Make & Test: BEST CHEAP Flowerpot antenna for 2Mtr Amateur (Ham) Radio vs Diamond RH77CA.
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- In this Amateur (Ham) Radio - I test my homemade "Flowerpot" antenna vs Diamond RH77CA using GB3DC repeater.
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Not to be a debbie downer or anything, but you tested your rubber duck at one height and the FP at a different height! Height matters for VHF/UHF. Also the rubber duck is only half of the antenna whereas you holding it in your hand would be the other half of the antenna system! So you really are kinda comparing apples and oranges! I will say that building a flower pot is certainly worth it as they work great...and getting them as high off the ground as possible makes them work ever better! Cheer and 73!
Flowerpot antennas work great!
I made mine with 3/4inch pvc tubing. I also put a piece of foil on the outside which gives me the 70cm band
If I am not interested in the 70cm band, should I still put the aluminum coating? I only have a 3/4 inch tube just like you
Thanks for making this video.
Was very interested to see how your one performed. I myself have finished making a flowerpot type antennas to use at home on the 70cm and 2 meter bands. I decided to go for the slightly bigger co-linear version. Made it to the dimensions given, and so far so good, nice low SWR on both bands.
Hi, this Zs6AAG, i think the flower pot is a good antenna but as you demonstrate the antenna are not at the same height, and you have a bush around, so i think the best will have to place the handset at the same height, just my thinking...73
Mike I have the SRH77CA genuine antenna, and it is crap on vhf, put an analyzer on it and it is resonant on 165Mhz, perfect on UHF but very disappointing. I am not the only person to mention about its resonance.
The VSWR is 4.0 at 144 MHz and 3.0 at 148 MHz. The resonant frequency is ~165 MHz. For 70 cm, the numbers look a little better: VSWR = 3.7 @ 420MHz and VSWR = 1.6 @ 450 MHz.
Also add a pig tail as a radial to improve receive, use a length of 19 and 1/4 inches to put you right about in the middle of the 2-meter frequencies.
The antenna on its own is only 1/2 of the antenna when not plugged into the handy. WHen you plug into the SWR analyser it has no counterpoise (the body of the radio) hence when you plug a tigettail/counterpoise in, it is as it should be.. This is a video I did a while ago. ua-cam.com/video/kvxUd9sl9oI/v-deo.html
Nice garden
Hello ! Is there a build on that sir 🤔
Just "Google" flowerpot antenna
Thank you 👍🏾
Good morning sir ! Would really like to see how you made yours
Because it's very stealth
I mean black is back , on my home there's a flat roof
Where it could sit & no one would ever take a second look from there garden .
Hi Mike.
Hope your well. I’m the chap who sold you the 857 in Cornwall. (Bloody regret it now) ! Lol.
Anyway, just to let you know I got my 2E0 yesterday.
Sending you best 73 from sunny Kernow. 👍
Hi. Well done on the licence.
Could you make one for me happy to pay. The flower pot antenna. Paul
Stupid question from an M3, can foundation licence holders make their own antennas? Is it only diy radio kit you can’t make? Or are antennas out too?
Obviously you have to make sure your power levels aren’t too high as well, but I thought I’d check.
No such thing as a stupid question. Yes you can build your own antenna but as you say the radios erc are only for full licences. 73
@@MikeM0XMX Been licensed about 12 years and only just asking these questions now as I start doing more! I'm trying to decide on something for SOTA use. No amount of antenna upgrading will help me with my inner-city ground floor flat location, but for mountains I'm trying to decide between just a HT 1/2 whip vs actually getting something like this on a pole up high. Will it actually help if you're already on a mountain?
I'm learning a lot from your channel!
@@MikeM0XMX PS: Intermediate, I thought? I'm studying for mine right now solely so I can put my own kit on, but if it's Full only I'm out of luck, won't get there for a while.
@@MarkPentler search my videos from Slimjim antenna. You can make it or very cheap to buy. That on a fibreglass pole is what you want. Good luck.
