Link to the inexpensive SWR meter we use: amzn.to/2GSzOqH Link to the Browning BR-450 GMRS / UHF antenna we use: amzn.to/3lp4WwL Link for the smaller, Tram GMRS antenna: amzn.to/3naC5g8
Quick tip. After setting the bolt cutter where you want to cut the antenna, throw a small rag over the top of the bolt cutters and antenna end so you don't shoot those little suckers all over the place. They'll drop right at your feet.
A note to newbies, when he says grounding your antenna, he doesn't mean the negative of the battery or black wire from a black and red pair. Antenna grounding is a reflector to the main whip. If you attach your antenna to your roof and your roof is fiberglass, it wont be grounded because fiberglass isn't conductive and wont help to balance your whips energy. Be sure your antenna is mounted to a metal surface that it's going to be operating in and when checking SWR, dont stand next to the antenna. This will affect SWR because your body will absorb some signal throwing off the meters results. Don't touch the antenna while transmitting either as an RF burn is possible. 73
It's hard for men to get over the longer is better mentality, I would have guys ask me "why are you cutting my antenna, it won't talk as far". Good job on the no bs explanation of swr and the need to tune an antenna.
I hope you realize that, in addition to your work here being very engaging (I like watching “some people” getting their chops busted), it is truly very informative. Particularly for someone like me who up to a few months ago thought the only part of a radio you had to know about was the O-N/O-F-F switch. Thanks!
Perfect! Thanks for the link! The whole Ohm's Law Vs RF boost Vs SWR is just....confusing. But as long as I can just plug in a meter and figure the SWR, I don't care. LOL
I really love the topics your covering! Great intro for 4x4 folks who are looking for more out of their comms. I'll add there are plenty of antennas out there that come pre tuned. But don't think I'm suggesting to ever do any antenna install without at least measuring SWR just as you stated. Comet 2x4 is one of my personal favorites.
I just wanted to thank you for all of your video's and the information you share. I have learned a lot for you. I look forward to each new video your produce. Thanks again!
Pro-tip: @ Randy Notarubicon Productions For tuning replace the Stainless Stinger (SS) with a piece of wire that is about the same diameter, & length as the SS one. Trim or lengthen the tip of the wire, until you get the best SWR, then remove it and cut the SS to match. Install the SS, and your done. I've been doing it this way for many years. It saves a lot of time and frustration of pulling the stinger in and out, especially on taller vehicles.
I lucked out , I had a pro that works for public safety doing radios . I have a Motorola cdm 1250 with a team 1480 6.5 db gain with 50' lmr400 .he got 1:1:1 match .wow does it get out too .our club has 3 large repeaters . We all check out not a these videos great tips for our new people and us ole timers as well . Great videos keep em coming .73s nysgmr
I was wondering if you should tune using 465.1437 as your center frequency to account for the higher frequencies that the repeaters use? (low ch. 1 at 462.5625 and high of 467.7250 for highest repeater freq)? Considering the higher repeater frequencies are the frequencies that allow up to 50 watts, would it be better to make sure these have the lower swr readings? Oh, and thank you for posting this video. I know its a little bit dated, but i just discovered it and it shows how easy it is to tune your antennas.... hopefully it will encourage others to tune without being afraid of destroying their antennas. Great video.
I found your channel a few months back and can relate to your sense of humor, but the visual of a toe nail flying into you eye... hahahaha, sorry, that's just funny
Do you stop once you get below 1.5:1 or keep going until you get closer to 1.1:1? How do you know when to stop cutting, or more importantly, what if you go too short looking for the best ratio?
Trim only a very small amount at a time, and only if moving the whip in/out of the base doesn't give you good enough results. If the SWR lowers as you move the whip farther in, but the whip bottoms out, then cut a very small amount and try again. "Rinse and repeat." If the SWR starts to go up - STOP cutting and move the whip back UP just a small amount and the SWR should go back down.
Could you elaborate on your justification on why its not necessary to use the CB method of comparing SWR's on low and high channels? You state that because the antenna instructions give the recommended length, we can just trim the antenna till we get the lowest SWR. I don't see how that would work because we wouldn't know that it is the lowest achievable SWR until the ratio starts to go back up, but at that point the antenna is already cut too short. Is the method of checking on low and high frequencies still applicable to GMRS the same as CB? Great channel btw. You have a good attitude. Just discovered your videos and also just getting into GMRS after being on CB for a few years. 4x4 club is transition to GMRS so its time to get on the bandwagon.
Stupid question, no doubt, but I will ask it anyhow. Let us assume that you have trimmed so that your SWR has dropped from the original 1:8 to 1:4. Now, you are about to proceed to trim again, making sure that you are taking the same size bits from the antenna as you have previously in the process. You are, of course, trying to get to as low an SWR as possible, so you continue. You test after making the last cut, and the SWR begins to proceed back up the scale. You check everything that you have mentioned regarding what could cause this problem but nothing other than the size of the antenna seems to be the problem. Consequently, you are stuck with the higher SWR now. You can't go any lower now, of course. It is at that point in the process that seems to be totally unpredictable. When do you decide that the process needs to stop? Do you settle, say, for instance, on the last measurement of 1:4 or do you take the "leap" so to speak to venture into the land of "damn, I have to buy another antenna!"
