My actual Amazon Storefront is HERE! amzn.to/49uAefw As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which helps me buy more toys to review for all of you! I'm constantly updating the page. Here are most of the radios and antennas we test for all of you, and as always, I take requests!
I stumbled upon your channel recently looking for recent and more thorough, real-world GMRS antenna tests. Love your methodology and your approachable content for a newbie like me. I was about to buy the super stick but your tests proved that it was WORSE when extended. So now I’m going for signal stick 440 for EDC and one of the 771 varieties for long range, in case I need it. I gave the H3 and H5 (GM30 equivalent).
Hey Larry. Glad you found my channel. Yes, there are a lot of field test videos I've done in the past. Some really bad ones too from the beginning! But, YES, you are correct on the Smiley Super Stick 465 by saying it's not great at all when extended. Fact: It works better than most when it's fully collapsed, but not extended. I do love the Signal Stick 440, and also the Smiley 5/8 Slim Duck 465. I believe they are equal so get whichever one is cheaper for you. My all-time favorite 771 is the Nagoya 771g, but recently, that Diamond SRJ77CA (in this video) is really shining and yes it sometimes out performs the Nagoya. Honestly, I believe they are the same company. Diamond specializes in Ham and Nagoya specializes in GMRS. Take a look at their logos! I really like the H3 because it will do just about everything you would want a radio to do. The Radioddity GM-30 Plus is being released this Friday, which has a color screen and also GPS. I just got two in the mail today for a review! I can't wait because I really like the feel of the GM30. These new GM30 Plus models are larger, but they contain GPS technology so that's normal I guess.
@@FirstUnitedTactical lol I can’t keep up (financially) with all the new radios. For now, the H3 and H5 has my basic comms covered but I do need better antennas than stock. I just watched the video in its entirety. The Diamond does seem to perform better but I think I’ll be going with Signal Stick, both 440 and extended, for the sake of brand uniformity. They performed well enough on the GM30 and H3 in your tests. Plus, I heard Signal Stick supports the radio community, so that’s a PLUS!
@@LarryL619 Yes, Signal Stick is huge in the community. He runs a HAM prep service for getting licensed, and he is an actual radio operator. I've talked to him by email before (Richard maybe??) and he is a very down to Earth guy. He does everything as a small business and there's no middle man. He "makes" all of the antennas himself, and helps the community in training and teaching about radio communication. Sounds pretty good to me! Plus, there are a lot of different colors to choose from, and the tips are glow in the dark! (Not that matters, but it's kinda cool at night if you drop your radio). It's a fun hobby for sure, and it really does play a vital role in disasters. We have a small AirBnb house on the Texas coast and it took a direct hit from Hurricane Beryl a month ago. We went down and two of the fire dept's lost all comms. Cross Roads Ham Radio Club owns 16 ham repeaters along the coast and stepped up. They gave the emergency crews radios and got them linked up with the local ham repeaters so they could communicate their needs to the outside disaster area. It was really something to see it in action. I made a video about my set up while I was there if you are interested: th-cam.com/video/qIhTqdGmiVw/w-d-xo.html
@@FirstUnitedTactical see my post above. I was impressed with the Nagoya 6" 701G's performance compared to the 15" 771G in my totally unscientific test. I've tested them against one another a few times and most of the time there wasn't much difference, although occasionally the 771 did give me a little more clarity. I was thoroughly impressed with the 701G and have made it my EDC antenna. Nagoya just seems to get the tuning better than other manufacturers.
The Signal 440 and the Smiley 5/8 slim duck are extremely good short antennas. My fav long is the Nagoya 771g. When I leave the house, the radio I grab will have the Smiley 5/8 slim duck 465 on it, and the Nagoya 771g is in the truck just in case I get too far out in the country.
Great tests! I've always wondered about my Nagoya antennas versus the Signal Stick antennas. Looks like I have to buy a Diamond now hahaha! Time to put that little AZ gift card that I just got to use!
I love the Diamond SRJ77CA for a dual band antenna. It performs flawlessly also on GMRS. Signal Stuff does an ok job, but doesn't compare to this Diamond. I think Nagoya and Diamond are the same company, but can't verify it. It seems Nagoya has the GMRS side covered and Diamond has the Dual Band side covered.
Just this morning I tested two antennas with a repeater 29 miles from my house with a lot of intervening clutter. Using a "standard" VHF/UHF antenna, I could not hit it all with either the 8" or 17" version. I then tested the 6" Nagoya 701G and 15" 771G. To my surprise, they both accessed the repeater (poorly) and about equally well. I guess having an antenna tuned to 462 mHz really does make a difference, even if it's a shorty.