@@MarkPentler intermediates and full can build their own hardware. Foundations can build a radio, but only from a kit designed by a manufacturer. Rob M0JEO
Well, the height of setting the rubber duck antenna is lower than the setting flower pot. The comparison is not entirely correct
LOL. Really! Is that the only comment you have. Suggest you stick to subjects you know stuff about.
@@MikeM0XMX Well, then argue your point, not spit on people
@@Tarasylo2 People like me spend a lot of time making (300+) videos to benefit people that are interested. Then someone like you comes along with nothing constructive to say other than "The aerials were a different height"!. Really. Do you honestly think a difference of about 12" is going to make the difference we see in the video? No, I am sure you don't, so why waste your time making a comment? Why not just move on to the next video? If you had something constructive to add then I would welcome your input. See the other comments below from people who clearly are keen and interested not simply trolls.
@@MikeM0XMX It is a shame to read accusations that I am a troll. Well, I wish you success and a little more loyalty to your audience.
I made with RGC213 coax cable, work very well, i use in my base station. SWR 1,4:1
Hi. Thanks for the comment Marcelo Pires PU2MAL. There are plenty more videos of a similar style in the playlist. Enjoy, and consider subscribing if you haven't already. 73
Cool👋👋👋💎💎💎
Would the choice / quality of coax make a difference to performance ie mini 8 vs RG58 mill spec vs aircell 5 for instance.
Hi. Personally I would use whatever you have available. I would normally use RG8Mini
Won't make any difference to the working / efficiency of the antenna. - Basically, the better the quality of the coax the less loss. This is an antenna, designed to have as much loss as possible, get that signal radiated out there! Use just regular RG58 coax to make the antenna with. However, when it comes to feeding the antenna, that's the place for the good quality coax, particularly if you are intending to run a lot of 70cm.
Sell?
No sorry.
any one have some calculator for this flower pot antenna?
Hi. Try these. m0nfi.uk/info/flower-pot-antenna.html
g6ohm.webs.com/antennadesigns.htm
www.hamradioforum.net/threads/4152-How-does-flower-pot-antenna-work
A Slim Jim would easily outperform it, and it's dual band...
Yes, as the demo shows, you are correct however, I believe the SlimJim is MONO-band. The little stub is for matching.
Nope, it's dual band...A 2m version also works great on the third harmonic (70cm) too.
@@MikeM0XMX ...Nope, it's dual band...It also works great on it's third harmonic too...So a 2m version also works great on 70cm (144.5 mhz x 3 =433.5 mhz) and you only need one length of coax to feed it to work both bands. I don't just use my 2m version on 70cm but also on PMR446 too. Whilst it is true that the third harmonic of versions made for the other bands never appear to be such a convenient match as with the 2m version. The only other possible dual band match would be with a 70cm Slim Jim, which should also work on the upper part of the 23cm band too (430 mhz x 3 = 1290 mhz) ...However, 23cm is a very wide band so a 70cm Slim Jim would be unlikely to cover the whole of 23cm, but it would at least work on part of it. There is the possibility of increasing it's coverage of 23cm by making it as broadband as possible...This can be accomplished by using larger conductors.
Am I the only one that noticed that the ‘Rubber Duck’ was receive only?
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't quite understand the point of what you are saying though. Please explain.
@@MikeM0XMX + 2W0PQU: What’s that saying that comes to hand? - A little knowledge can be dangerous?
The Diamond RH77CA “Rubber Duck” antenna is a Ham dual band Handie Talkie AND Scanner antenna - hence the descriptions “HT/Scanner Antenna” and “2m/70cm + receive up to 900MHz”.
This means the antenna (if you believe Diamond) is suitable for 2m & 70cm TX/RX and also suitable for RX-only Scanning up to 900MHz (supposedly good for RX around 120, 150, 300, 450, 800 and 900 MHz). So - no - it is NOT receive only!
@@iainmeteorscan1555 I ever understood the point of Ethan's comment. I think he was simply mistaken or misslead.
@@MikeM0XMX Roger on that. I guess 2W0PQU misunderstood the antenna description. Iain.