Been there and done that more than once. Depending on your particular antenna and its 'style' I have found that Amazon sells stainless steel rods in a 10-pack of varying lengths that have helped me to save a two-part antenna that I over trimmed. It was easy to get the hang of it when I was practicing on disposable rods. My final tune on my expensive antenna was 1.25 on Channel 15 at Low Power. Channel 1 SWR is 1.15 Good enough for me. Thanks Amazon for the 300mm x 3mm 304 Stainless Steel Solid Round Bar Lathe bar Stock- Pack of 10 for $11.00.
First let me thank you for all the information you have made available. It has helped tremendously. I am a total noob. I have 3 radios on order from (affiliate link below). And have been researching, but I can’t find much on antennas, mounts, wire, connectors ect.. Any suggestions on where to look? I’m thinking of contacting we’re I purchased my mobile unit for my truck to ask for suggestions. But I thought I’d ask you first. And maybe give you video(s) idea(s).
I newbie question. For the handheld GMRS radios that have removable antennas - are the antennas that are included with a Baofeng GMRS-9R (Upgrade of the UV-5R) pre-tuned out of box? And, if you buy a longer whip antenna that can screw into the radio, are they pre-tuned? In other words, is it necessary to check their SWR readings the same way you would for roof-top mag mount antenna?
So why go with the UHF antenna you have that you have to trim instead of something like a Midland 6db whip antenna that is supposedly cut at the correct height? What are the gains and losses of either choice?
@@TheNotaRubicon Morning! The Midland 6DB whip vs the short stubby 3DB gain. I am not sure if I am understanding this correctly. Does going from 3DB to 6DB “double” the range and or power?
Great instructional video. One question. I used your link to purchase the SWR meter and it arrived a few days ago and I'm finally getting a chance to use it but the adaptors it came with dont fit onto my antenna nor the back of my GMRS unit. What other adaptors do I need to buy? Thanks
Depends on what radio you have. Amazon and ebay have a ton of kits for different adapters, or you can search specific. Some common connectors are PL-259, BNC, SMA male, and SMA Female. I have the same little meter, or one like it and it had everything I needed except for one to go to PL-259. What model radio do you have?
I bought the meter in the provided link. Must be doing something unauthorized. The SWR read .62 for a handheld, about the same for a Midland in a SXS. What am I missing? Enjoy your video. Larry
Hi, thank you for your helpful video about how to tune antennas. While I was using my Sure-Com SW-102 and cutting small segments of antenna off like you showed, I noticed that as the SWR was getting closer to 1.1 the power output was decreasing as well. When I got the SWRs down to 1.01, with a 10" antenna, my power output for my new 45W GMRS mobile radio was only 27W. I kept experimenting with different length antennas and to get the full 45W of power, I needed a 18" antenna that gave me 2.95 SWRs. My question is why cant I get a full 45W of power and low SWRs at the same time? Thank you
I noticed my antenna mount is solid metal. Also my antenna base is metal. Assuming it electrically becomes the same when connected to the mount. Does does the antenna mount need to be chassis grounded?
Thank you for another great video. Questions. The browning antenna you show obviously requires the purchase of a base for it to screw on to? What about the length of the antenna wire does it effect the SWR? I just purchased a UV9G ( and made sure you got credit for the sale) and want to use it at home with an antenna on the roof. What kind of antenna do you recommend for that? I have been told to use a Discone is that the best idea and what about a ground plane? If I use one of the mobile antennas do I have to mount it on a cookie sheet like you did? When the OEM antenna is mounted directly to the radio what is the ground plane then? Thanks for your help.
Thanks for this video. I went out and got the SWR meter you use and I just love it. Works fantastic. On trimming the wire, I bought a Nagoya NMO-200C that they advertise as not needing any tuning for GMRS... Well, I put this up and the SWR without touching it, on channel 1 was 1.9 and 22 at 2.6. So yea, didn't think that was true. So I've taken a half inch off of the top rod and have it down to 1.86 and 2.0 respectfully. So while it is coming down, do you just keep trimming until it comes down? I don't ever recall trimming that much off an antenna but guess so. And I trim using the grinder too. Works fast.
The corner of a flat rat tail file will cut through a stainless steel antenna element in no time If you don’t have a bolt cutter. I found out the hard way when I tuned an old replacement AM car radio whip antenna to work on the ham radio 2 Meter band as a 1/4 wave element with a hacksaw. It took forever and both made the antenna element get hot near the cut so be careful.
I have a radioddity 20 watt that I use as a base station. I have a laird 5db xs 2 1/2 wave ant set up on the second floor of my house. I have not trimmed it and on repeater channels I get a swr of 1.01. on my simplex channels I get 2.58. I only use my repeater channels. SHould I bother adjusting my ant or am I good to go.
Not very much on a mobile-radio setup as you're only increasing the length of the feed line, not the electrical length of the antenna.. On a hand-held radio though, it can make a significant difference.
"Best" is always highest spot, center.. But any place will work with little noticeable impact.. Mine is mounted in pretty much the worst possible location (low, rear corner) - the experts say it wont work at all - yet i can talk to my wife in her jeep, also with a bad antenna location, over 30 miles away.. So what I have learned from this is that the "experts" are idiots.
Your question was exactly what I was thinking. I know me, I would struggle to leave well enough alone until below 1.5. Maybe after the SWR starts rising, you could solder the previous tiny bit back on?