Yes, a specifically tuned antenna to 465 will be a game changer. The only difference I have seen is comparing a short to a long (701g vs 771g) is the 771g is longer and will receive more signal coming back from the repeater. The shorter the antenna, the less it can "grab" signal from the air.
Pro tip: If you're someone like me who swaps antennas out as much as most people change their underwear, look at getting BNC adapters for your radios. SMA connectors are good for about 500 cycles before they're smoked......and I've seen some last WAY fewer cycles than that. The nice thing about running BNC adapters on everything and then buying BNC antennas is that all of your antennas will fit all of your radios, regardless of manufacturer or stock antenna connector. When the BNC adapter wears out, replace it and you're good to go again. I even have a BNC mag mount I got from Signal Stuff. Pop the mount on the roof of your vehicle, attach your antenna of choice on the mount, hook the coax (which is also BNC) to your radio, and POOF....you're mobile....and a car makes a GREAT ground plane LOL. It's almost like magic 😂
MAN that's awesome! I had no idea, and I've never thought to ask why people use BNC on their handhelds. There's a new antenna I want to get from BuyTwoWayRadios that's supposed to be the mack daddy of all handheld antennas. It's an extended and comes in all connectors. Maybe that will be my first! Thanks Evan, I appreciate it bud!
@EvanK2EJT You won't believe this.. I'm out in the shop cleaning up and I have all my old radio boxes stacked up. Time to trash them, so I'm going through every box looking for extra straps and chargers. I came across my Surecom SW33 meter box, and guess what was in it????? It comes with all adapters for handheld radios and there was a BNC-M and F in there. I guess that's my sign to start buying BNC!
Good video as always. Could you also test some mobile antennas? The one I am using most of the time is the 6 dB Midland mobile antenna. But I also had good luck with the Tram 1174 (had to cut it a bit) and the Melowave shadow antenna from BTWR. In the past couple of days, spoke to folks across Lake Michigan on all three of them (115 miles) with just 5 watts of power. Also, there is this hidden gem of a radio, Wouxun KG-805G. Goes for about $80 these days. 5+ watts out. Awesome superhet receiver. Very simple radio. Easy to program with Chirp Next using the Wouxun KG-UVD1P settings. Give it a whirl. You can also turn it into a very capable 70 cm monobander, including ham. I keep it on GMRS. That's the one I used to talk to folks across the lake.
@SK-rj1ti Super cool! I am about to upload a mobile test with that 6db 32". There's 6 mobile antennas total, and you're good with that one. I've seen that new antenna at BTWR but haven't ordered it yet. I will be getting it. Another antenna I tested that did extremely well (for a shot antenna) is tge Tram 1126 or something like that. Mobile, 200w, and it looks like tge Signal Stick 440. Just a 6" piece of wire for less than $15! It will be on TH-cam this weekend.
There’s definitely something wrong with your Baofeng 5G pluses. I have the 5G plus and I have the diamond antenna and the Nagoya 771G antenna. And while the diamond does work pretty good on the 5G plus the Nagoya 771G definitely works better… on mine.
@seanjohnfits I do believe there's an issue with my 5g Plus radios. I do buy them as soon as they are released so I can get videos out. I really got burned on the H3's when they were released. My very 1st H3 wouldn't hold a charge, and the 2nd one only pushed about 3w. I even did a video on that saying "You've gotta check your equipment "!!!! Honestly, even my other fengs (5r, 8hp) don't compare to radios like the GM30 or H3, for example. I like baofeng, but it's true sometimes I do get the guinea pigs. I've tested the 5g Plus in a few videos, and I do my best to say "Mine may be bad", but then sometimes I'm just disappointed!
@SterlingStudios Well, to he fair they are designed for 2m/70c. But they are so popular I want GMRS users to see what would happen if they bought one. The smaller 440 does a good job, but the tall ones aren't great for 462 467.
My actual Amazon Storefront is HERE! amzn.to/49uAefw
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which helps me buy more toys to review for all of you! I'm constantly updating the page.
Here are most of the radios and antennas we test for all of you, and as always, I take requests!
I stumbled upon your channel recently looking for recent and more thorough, real-world GMRS antenna tests. Love your methodology and your approachable content for a newbie like me.
I was about to buy the super stick but your tests proved that it was WORSE when extended. So now I’m going for signal stick 440 for EDC and one of the 771 varieties for long range, in case I need it.
