to more, and the field tests, etc...Cheers!
I have the 18" abree antennas for hand held use. I have the 48.8" mounted to my hiking pack with the cable and carry pouch for the radio on the inside of thenpack and a microphone speaker on the left shoulder strap. Pluss the abree antennas seem to be horse safe when riding. The uv5ra seems to work best with the 48.8" mounted to the pack frame. The cheap uv5r with the 18". The extra watt seems to push the antenna better where the weaker radio cant.
Would the NA-701 be better for UHF frequencies than the NA-771?
I hope you can make a review of different antennas. Good video mate.
Hello what's the best antenna for just receiving.
Thanks for sharing, great information. I’m looking forward to your testing video on this antennas!
Thanks! I’m filming some more stuff tomorrow. A quick one with hints and tips on chirp. Just a couple frustrating issues that I had when I first started programming Baofengs and took me forever to figure out.
I’m hoping to start filming some more antenna stuff next week!
the Rollup Antenna any leads where to buy one or how to make one ,, THANKS
Great video
I have a baofeng BF F8HP
What would you recommend for a car roof magnet antenna
To be used with my radio ?
Wil. That other Guy
I have the same question..
I have one of these and for a small unobtrusive mag mount it works very well.
amzn.to/3YsSX7S
What adapter or connector doe i need to connect my antenna to my UV 9R Pro? or what antenna will fit ?
Did you ever find a source for that portable antenna? Thanks for the video.
A performance comparison would be nice.
Thank you for the great review.
Hi sir, what antenna can you recommend for Baofeng UV5R for 5 to 6kilometers? Thank you.
Did you ever make the video on how to remote link the longer folding antenna?
Great job am doing research for this in usage for search and rescue. Would this also work for a handheld anytone 878 tnx!
Yes any of the antennas that fit the Baofengs should work on the Anytones. I did find this paper that another ham put together that has a valid point on the length of the threaded portion though.
hamradio.joomla.com/images/Anytone/Correct_Antenna_for_Anytone_868-878-878plus.pdf
@@GetYourCommsUp Awesome so much Thanks!
I have an 18 inch Abbree for my Baofang Uv-5RX. So far I've noticed it works better when it's folded, then when it's open.
Anyone else experience this?
What kind of range can you get from the roll up antenna or the abbrees?
So I have 200 acres of bush and need to set up my uv-5r in the house sometimes as a base station . Could a portable J pole antenna be run up to the second floor to increase range through a mile of bush ?? Thoughts.
Yep that should work well. I’ve hooked up to external antennas when out portable camping to do exactly that. It really helps with the range. Use good coax for the long run inside from the antenna and a short thin flexible jumper coax to hook the radio to the larger coax.
At a minimum use RG-8X for the run up to the antenna. LMR-400 is much better, but its thicker and a little more expensive. But if the run is longer than 50’ definitely use the LMR-400 or equivalent.
I know this video is older now. The link to the roll up antenna isn't really taking me to the right place. Any suggestions?
My friend the link for the J-Pole Antena is not working anymore, do you have a new suggestion?
Yeah there are a couple of them. I’ll find links and post them here today. I’ll also go correct the link thats no longer working, thanks for letting me know!
This is probably my new favorite! But you also need to order a short piece of coax, I’m hoping to have a video up soon with this antenna.
vfcomms.com/shop/antenna/fara-j-antenna/
Here is a nice piece of coax to go with it. You’ll still need an adapter if your radio has a SMA antenna connection.
amzn.to/3Z8bYwy
BNC female head are more common on scanners h r (hamdheld receivers) and SMA female are more common in h t's (handheld transceivers).
Hi man, great content. I would like to know that I have a baofeng bf-888s, which antenna should I add to my car for long range?
amzn.to/3sufgb0
Mag mount car antenna
Hello I have a UHF antenna with a 10 inch spring for a UHF cp200 radio. I just got baofeng radio dual vhf/uhf. Question is can I use that antenna for the baofeng, and if not why so 🤔
The Motorola radios I’ve worked with in the past use a different connector than the Baofengs. The brochure for that radio doesn’t list what connector they used on that radio. Also the antenna with be mono band as the radio is sold as a vhf OR uhf only. The Baofengs and duel band vhf/uhf so you need a antenna that will work on both. I hope that answers your questions.