I just received my GMRS license, what would you recommend for a base station antenna. I plan on using the Btech 50X1 radio. I hope to hear from you. Thank you
For the most part, yes.. However the SWR could be different on the other vehicle due to a different ground-plane, connections, etc so its always good to check the SWR.
I have a side by side with a plastic roof, if I mount a 12x12 steel plate to the roof, should I install a ground strap to the roll bar? I am going to use the 6db gain midland antenna with magnet mount so it will give me a break away point if it hits low trees. I really appreciate your videos.
Connecting it to the cage with a strap (not a wire) wouldn't hurt, but probably not necessary as long as you have at least 4-6 inches of all around the base of the antenna.
You will need a short "jumper cable" - You can find them on Amazon, at your local radio shop, or you can even make your own. Just make sure that it has the correct ends/connectors to connect to your specific things that you are connecting to.
@@TheNotaRubicon thanks, I purchased the Wouxun KG-1000 per your recommendation, got it installed and want to check the attenna, i'm having trouble finding the right connections to fit. Can you recommend via Amazon?
After watching your videos, I'm going to make the swap from CB to GMRS (already have a license for GMRS) in the Jeep. Out of curiosity, are you using an NGP antenna? Any issues with your antenna in terms of the ground plane (or lack thereof)? I have an existing CB antenna mount point on the tailgate and am wanting to re-utilize that point (although I'll have to manufacture something to accommodate NMO). Thanks.
We use Browning BR-450 UHF antennas which require a GP, mounted right where our CB antennas were mounted.. not the best GP on the tail but we still get good SWR and have no issues transmitting 30+ miles, ~75 miles to repeaters.
@@TheNotaRubicon Update: I got the KG-1000G a few weeks ago and got around to installing it last weekend. I couldn't find the BR-450, but ended up trying the Tram 1173 and could not get it down below 1.6 SWR. I ended up getting a Nagoya NL-770G and out of the wrapper was SWR of 1.02 and 1.09 for the 467 and 462 freqs, respectively. I used the same mount my CB antenna used to be on (I sold the Cobra 75 WX ST).
Yep - if you keep making it shorter and it starts going back up, stop cutting! You've gotten it as good as it's going to get (and then made it slightly worse).
So I’ve been looking into getting into gmrs... according to some ham buddies the btech gmrs-50x1 and x2 aren’t fcc approved radios! Really want something better than midland offering however.
It would seem that your ham buddies are confused! The BTech GMRS 50X1 is fully FCC Part 95E compliant/accepted.. The 50X2 is a ham radio, not GMRS, but it is approved for use on ham frequencies.
My experience has been some ham guys are like scared little girls when it comes to GMRS and will say just about anything to try to discourage people, i guess the clowns think GMRS Somehow threatens them and their precious hobby
What is it that you don't like about the Midland? I have had the 15 watt version for almost 2 years now and now that I am using an aftermarket Tram model antenna it works great. I have tuned it down to a best of 1.09 on the swr meter on the low watt channels and a 1.15 on the high wattage channels.
Just ordered my first gmrs mobile radio for my truck. It's gmrs repeater capable, and scans uhf and vhf ham. My question is what's the best antenna for this? Should it be dual band in order to pick up the other frequencies? Thanks in advance
If you're going to be talking on GMRS and scanning ham VHF, then yes, a dual band primarily tuned for GMRS (462-467Mhz).. If you're going to be scanning ham 70cm, then a GMRS tuned antenna will be good/close enough
At some point when you cut, the SWR will go back up. This is the whole reason for cutting little pieces at a time (1/4 inch). When you reach that point, just extend your antenna back up. There is usually at least 3/4 inch of adjustment area in the base.
Randy I am putting gmrs in my Polaris ranger I am installing it under my passenger seat then running the control/ mic out into my drivers area. I only need 7 feet of a 19 foot antenna cable. what am I supposed to do with the extra cable, is coiling it up ok?
First I want to thank you, your videos have been very helpful for me since I just got into GMRS. I have a video suggestion!! Can you make a video where you show and test different antennas, an antenna shootout if you will. Btw I just order me a Wouxun KG-1000G thank you your recommendations.
SWR problems may not be related to electrical length and instead related to other problems like bad ground plane or no ground plane... These can be harder to fix...
Pl259 connector or the cable your showing does not come with the swr meter in the link you provided. Did you make it up? If so what length would it need to be. Thanks! Im running btech 50-2
So if I have a antenna that came with my radio and it was a 144 - 430 mhz. From Factory and or another antenna That's rated that megahertz could I still tune the antenna
THANK YOU FOR TIPS ON TUNNING A GMRS ANTENNA! WELL DONE,SIR! YOU MAKE MORE SENSE THAN ALL THESE GUYS THAT I HEAR ON 2 METERS. OF A TRUTH? GAVE UP ON HAM RADIO AFTER WATCHING YOUR VIDEO ON SAD HAMS. GET THAT HERE FROM TIME TO TIME, WITH SICK ATTITUDES ALSO! THEN THE POLITICS. GOOD GRAVEY GONNA BIDE MY TIME AND SEE WHAT INDUSTRY CANADA DOES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 73 VA6CJC
I have been shopping around and just starting to learn about GMRS. Noobie question, what about the Ghost antenna from midland? How is something like that antenna tuned?