I gave the H3 and H5 (GM30 equivalent).
Hey Larry. Glad you found my channel. Yes, there are a lot of field test videos I've done in the past. Some really bad ones too from the beginning! But, YES, you are correct on the Smiley Super Stick 465 by saying it's not great at all when extended. Fact: It works better than most when it's fully collapsed, but not extended.
I do love the Signal Stick 440, and also the Smiley 5/8 Slim Duck 465. I believe they are equal so get whichever one is cheaper for you.
My all-time favorite 771 is the Nagoya 771g, but recently, that Diamond SRJ77CA (in this video) is really shining and yes it sometimes out performs the Nagoya. Honestly, I believe they are the same company. Diamond specializes in Ham and Nagoya specializes in GMRS. Take a look at their logos!
I really like the H3 because it will do just about everything you would want a radio to do. The Radioddity GM-30 Plus is being released this Friday, which has a color screen and also GPS. I just got two in the mail today for a review! I can't wait because I really like the feel of the GM30. These new GM30 Plus models are larger, but they contain GPS technology so that's normal I guess.
@@FirstUnitedTactical lol I can’t keep up (financially) with all the new radios. For now, the H3 and H5 has my basic comms covered but I do need better antennas than stock.
I just watched the video in its entirety. The Diamond does seem to perform better but I think I’ll be going with Signal Stick, both 440 and extended, for the sake of brand uniformity. They performed well enough on the GM30 and H3 in your tests.
Plus, I heard Signal Stick supports the radio community, so that’s a PLUS!
@@LarryL619 Yes, Signal Stick is huge in the community. He runs a HAM prep service for getting licensed, and he is an actual radio operator. I've talked to him by email before (Richard maybe??) and he is a very down to Earth guy. He does everything as a small business and there's no middle man. He "makes" all of the antennas himself, and helps the community in training and teaching about radio communication. Sounds pretty good to me! Plus, there are a lot of different colors to choose from, and the tips are glow in the dark! (Not that matters, but it's kinda cool at night if you drop your radio).
It's a fun hobby for sure, and it really does play a vital role in disasters. We have a small AirBnb house on the Texas coast and it took a direct hit from Hurricane Beryl a month ago. We went down and two of the fire dept's lost all comms. Cross Roads Ham Radio Club owns 16 ham repeaters along the coast and stepped up. They gave the emergency crews radios and got them linked up with the local ham repeaters so they could communicate their needs to the outside disaster area. It was really something to see it in action. I made a video about my set up while I was there if you are interested:
th-cam.com/video/qIhTqdGmiVw/w-d-xo.html
@@FirstUnitedTactical see my post above. I was impressed with the Nagoya 6" 701G's performance compared to the 15" 771G in my totally unscientific test. I've tested them against one another a few times and most of the time there wasn't much difference, although occasionally the 771 did give me a little more clarity. I was thoroughly impressed with the 701G and have made it my EDC antenna. Nagoya just seems to get the tuning better than other manufacturers.
The Signal 440 and the Smiley 5/8 slim duck are extremely good short antennas. My fav long is the Nagoya 771g. When I leave the house, the radio I grab will have the Smiley 5/8 slim duck 465 on it, and the Nagoya 771g is in the truck just in case I get too far out in the country.
Great video as always ! Just realized I wasn’t subscribed changed that brother 🤘🏻
Great tests! I've always wondered about my Nagoya antennas versus the Signal Stick antennas. Looks like I have to buy a Diamond now hahaha! Time to put that little AZ gift card that I just got to use!
I love the Diamond SRJ77CA for a dual band antenna. It performs flawlessly also on GMRS. Signal Stuff does an ok job, but doesn't compare to this Diamond. I think Nagoya and Diamond are the same company, but can't verify it. It seems Nagoya has the GMRS side covered and Diamond has the Dual Band side covered.
Love the Diamond antennas on my hts. Hello from your neighbor in Bloomington
@Stewies_Stuff Man the Diamond is a ROCKSTAR!!!!
Just this morning I tested two antennas with a repeater 29 miles from my house with a lot of intervening clutter. Using a "standard" VHF/UHF antenna, I could not hit it all with either the 8" or 17" version. I then tested the 6" Nagoya 701G and 15" 771G. To my surprise, they both accessed the repeater (poorly) and about equally well. I guess having an antenna tuned to 462 mHz really does make a difference, even if it's a shorty.