@@GetYourCommsUp well my main question is , if I replace the whip rod of my UHF antenna I have with a longer whip rod will that convert it to a VHF antenna and UHF dual band or do antennas only work with designated frequencies from manufacturing like the UHF I have
How do we connect them to a backpack ? Just get an extension wire
What adapter do I need to get from roll up antenna to the uv5r?
It would depend on what the connector on the rollup antenna is. But most likely it’s a BNC. If thats the case then this adapter would work.
amzn.to/3ROXFcU
Great video. One question, how far can I get with the Abbree 28” on simplex? Trying to find the best solution for about 4 miles (driving, shorter as the crow flies). Would give my friend the second one in two pack, if they would work. Thanks.
It’s going to be the best bet to try. But it depends what is between you and your friend (hills, buildings and such) it you are both elevated with nothing between you then several miles should be no problem.
I would recommend a dual band mag mount antenna with an adapter for mobile use. Greatly improve signal by getting a higher gain antenna outside the vehicle. Grant it even a cheap mag mount might still be twice the value of a Baofeng...
Did you ever find a place to buy the roll up antenna?
Try this. ebay.us/s6pktr
What about a authentic Nagoya for the Boafeng 3t-GTP Mark iii ? I’ve heard the connection is slightly different than a standard UV-5R. Should I just get the regular Boafeng UV-5R being that it’s the same radio but difference in compatibility for accessories. I already ordered the 3t-gtp’s for me and my dad but I’m concerned getting extra batteries and even though it comes with a sansonic antenna I’ve heard that the harmonics aren’t great. I’m getting my dad one of these for an early Father’s Day as a surprise. He’s a ham operator and has basically every radio communications related gadget except one of these little guys. He owns his own repeater and I want to get him the portable long range package if possible. I’ve heard Nagoya is the best. That snap flap tactical antenna looks pretty cool. He’s been wanting me to get my ham license since before cell phones were relevant and became life Lol. I know very little (very basic understanding) about radio coms but if this Boafeng is legit like everyone says it is I would consider getting my ham license. It just seems like most of those guys are such dicks (no offense you’re cool) and I remember as a kid wanting to turn off his radio when his hamster buddies were calling and he wasn’t there even though I was forbidden to touch it. Anyway sorry for the rant but this has got me looking at Kenwoods and such... I smell another expensive hobby on the horizon. Great video and hopefully the 3T-GT3 Mark iii will be able to take a official Nagoya 771... ironically I hate knockoffs but this is just a trial run. I can see my new Jeep Grand Cherokee getting some upgrades as well. Especially the way the world’s gone to shit in the past year. I started prepping and coms is vital in a SHTF situation. Again, sorry for the novel I just loved your video and presentation of the products! Big 👍
I’ll have to look up the 3T-GTP. There are two
Different versions on the sma antenna connector and it’s possible that has the opposite one from the normal baofengs.... if thats the case Nagoya makes both styles.
Looks like this one should work
amzn.to/3c1Bquq
@@GetYourCommsUp very cool... thank you! Ended up getting another set of Radios🤦♂️... I can’t stop Lol. I got a set of the UV-5TP for me and my father. Also, got the Expertpower 7.5” 669C (I think... don’t quote me) which works well. However, I’m not licensed yet and I want to pickup the ISS feed if I can? Now, to my understanding it’s not illegal to listen so I was thinking of getting a larger antenna for picking up and listening range. I’m thinking about a 771 or the folding Abree’s I’ve been seeing. I probably won’t go above 18” for now until I get my feet wet so to speak
The harder you try to push that little radio, the more disappointed you'll be. The UV5R is more than competent, but only when it is used in a realistic manner and setting.
Hi Bob, thanks for a great video.
Would the 48cm abree antenna not damage the connector? Would there be a huge difference between the 48cm and the 33cm antenna?