Got the BR-450 antenna and SURECOM SWR meter, plus appropriate connectors to hook up a RETEVIS RA25. "Out of the box" the SWR reading was 3.5. Radio set on channel 16 wide band. The hook up is, radio to SWR to antenna. Antenna magnetically on metal surface for potential ground plane. After MUCH trimming (millimeters at a time), the best I could get was 2.8. Multiple examples in TH-cam show a starting SWR less that 2.0. I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
a high SWR out of the box with the BR450 is normal because its not a GMRS antenna.. It does not become a GMRS antenna until you trim it down. It may just be that 2.8 is the best you will get with it using the cable/connectors/groundplane you have. Nothing wrong with 2.8 other than its not "perfect" ..
Pretty new at this but unfortunately at my workplace you gotta take initiative to get shit done sometimes. Anyways we have kng-m150, with the MWV1365S, permanent mounts on the roof of the vehicle for most and others having a longer antenna from the hood. Having PA VSWR issues some will go into low power others wont allow transmit at all. So try antenna, grounding, and then the coax cable? For example, we swapped antennas and still got vswr fault so thatd rule out antennas. Then a swr meter would help me confirm a coax cable problem is that correct? Also our frequencies range from 154 to 171.5, our most used channel is at 166.9. Thatd put the middle at around 162, but itd be quite a bit of work to change our 171.5 repeater channels. I imagine we could just aim for our 166.9 channel to have the least swr since our 154 channel is hardly used either.
Very informative. Thanks.👍 Question: I just got finished tuning my new mobile radio and antenna, a KG-1000g & Midland w/magnet mount GMRS antenna. I have my SWR good at 1.02 across the channels on low power, but when I switch to HI power my SWR jumps to 1.6 to 1.75 on all channels. Is this normal or a problem? Thanks
Because SWR is a ratio, it should remain the same, no matter what the power level. 1.6 - 1.75 is fine, and not an issue, but it my guess is your SWR meter is not that great..
@@TheNotaRubicon thanks. My meter is a Surecom SW-102. I don't think I'll make any more adjustments for now. Thanks again for the very informative videos.
I totally understand a Firestik is for CB radios and is not intended for a GMRS radio. I currently have a firestik on my jeep with the tail light bracket. I'd like to keep it symmetrical on the rear. So, is there any way to modify a firestik aka longer or shorter screw at the top to make it work on GMRS? I'd like to run a pair of firestiks, one for CB and the other for GMRS.
Link to the inexpensive SWR meter we use: amzn.to/2GSzOqH
Link to the Browning BR-450 GMRS / UHF antenna we use: amzn.to/3lp4WwL
Link for the smaller, Tram GMRS antenna: amzn.to/3naC5g8
Quick tip. After setting the bolt cutter where you want to cut the antenna, throw a small rag over the top of the bolt cutters and antenna end so you don't shoot those little suckers all over the place. They'll drop right at your feet.
Thank you for all the great videos. Takes a real man to use a cute little vice like that in front of everybody, stay strong fellow girl vice user.
Just getting into gmrs and this channel is just what I needed. Great content !
A note to newbies, when he says grounding your antenna, he doesn't mean the negative of the battery or black wire from a black and red pair. Antenna grounding is a reflector to the main whip. If you attach your antenna to your roof and your roof is fiberglass, it wont be grounded because fiberglass isn't conductive and wont help to balance your whips energy. Be sure your antenna is mounted to a metal surface that it's going to be operating in and when checking SWR, dont stand next to the antenna. This will affect SWR because your body will absorb some signal throwing off the meters results. Don't touch the antenna while transmitting either as an RF burn is possible. 73
It's hard for men to get over the longer is better mentality, I would have guys ask me "why are you cutting my antenna, it won't talk as far". Good job on the no bs explanation of swr and the need to tune an antenna.
LMAO "longer is better mentality". It's not about how longer your antenna is, it's about how you use it.
I hope you realize that, in addition to your work here being very engaging (I like watching “some people” getting their chops busted), it is truly very informative. Particularly for someone like me who up to a few months ago thought the only part of a radio you had to know about was the O-N/O-F-F switch. Thanks!
Well done, I appreciate the humor, radio can be monolithic... you must be a teacher, if not, you should be. Thanks for the instruction.
What a difference a year has made! I've enjoyed your videos... Keep up the good work annoying SadHams.
This was a much better tutorial on tuning than I've seen in the past. Thank you.
It’s about time someone addresses this issue ,, thank you 👍
Perfect! Thanks for the link!
The whole Ohm's Law Vs RF boost Vs SWR is just....confusing. But as long as I can just plug in a meter and figure the SWR, I don't care. LOL
Great explanation. (Fun to see your early set up ... and persona.)
Amazing how better your videos were back then.
I really love the topics your covering! Great intro for 4x4 folks who are looking for more out of their comms. I'll add there are plenty of antennas out there that come pre tuned. But don't think I'm suggesting to ever do any antenna install without at least measuring SWR just as you stated. Comet 2x4 is one of my personal favorites.
Thank you very much for your videos dealing with GMRS radio. I will be tuning my antenna today and your video is informative. Have a great day.
A Dremel with a cut off wheel is the easiest and cleanest way to cut the antenna down to size.
Great video Randy, But I missed your normal sarcasm. Best calibration video I have seen to date. Thank you for your always great information.
Great job, a very good description of what needs to be done and how to do it .And you touched on the other stuff that might be wrong, Thank you.
Very informative! Just thinking... shouldn't you check for any bent, or coiled coax cable, and check for proper grounding BEFORE cutting your antenna?