Yes, a specifically tuned antenna to 465 will be a game changer. The only difference I have seen is comparing a short to a long (701g vs 771g) is the 771g is longer and will receive more signal coming back from the repeater. The shorter the antenna, the less it can "grab" signal from the air.
How about the 15 inch antenna that comes with the gm30? How does it compare?
@@JoeyD3 It does really well, but a Nagoya 771g is better.
Pro tip: If you're someone like me who swaps antennas out as much as most people change their underwear, look at getting BNC adapters for your radios. SMA connectors are good for about 500 cycles before they're smoked......and I've seen some last WAY fewer cycles than that. The nice thing about running BNC adapters on everything and then buying BNC antennas is that all of your antennas will fit all of your radios, regardless of manufacturer or stock antenna connector. When the BNC adapter wears out, replace it and you're good to go again. I even have a BNC mag mount I got from Signal Stuff. Pop the mount on the roof of your vehicle, attach your antenna of choice on the mount, hook the coax (which is also BNC) to your radio, and POOF....you're mobile....and a car makes a GREAT ground plane LOL. It's almost like magic 😂
MAN that's awesome! I had no idea, and I've never thought to ask why people use BNC on their handhelds. There's a new antenna I want to get from BuyTwoWayRadios that's supposed to be the mack daddy of all handheld antennas. It's an extended and comes in all connectors. Maybe that will be my first! Thanks Evan, I appreciate it bud!
@@FirstUnitedTactical Not a problem, and thank YOU for all of the videos. They're great!
@EvanK2EJT You won't believe this.. I'm out in the shop cleaning up and I have all my old radio boxes stacked up. Time to trash them, so I'm going through every box looking for extra straps and chargers. I came across my Surecom SW33 meter box, and guess what was in it????? It comes with all adapters for handheld radios and there was a BNC-M and F in there. I guess that's my sign to start buying BNC!
@@FirstUnitedTactical Sweet! It really does make swapping out antennas so much easier
I almost wish you had this plugged into a recorder so you could have data points on what sounded clearer since there was the wind
@mr.alanmurphy1169 I'm nit that advanced yet! One day I can grow into big boy pants!
Good video as always. Could you also test some mobile antennas? The one I am using most of the time is the 6 dB Midland mobile antenna. But I also had good luck with the Tram 1174 (had to cut it a bit) and the Melowave shadow antenna from BTWR. In the past couple of days, spoke to folks across Lake Michigan on all three of them (115 miles) with just 5 watts of power.
Also, there is this hidden gem of a radio, Wouxun KG-805G. Goes for about $80 these days. 5+ watts out. Awesome superhet receiver. Very simple radio. Easy to program with Chirp Next using the Wouxun KG-UVD1P settings. Give it a whirl. You can also turn it into a very capable 70 cm monobander, including ham. I keep it on GMRS. That's the one I used to talk to folks across the lake.
@SK-rj1ti Super cool! I am about to upload a mobile test with that 6db 32". There's 6 mobile antennas total, and you're good with that one. I've seen that new antenna at BTWR but haven't ordered it yet. I will be getting it. Another antenna I tested that did extremely well (for a shot antenna) is tge Tram 1126 or something like that. Mobile, 200w, and it looks like tge Signal Stick 440. Just a 6" piece of wire for less than $15! It will be on TH-cam this weekend.
what do you set your squelch on?
@PCWcaretta 1 at house. 1 and 2 in field.
There’s definitely something wrong with your Baofeng 5G pluses. I have the 5G plus and I have the diamond antenna and the Nagoya 771G antenna. And while the diamond does work pretty good on the 5G plus the Nagoya 771G definitely works better… on mine.
@seanjohnfits I do believe there's an issue with my 5g Plus radios. I do buy them as soon as they are released so I can get videos out. I really got burned on the H3's when they were released. My very 1st H3 wouldn't hold a charge, and the 2nd one only pushed about 3w. I even did a video on that saying "You've gotta check your equipment "!!!! Honestly, even my other fengs (5r, 8hp) don't compare to radios like the GM30 or H3, for example. I like baofeng, but it's true sometimes I do get the guinea pigs. I've tested the 5g Plus in a few videos, and I do my best to say "Mine may be bad", but then sometimes I'm just disappointed!
That signal stuff sounded horrible
@SterlingStudios Well, to he fair they are designed for 2m/70c. But they are so popular I want GMRS users to see what would happen if they bought one. The smaller 440 does a good job, but the tall ones aren't great for 462 467.