Yes, just remote mount it, get a molle backpack and reroute your abree to that
1:58 Can you get that cb antenna on your boefeng? And use the boefeng as a cb?
Loved it, mostly common sense but put in an easy way
On the roll up one, if you put an exact length that should be easy to make. Is the very top connected leg to leg?
I was testing all my random antennas with a surefire SWR tester. witha dummy load at 150:900 i was at 99.9% I had a a wrist slap antenna and a long felxible one that you recomended. they were both around 80% the others were under 50% efficient. what kind of swr numbers are you getting with these?
Unfortunately there isn't a good way to test SWR on a handheld antenna. The manufacturer takes the interaction with your radio, you holding it in your hand, and the proximity to your head into account when they design the rubber ducky style antennas. So even if you try to recreate it, by putting a SWR meter or Nano VNA on the antenna you change the equation. The simplest test is a range test for transmit and a signal strength test for receive. If they perform well under those tests then you can figure it's a good antenna. Several of the other channels (www.youtube.com/@HamRadioCrashCourse, www.youtube.com/@HamRadio2) have covered this, and it's covered in a video I have in my que. (but like about 8 other videos, I just can't seem to find the time to get completed and published)
Also please make sure you are authorized to transmit on the frequency your testing on 150.9 is not a HAM band and is also not one of the "license free" frequencies either. I don't want anyone getting in trouble with the FCC. And the antennas your testing are probably tuned for the Ham Bands or FRS/GMRS/MURS channels, picking a random frequency to do a SWR test is going to give you bad readings.
I hope that helps! Thanks for the question!
@@GetYourCommsUp thanks it didn't seem like good data as it would jump around a lot. We use hand helds a lot at work and more and more clients are showing up with cheap radios instead of the icoms and Kenwood's. I'm a helicopter mechanic and there has been a lot of We can't hear you , you can't hear me snags where the helicopter gets blamed . I think it's the proliferation of these radios with cheap antennas causing most of this trouble. I have a few now for testing and I'll be sure to test the one you hang in a tree , that's sounds like a good quick base station.
Hi. Can you tell me, are the models on AliExpress which claim 8W 10W and 100000mah batteries for real?? What is the max watts I should expect? ty
A 100000mah battery would be about the size of a Kleenex box. So yeah they are lying about that. There are a few models that do produce 8 watts but the ones that claim 10 usually don’t produce even 8. Your always better off with a better antenna than more power. As more power into a bad antenna won’t go anywhere where as a little power into a efficient antenna will go quite a ways.
Great videos, please keep them coming
Wireman569 thanks! I’ve got a couple more in the works. I hope to have a new one up this week!
@@GetYourCommsUp so which antenna is better..hello from Malaysia
The Nagoya 771 is a really nice antenna. I like the ABBREE antennas as well but they are heavier. So the radio doesn’t tend to sit on a surface as well. If it’s in a pouch this isn’t much of a problem.
@@GetYourCommsUp how about nagoya 773
Would have liked to have seen SWR comparison.
I actually just got a tool to show the SWR curves! I’ll see about finding some time this next week to film that one. That should be an easy one to get done.
Would love to see the video on remote locating the antennae on your ruck or plate carrier. Can you give an ETA for that video
I can try to get started on that one. I am trying to get the programming video done and up this week. But I’ll start shooting the antenna remote mount as well. That one should be easier to get done. I’ll try to get it up by next week.
Thanks for this. When I change the antenna on my uv-5r I get intermittent reception. Google says I am overpowering the radio but I don't understand what that is. Can you help?
It is possible to overload the front end of the radio. So if you are in the city then sometimes a high gain antenna can cause the receiver to become overloaded with signals that may not even be what frequencies you are trying to listen to. That is one of the downsides to the Baofengs, higher end handheld radios still can have this issue (just not as bad) but due to the size of a handheld radio they just don’t have the room for really good filtering.
You can fix that issue
Are you using the AA battery pack?
@@PepeDeezNutz no. I'm using just the standard battery or the extended battery depending
Are there any antennas that go past 430mhz? The channels I'm on are past that frequency and I can't find anything.