That's exactly what I was thinking when he talked about trouble shooting the adjustment.
Thanks for de-mystifying the closed
World of radio, and love the verbosity and de- pussification of language
I just wanted to thank you for all of your video's and the information you share. I have learned a lot for you. I look forward to each new video your produce. Thanks again!
I use a fine triangular file to score the antenna then use pliers to snap off the antenna at the scored mark. I have found that that works very well.
Pro-tip: @ Randy Notarubicon Productions
For tuning replace the Stainless Stinger (SS) with a piece of wire that is about the same diameter, & length as the SS one.
Trim or lengthen the tip of the wire, until you get the best SWR, then remove it and cut the SS to match. Install the SS, and your done.
I've been doing it this way for many years. It saves a lot of time and frustration of pulling the stinger in and out, especially on taller vehicles.
The swr meter is out of stock at Amazon until November 24, i hope I remember to come back here and click thru your link when I get ready to buy😊
Put it in your shopping cart anyway,,, when it becomes available it will be there
Thank you so much! I was able by following your video to get my SWR down to around 1.2!
Thanks for the information! Much appreciated.
Excellent video. I just ordered the inexpensive SWR meter you linked. Thanks! Once it arrives, obviously I'll check my SWR.
I trim mine on a bench grinder. Slow and steady and mark a line where to stop.
I lucked out , I had a pro that works for public safety doing radios . I have a Motorola cdm 1250 with a team 1480 6.5 db gain with 50' lmr400 .he got 1:1:1 match .wow does it get out too .our club has 3 large repeaters . We all check out not a these videos great tips for our new people and us ole timers as well . Great videos keep em coming .73s nysgmr
Yeah, finally watched a video of yours with no bitching. Thank you! Thumbs up!
People that dont like the bitching are usually who I am bitching about.
Great video thank you so much! Hello from Phoenix
I was wondering if you should tune using 465.1437 as your center frequency to account for the higher frequencies that the repeaters use? (low ch. 1 at 462.5625 and high of 467.7250 for highest repeater freq)? Considering the higher repeater frequencies are the frequencies that allow up to 50 watts, would it be better to make sure these have the lower swr readings? Oh, and thank you for posting this video. I know its a little bit dated, but i just discovered it and it shows how easy it is to tune your antennas.... hopefully it will encourage others to tune without being afraid of destroying their antennas. Great video.
I found your channel a few months back and can relate to your sense of humor, but the visual of a toe nail flying into you eye... hahahaha, sorry, that's just funny
Great video. Where did you get the white wire that connects to the GMRS?
Do you stop once you get below 1.5:1 or keep going until you get closer to 1.1:1? How do you know when to stop cutting, or more importantly, what if you go too short looking for the best ratio?
Trim only a very small amount at a time, and only if moving the whip in/out of the base doesn't give you good enough results. If the SWR lowers as you move the whip farther in, but the whip bottoms out, then cut a very small amount and try again. "Rinse and repeat." If the SWR starts to go up - STOP cutting and move the whip back UP just a small amount and the SWR should go back down.
Thank you for this video. Very informative, helped me set up my GMRS antenna very easily.
Could you elaborate on your justification on why its not necessary to use the CB method of comparing SWR's on low and high channels? You state that because the antenna instructions give the recommended length, we can just trim the antenna till we get the lowest SWR. I don't see how that would work because we wouldn't know that it is the lowest achievable SWR until the ratio starts to go back up, but at that point the antenna is already cut too short. Is the method of checking on low and high frequencies still applicable to GMRS the same as CB?
Great channel btw. You have a good attitude. Just discovered your videos and also just getting into GMRS after being on CB for a few years. 4x4 club is transition to GMRS so its time to get on the bandwagon.
When you trim it a little too far you can regain some length by putting the antenna below the set screw but not bottoming it out
Stupid question, no doubt, but I will ask it anyhow. Let us assume that you have trimmed so that your SWR has dropped from the original 1:8 to 1:4. Now, you are about to proceed to trim again, making sure that you are taking the same size bits from the antenna as you have previously in the process. You are, of course, trying to get to as low an SWR as possible, so you continue. You test after making the last cut, and the SWR begins to proceed back up the scale. You check everything that you have mentioned regarding what could cause this problem but nothing other than the size of the antenna seems to be the problem. Consequently, you are stuck with the higher SWR now. You can't go any lower now, of course. It is at that point in the process that seems to be totally unpredictable. When do you decide that the process needs to stop? Do you settle, say, for instance, on the last measurement of 1:4 or do you take the "leap" so to speak to venture into the land of "damn, I have to buy another antenna!"
Been there and done that more than once. Depending on your particular antenna and its 'style' I have found that Amazon sells stainless steel rods in a 10-pack of varying lengths that have helped me to save a two-part antenna that I over trimmed. It was easy to get the hang of it when I was practicing on disposable rods. My final tune on my expensive antenna was 1.25 on Channel 15 at Low Power. Channel 1 SWR is 1.15 Good enough for me. Thanks Amazon for the 300mm x 3mm 304 Stainless Steel Solid Round Bar Lathe bar Stock- Pack of 10 for $11.00.
Great video thank you so much love from Phoenix Arizona I’ve been enjoying your videos
First let me thank you for all the information you have made available. It has helped tremendously. I am a total noob. I have 3 radios on order from (affiliate link below). And have been researching, but I can’t find much on antennas, mounts, wire, connectors ect.. Any suggestions on where to look? I’m thinking of contacting we’re I purchased my mobile unit for my truck to ask for suggestions. But I thought I’d ask you first. And maybe give you video(s) idea(s).
The, best channel!
I newbie question. For the handheld GMRS radios that have removable antennas - are the antennas that are included with a Baofeng GMRS-9R (Upgrade of the UV-5R) pre-tuned out of box? And, if you buy a longer whip antenna that can screw into the radio, are they pre-tuned? In other words, is it necessary to check their SWR readings the same way you would for roof-top mag mount antenna?
Answer to newbie questions I had. Thanks.
So why go with the UHF antenna you have that you have to trim instead of something like a Midland 6db whip antenna that is supposedly cut at the correct height?
What are the gains and losses of either choice?
I went with a UHF antenna that requires manual trimming because the GMRS/no-trimming antenna that I wanted was out of stock.
@@TheNotaRubicon Thank You for the reply. What antenna did you originally want?
@@TheNotaRubicon Morning! The Midland 6DB whip vs the short stubby 3DB gain. I am not sure if I am understanding this correctly. Does going from 3DB to 6DB “double” the range and or power?
Where do I get the attachments for larger ant and radios at 4:45
Great instructional video. One question. I used your link to purchase the SWR meter and it arrived a few days ago and I'm finally getting a chance to use it but the adaptors it came with dont fit onto my antenna nor the back of my GMRS unit. What other adaptors do I need to buy? Thanks
Depends on what radio you have. Amazon and ebay have a ton of kits for different adapters, or you can search specific. Some common connectors are PL-259, BNC, SMA male, and SMA Female. I have the same little meter, or one like it and it had everything I needed except for one to go to PL-259. What model radio do you have?
I bought the meter in the provided link. Must be doing something unauthorized. The SWR read .62 for a handheld, about the same for a Midland in a SXS. What am I missing?
Enjoy your video.
Larry
Hi, thank you for your helpful video about how to tune antennas. While I was using my Sure-Com SW-102 and cutting small segments of antenna off like you showed, I noticed that as the SWR was getting closer to 1.1 the power output was decreasing as well. When I got the SWRs down to 1.01, with a 10" antenna, my power output for my new 45W GMRS mobile radio was only 27W.
I kept experimenting with different length antennas and to get the full 45W of power, I needed a 18" antenna that gave me 2.95 SWRs. My question is why cant I get a full 45W of power and low SWRs at the same time? Thank you
I noticed my antenna mount is solid metal. Also my antenna base is metal. Assuming it electrically becomes the same when connected to the mount. Does does the antenna mount need to be chassis grounded?
Thanks Randy,very well explained.
Are you recommending to not coil, or loop, up the extra antenna coax cable to avoiding unwanted high SWR readings? Thanks!
Do you have to check the swr in low power only? Didn’t see you switch it to high power and check swr again.
Very informative video thanks Randy 6:53 @NotaRubicon Productions
Love it thanks for the INFO!
Awesome video and info for the meter!.. Check the antt grounding, that's the biggest problem
Recent facts shows a high swr DOES affect receive..I personally have shown it on a manual tuner on hf or uhf..
Thanks for the great information about the antennas.
Great Video, Thanks for breaking it down.
Thank you for another great video.
Questions. The browning antenna you show obviously requires the purchase of a base for it to screw on to?
What about the length of the antenna wire does it effect the SWR?
I just purchased a UV9G ( and made sure you got credit for the sale) and want to use it at home with an antenna on the roof. What kind of antenna do you recommend for that?
I have been told to use a Discone is that the best idea and what about a ground plane?
If I use one of the mobile antennas do I have to mount it on a cookie sheet like you did?
When the OEM antenna is mounted directly to the radio what is the ground plane then?
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for this video. I went out and got the SWR meter you use and I just love it. Works fantastic. On trimming the wire, I bought a Nagoya NMO-200C that they advertise as not needing any tuning for GMRS... Well, I put this up and the SWR without touching it, on channel 1 was 1.9 and 22 at 2.6. So yea, didn't think that was true. So I've taken a half inch off of the top rod and have it down to 1.86 and 2.0 respectfully. So while it is coming down, do you just keep trimming until it comes down? I don't ever recall trimming that much off an antenna but guess so.
And I trim using the grinder too. Works fast.
The corner of a flat rat tail file will cut through a stainless steel antenna element in no time If you don’t have a bolt cutter. I found out the hard way when I tuned an old replacement AM car radio whip antenna to work on the ham radio 2 Meter band as a 1/4 wave element with a hacksaw. It took forever and both made the antenna element get hot near the cut so be careful.
I have a radioddity 20 watt that I use as a base station. I have a laird 5db xs 2 1/2 wave ant set up on the second floor of my house. I have not trimmed it and on repeater channels I get a swr of 1.01. on my simplex channels I get 2.58. I only use my repeater channels. SHould I bother adjusting my ant or am I good to go.
2.58:1 is not a "great" SWR, but I would not bother messing with it.
I’m new to GMRS. Dose the antenna need to have the spring/coil in/on the antenna?
If the antenna is designed/tuned to work on GMRS with a spring/coil/anything on it, then it is not recommended to take any pieces off.
Doesn't adding the SWR meter to the antenna increase the antenna length and hence affect the SWR?