The antennas that come with the radio are a decent match for the areas that these radios can operate on. As are any of the "duel band" antennas such as the ABBREE or Nagoya 771.
I am on a budget so approx pricing on each would be helpful
please, make the backpack antena mounting video!!!
I know your a Ham guy. Will the ABBREE antenna work on the BTECH v1 GMRS
Hi Steveder, as long as the antenna connector on the radio is the same. Let me check and see what I can find. I’ll reply again here in a few minutes!
As near as i can tell either one of these should work on the Btech v1 GMRS radio
ABBREE 18” folding antenna
amzn.to/3qqU9UR
ABBREE 28” folding antenna
amzn.to/3uQIxOl
Super long antenna's aren't going to make much difference on VHF and UHF frequencies and will just be bulky and inconvenient. They would be beneficial on HF frequencies and CB frequencies
All they really do is move the active element up higher a foot or two. The UHF wavelength is about as long as a cigarette. You can't make it longer. Put up a Yagi :-)
Did you ever find the portable ladder antenna?
amzn.to/3t9wgCE
@@GetYourCommsUp Awesome! How about one for 440? I'll buy both!
amzn.to/38WFT06
Looks like this one will do both. This should be the same one that’s in my video. It’s finally back on Amazon.
I have the abree mounted on my backpack
Waiting on baofeng range test
Very hard to Decide especially when you have knock offs
Mag Kano anthena Ng radio
Is it weird I've been listening to Ham radio for two years and I've never heard anyone? Is that normal in some places? I just bought a yaesu, hoping it maybe will work?
@@ih8Joos what area are you in? You should be able to hear a local repeater in most locations in the US. Simplex is only short range, but repeaters usually have decent coverage.
@@GetYourCommsUp I have to drive 30 minutes just to go to the grocery store so it's probably where I live ..but here's hoping the yaesu 65r or whatever it is ends up being a little better then my other radios😂 I'm just bored out in the country I think is why I want it to work lol
@JJH0326 for simplex you can try listening on 146.52. Sometimes there will be traffic on it as that is the national simplex frequency. The other thing to do is look up the repeaters in your area. Try the Repeater Book app, or www.radioreference.com/db/browse/
To find the local repeaters. This should help you find something to listen to!
@@GetYourCommsUp thank you for the reply! I'll be looking into that soon.
Have 2 UV9R-PLUS'.... IT'D BE COOL to see programming basics on these radio's.....
Can't find anyworth while for U.S. locations.
I’m working on a video on computer programming. Hope to have it up soon!
Great video, thanks
LOL, broadband because it's wide? LOL No, that's just a sheath for the wires inside; it is not a conductive surface. Have you ever seen a SMA connector fail? LOL we use those commonly in aerospace; the breaking stress is FAR greater than the levering forces that antenna (even the longest one) will apply.
great video
Good info thank you
Thank you 👍.
I had terrible luck with the abbree antennas. They had less range than the rubber ducky that comes with it. Nagoya with antenna is the way to go
I highly doubt that
@@PepeDeezNutz doubt it all you want, Nagoya whip is a better antenna for Baofengs. Better range, better clarity. The Abbree was straight garbage in everyway other than looking cool.
I’ve had good luck with both. Unfortunately they both have knock offs out there too. Some of which have been just as good, but a lot of them don’t hardly work at all. But I’ve had name brand antennas fail to perform like they should as well.
@@GetYourCommsUp I suspected I had a knock off initially but based on what I found online my packaging and markings were all correct for the real deal and I bought from a reputable radio dealer not just off Amazon.
Closer to the tree branches? Look around. If it's a good antenna, something's in the way. TH-camrs don't have the resources to instrument field strength tests, so they guess.
EXCELLENT! THANK YOU!
Thanks! More antenna stuff coming after I finish the computer programming videos!
VNA TEST ?
Good shit man thank you
All depends on freq range
Those long antennas are an attempt to squeeze more performance out of those radios than they are designed to deliver. I have two, one for each radio.. They're kinda silly, except under pretty uncommon conditions. The tree antenna looked interesting, but not very mobile.
Don't people make fun of yours?
😅The chicks like the bigger antennas.
The Baofeng radio does NOT require a reverse SMA, it is a SMA F (female). A reverse SMA has a pin instead of a socket and will not connect. Also the SMA male will fit but not work, resulting in a blown transmitter !
You are partially correct. I worded it poorly. I should have said the radio was reversed from what the big three do. Yaesu, Icom and Kenwood all put the SMA female on the radio and the sma male on the antenna, where Baofeng puts the sma male on the radio and the sma female is on the antenna
But thanks for the comment! That clarification should have been made earlier!
Your roll up antenna in your video is not the same as what you have listed.(Roll up antenna (made in USA) @t) Wheee did you get the double cable please.
the one I have is a Ed Fong from eBay. but the links tend to change every couple weeks. I’ll see if I can get one that will stay current. as the one from Amazon is no longer offered.
amzn.to/38WFT06
@@GetYourCommsUp $84 dollars? jeezus!
Wow price must have changed. I think it was around $54 when I linked it. I’ll see if i can find one at a better price!
Here guys sorry it took so long.
ebay.us/4cxouF
I just got short antenna for my radio and quality went to hell (from 2m up). Now i know why
Yeah the shorty antennas are only good for really close range.
What happens if you use 27mhz Antenna on Baofeng ?
Antennas need to be matched to the frequency you are transmitting on. It's very possible to damage the radio by using a antenna that is not properly tuned. 27mhz is a very long way in the radio world from 146mhz and 440mhz that these radios operate on. basically the mismatched antenna can reflect the transmitted power right back into the radio and burn up the internals of the radio!
Thx Mate
If you have ever folded a tape measure, you will realize what an ABBREE antenna is
Can you hook your tape measure to a radio ?
Yes you can. There are quite a few home brew HF antennas that use a tape a d you just unroll it to resonance. There was one commercially made one a long time ago to. It had two 100’ reel tapes on it. So you could wind out a dipole antenna to resonance!
Feels more like a section of a mini window venetian blind to me.
Nice...................
No link to the 16” antenna
This is the same one I was looking for also. To bad he didn't respond.
I’ll see if I can get it added. Give me a few minutes.
amzn.to/39nLehK
Thanks for the note. I got the Nagoya 771 link added to the links.
@@GetYourCommsUp Thanks.
My radio connector is SMA male. Isnt there a BNC connector I can attach to have it in between that and the SMA female connector on the antenna? The mission is to stop constantly screwing and unscrewing the antenna from the radio.
HULO MAN WATE MODL ISRADYO TANKYOR
Nagoya? Any opinion on those?
They make excellent antennas as well. The trick is buying one that isn’t a knock off. Amazon and eBay are full of knock offs, some of which have the same performance, but some are awful. The true Nagoya should be in a green package most knock offs come in yellow.
amzn.to/39nLehK
Link for the Nagoya 771
Hyperion 771
New sub
Sma Female sma male or a Bnc 1:10
Yes, male/female or plug/socket...
Any update on where to get the tree antenna?
ebay.us/ysJQSN
This is the best price I’ve seen.
I was expecting a range test with the different antennas, 🙄
I’ll add it to the growing list of upcoming videos! thanks for the suggestion!
I was expecting performance testing
volume
wow
Salut..j e ne parle anglais..j ai cru comprendre que tu vien du Québec...parle tu français...
J aurais une question
It is true that baofeng uv10r is 60 watts
No. Watch not a Rubicon.
Totally skipped performance, what's the point.
cant hear you speaking.
Turn your volume up? All my videos should have the sound level set to about the half way point on most devices for people who aren’t hearing impaired. That should give lots of room to make it louder….. not sure if that helps at all….
I stopped watching when you gave your call sign 😂😂😂
Why do you have a issue with my call sign? Or just that I used phonetics instead of just the letters? Genuinely curious.
That's weird. Why? You missed out on a very informative video.
Might be interesting if I could here what you're saying. SPEAK UP