Not very much on a mobile-radio setup as you're only increasing the length of the feed line, not the electrical length of the antenna.. On a hand-held radio though, it can make a significant difference.
What's the best placement on a vehicle? Installing one on a Nissan Frontier and undecided if I should mount on tool box, roof, or hood of vehicle.
"Best" is always highest spot, center.. But any place will work with little noticeable impact.. Mine is mounted in pretty much the worst possible location (low, rear corner) - the experts say it wont work at all - yet i can talk to my wife in her jeep, also with a bad antenna location, over 30 miles away.. So what I have learned from this is that the "experts" are idiots.
What happens when you think you got the lowest SWR but actually cut more than irreparable? Does the SWR measurement start increasing back again?
Yes.. thats why you cut in tiny MM increments.. and dont get greedy.. leave well-enough alone once you get around 2.0:1
Your question was exactly what I was thinking. I know me, I would struggle to leave well enough alone until below 1.5. Maybe after the SWR starts rising, you could solder the previous tiny bit back on?
I just received my GMRS license, what would you recommend for a base station antenna. I plan on using the Btech 50X1 radio. I hope to hear from you. Thank you
Question: when u tune a gmrs antenna on a vehicle will it work ok when you use it on a diff vehicle?
For the most part, yes.. However the SWR could be different on the other vehicle due to a different ground-plane, connections, etc so its always good to check the SWR.
I have a side by side with a plastic roof, if I mount a 12x12 steel plate to the roof, should I install a ground strap to the roll bar? I am going to use the 6db gain midland antenna with magnet mount so it will give me a break away point if it hits low trees. I really appreciate your videos.
Connecting it to the cage with a strap (not a wire) wouldn't hurt, but probably not necessary as long as you have at least 4-6 inches of all around the base of the antenna.
I’m going to get one of those SWR power meter but where did u get the tow lp-259 adapters?? Plz let me know
Fantastic Video
the SWR meter you recommended shows the use of a "test jumper coax" in the instructions, but not included in the box? Where do I find that coax cable?
You will need a short "jumper cable" - You can find them on Amazon, at your local radio shop, or you can even make your own. Just make sure that it has the correct ends/connectors to connect to your specific things that you are connecting to.
@@TheNotaRubicon thanks, I purchased the Wouxun KG-1000 per your recommendation, got it installed and want to check the attenna, i'm having trouble finding the right connections to fit. Can you recommend via Amazon?
After watching your videos, I'm going to make the swap from CB to GMRS (already have a license for GMRS) in the Jeep. Out of curiosity, are you using an NGP antenna? Any issues with your antenna in terms of the ground plane (or lack thereof)? I have an existing CB antenna mount point on the tailgate and am wanting to re-utilize that point (although I'll have to manufacture something to accommodate NMO). Thanks.
We use Browning BR-450 UHF antennas which require a GP, mounted right where our CB antennas were mounted.. not the best GP on the tail but we still get good SWR and have no issues transmitting 30+ miles, ~75 miles to repeaters.
@@TheNotaRubicon Update: I got the KG-1000G a few weeks ago and got around to installing it last weekend. I couldn't find the BR-450, but ended up trying the Tram 1173 and could not get it down below 1.6 SWR. I ended up getting a Nagoya NL-770G and out of the wrapper was SWR of 1.02 and 1.09 for the 467 and 462 freqs, respectively. I used the same mount my CB antenna used to be on (I sold the Cobra 75 WX ST).
Thanks Randy, good video.
I assume that you will eventually get to the point it will go back up without ever hitting the perfect 1.0/1.1?
Yep - if you keep making it shorter and it starts going back up, stop cutting! You've gotten it as good as it's going to get (and then made it slightly worse).
So I’ve been looking into getting into gmrs... according to some ham buddies the btech gmrs-50x1 and x2 aren’t fcc approved radios! Really want something better than midland offering however.
It would seem that your ham buddies are confused! The BTech GMRS 50X1 is fully FCC Part 95E compliant/accepted.. The 50X2 is a ham radio, not GMRS, but it is approved for use on ham frequencies.
@@TheNotaRubicon you are correct just did my own research to be sure, and looked up the fcc ID myself!
My experience has been some ham guys are like scared little girls when it comes to GMRS and will say just about anything to try to discourage people, i guess the clowns think GMRS Somehow threatens them and their precious hobby
What is it that you don't like about the Midland? I have had the 15 watt version for almost 2 years now and now that I am using an aftermarket Tram model antenna it works great. I have tuned it down to a best of 1.09 on the swr meter on the low watt channels and a 1.15 on the high wattage channels.
Good video, but have you made one on a Dual Band Antenna (UHF/VHF)
Just ordered my first gmrs mobile radio for my truck. It's gmrs repeater capable, and scans uhf and vhf ham. My question is what's the best antenna for this? Should it be dual band in order to pick up the other frequencies? Thanks in advance
If you're going to be talking on GMRS and scanning ham VHF, then yes, a dual band primarily tuned for GMRS (462-467Mhz).. If you're going to be scanning ham 70cm, then a GMRS tuned antenna will be good/close enough
Thank you. I enjoy your channel. Very informative. I appreciate what you're doing . Much respect.
What happens or what would an SWR Meter read if I cut an antenna too short (cut too much off)?
if you are too long or cut too short, the SWR would start to read high.. the shorter you cut it, the higher.
At some point when you cut, the SWR will go back up. This is the whole reason for cutting little pieces at a time (1/4 inch). When you reach that point, just extend your antenna back up. There is usually at least 3/4 inch of adjustment area in the base.
Randy I am putting gmrs in my Polaris ranger I am installing it under my passenger seat then running the control/ mic out into my drivers area. I only need 7 feet of a 19 foot antenna cable. what am I supposed to do with the extra cable, is coiling it up ok?
coiling it up is fine. Just keep the coil loose and do not kink the coax.
@@TheNotaRubicon thank you👍
Thanks for the video.
Great information. Thank you!
Where did you get the adapters for the antenna cable and for the radio to meter?
I get all my stuff from either BuyTwoWayRadios.com or Amazon
Wow really good video!
First I want to thank you, your videos have been very helpful for me since I just got into GMRS. I have a video suggestion!! Can you make a video where you show and test different antennas, an antenna shootout if you will. Btw I just order me a Wouxun KG-1000G thank you your recommendations.
I have the Browning like you have in the video it's 5/8 ths wave by 5/8ths I don't have the meter or the list to trim it I use gmrs c
SWR problems may not be related to electrical length and instead related to other problems like bad ground plane or no ground plane... These can be harder to fix...
Pl259 connector or the cable your showing does not come with the swr meter in the link you provided. Did you make it up? If so what length would it need to be. Thanks! Im running btech 50-2
Its a jumper im assuming
So if I have a antenna that came with my radio and it was a 144 - 430 mhz. From Factory and or another antenna That's rated that megahertz could I still tune the antenna
When you buy a antenna that is made for gmrs, are they not pretuned?
yes
THANK YOU FOR TIPS ON TUNNING A GMRS ANTENNA! WELL DONE,SIR! YOU MAKE MORE SENSE THAN ALL THESE GUYS THAT I HEAR
ON 2 METERS. OF A TRUTH? GAVE UP ON HAM
RADIO AFTER WATCHING
YOUR VIDEO ON SAD HAMS. GET THAT HERE
FROM TIME TO TIME, WITH SICK ATTITUDES
ALSO! THEN THE POLITICS. GOOD GRAVEY
GONNA BIDE MY TIME AND SEE WHAT INDUSTRY
CANADA DOES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 73 VA6CJC
I have been shopping around and just starting to learn about GMRS. Noobie question, what about the Ghost antenna from midland? How is something like that antenna tuned?
Wow your totally different in this video vs the current videos. The trolls must of really got to you😅. I get it, love the videos.
I stopped taking my medications.
Got the BR-450 antenna and SURECOM SWR meter, plus appropriate connectors to hook up a RETEVIS RA25. "Out of the box" the SWR reading was 3.5. Radio set on channel 16 wide band. The hook up is, radio to SWR to antenna. Antenna magnetically on metal surface for potential ground plane. After MUCH trimming (millimeters at a time), the best I could get was 2.8. Multiple examples in TH-cam show a starting SWR less that 2.0. I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
a high SWR out of the box with the BR450 is normal because its not a GMRS antenna.. It does not become a GMRS antenna until you trim it down.
It may just be that 2.8 is the best you will get with it using the cable/connectors/groundplane you have. Nothing wrong with 2.8 other than its not "perfect" ..
@@TheNotaRubicon Thank you for this insight. It's good the hear the voice (text in this case) of reason!
Really good video, thanks for explaind clear and easy.....also do you recommend the MIDLAND MXT400? Thanks and have a nice day.
What happened to the Money Shot of 1.05 = ) Did you cut the antenna too short??? You did, didn't you.
Pretty new at this but unfortunately at my workplace you gotta take initiative to get shit done sometimes.
Anyways we have kng-m150, with the MWV1365S, permanent mounts on the roof of the vehicle for most and others having a longer antenna from the hood. Having PA VSWR issues some will go into low power others wont allow transmit at all.
So try antenna, grounding, and then the coax cable?
For example, we swapped antennas and still got vswr fault so thatd rule out antennas. Then a swr meter would help me confirm a coax cable problem is that correct?
Also our frequencies range from 154 to 171.5, our most used channel is at 166.9. Thatd put the middle at around 162, but itd be quite a bit of work to change our 171.5 repeater channels. I imagine we could just aim for our 166.9 channel to have the least swr since our 154 channel is hardly used either.
Very informative. Thanks.👍
Question: I just got finished tuning my new mobile radio and antenna, a KG-1000g & Midland w/magnet mount GMRS antenna. I have my SWR good at 1.02 across the channels on low power, but when I switch to HI power my SWR jumps to 1.6 to 1.75 on all channels. Is this normal or a problem? Thanks
Because SWR is a ratio, it should remain the same, no matter what the power level. 1.6 - 1.75 is fine, and not an issue, but it my guess is your SWR meter is not that great..
@@TheNotaRubicon thanks. My meter is a Surecom SW-102. I don't think I'll make any more adjustments for now. Thanks again for the very informative videos.
I totally understand a Firestik is for CB radios and is not intended for a GMRS radio. I currently have a firestik on my jeep with the tail light bracket. I'd like to keep it symmetrical on the rear. So, is there any way to modify a firestik aka longer or shorter screw at the top to make it work on GMRS? I'd like to run a pair of firestiks, one for CB and the other for GMRS.
No but you can still use mount and coax and play with different adapters for proper band antenna to fit in same place..
That's a good question, I was wondering the same thing.