Best GMRS Base Antenna? - Ed Fong GMRS J-pole Antenna
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
- One of the best, and most affordable, antennas for GMRS base station operation is the Ed Fong J-pole. Based off of a design Dr. Fong created for the Ham Radio world with his DBJ-1 dual band J-pole, this antenna is measured and tuned for the GMRS band around 462-467MHz. Let's take a look at the performance of this antenna today.
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#Hamradio #kc5hwb #hamharder - Навчання та стиль
Jason - consider having Ed on your show! He’s a neat dude.
I have Ed Fong's 2 band commercial antenna. It's a fantastic antenna and covers GMRS beautifully. I'm a big fan of his antennas.
I personally love the GMRS videos.
I think the way to get more people involved in HAM radio is by promoting GMRS to get their foot in the door.
GMRS is the gateway drug to Ham radio!
@@wateroperator1972
Lol well, let's not get too crazy.
Nah gmrs is perfect
Truth! Keep those GMRS videos coming! I recently obtained my GMRS license. I am taking my technician exam on Wednesday. Jason, you are an influencer! I need one of those GMRS base antennas! Are you still selling them? I am in SE Arlington. Thanks!
I disagree..
I'm my case..
Was getting a Icom 706 for ssb and 27,555
Then wanting to get to those other bands..lol
I got one in April and I use a 5 Watt Radio on it and I can get out 12 miles on it
I've been using Ed Fongs duel band antenna for 2 meter and 70CM for the last two years. It is fantastic!. In the PVC pipe it has withstood our 70 MPH Spring wind gust. Remember do not PVC Glue the end caps on! PVC pipe does dry out and become brittle after a few years in the sun. The end caps are much thicker and can be reused when the pipe body needs to be replaced. The end caps have never become loose while in use.
I do use the duel band antenna for GMRS and it works just fine to hit a repeater 18 miles away.
I like the fact that you are branching out reviews to other radio formats. Thanks for a great review as always!
Just received my DBJ-1 from your store. Looking to put it up this weekend. All the best!
Just purchased the gmrs j-pole. Thanks! MXT400 is supposed to be landing around 17OCT. Just been gifted 40 tower. Will be working towards HAM before the end of the year. Good times. Good times.
I been using the Comet GP-9NCA here and love it !
Great video man. Glad to see more RF enthusiast content.
I dig the GMRS, keep on keeping on.
Team replay for the win! ThNHR
I actually ordered the dual band roll up from your site for when I travel and stay in a hotel. Works great
Thanks!
So glad your open to all types of radio. We started a group specifically designed that way. K3scr
I bought 2 i love them! Great match! Gets out!
The pvc adds a bit of capacitance which makes the antenna behave as it’s a bit longer.
The thicker pvc would move the resonance down a bit..
Also a different diameter would also have an effect also..
Great video, would there be any problem using camo ultra flat paint on the pvc?
Great video
Dr. Fong's antenna SWR's at 1.2 for me and works better than the more expensive GMRS antenna I was given
Love your channel, I really like that you cover a large variety of two way communications. I never understand hams that restrict themselves to just ham frequencies and visa versa. I have my ham license , GMRS license , I also utilize a citizens band radio. Thank you.
Thanks
Just ordered it
Took me a while to figure this antenna out. A regular J Pole is 3/4λ in total length. 1/4+1/2. For GMRS that’s only about 17” and this one is much longer. The coil gives it away. It’s a collinear J Pole, so there’s a 1/5λ coil and then another 1/2λ radiator on the end, so it’s a little more than twice the length you’d expect, which is still only about as long as a dual band and should be around 5dBi instead of 3dBi.
The first antenna I ever bought was a DBJ-1 and it's worked flawlessly ever since. Not sure if he still does but it came with paperwork stating he would retune it if there were ever a problem with it, all I had to do was send it back. I'm glad youtube channels are starting to feature his stuff.
I’ve been using Ed Fong roll up j pole vhf uhf antennas for years. Keep one in our camper in PVC and keep a roll up with my handheld Yaesu FT3DR bag. Looks like I’m going to have to get some of these too.
Thank you and very interesting. I am all new to this and this maybe a stupid question but does it mount horizontally or vertically? Also how do you mount it? I might be getting ahead of everything and you will show it in a later video.
Vertical. 2 hose clamps around the antenna and mast pipe will hold it
Ed’s antennas are good,and I have used one for gmrs, and also amateur radio.
Have used GMRS for several years before the rule changes,and the service becoming very popular around the country.
The Best base/ repeater antenna that I have found and use for 2 base stations and 2 repeaters I have had in service for a little over a year now is the Comet CA-712EFC . It is tuned for GMRS, works Great, and holds up to wind and weather here in S.Texas . The only thing I would drop this antenna for would be if Comet made a gmrs version on the gp-9 in single band. Of course if they did they would probably stop making the CA-712EFC .
I never realized his GMRS j-pole was collinear.
Yes all of his UHF monoband antennas are colinear, he just tunes them for whatever set of frequencies you need
Did you ever do the followup video testing the antenna?
When you assemble this, what keeps it stretched out in the pipe? or does it matter?
Jason, have you considered doing a program on CERT and effective temporary radios to employ?
Couldn't find a video on this antenna maybe you could let me how well this performed.
i’m studying for my ham license i’m into gmrs i got a j pole i like it low noise
So I ordered a midland mxt400 that want to use as a base unit. Very new to all this. Which antenna would I want and is it better reception do you suppose than the Midland upgraded antenna sixDB they sell on their website for $49.99?
How long of cable can you run from antenna to base station before you start running into problems?
PVC is a dielectric, so thickness will affect RF...
a antenna is made to be lossy right ?so whats the difference if the feedline is lossy to ,for both xmit and recieve
Jason, I couldn't find where you tested the antenna. Searching the linked video it looked like you just spoke about the radios, no antenna performance test.
Did you make a video hooking up the antenna to the GMRS radio and handheld GMRS ?
I'm waiting for the license price to go down from $70 to $35.
Same
Me too, I am going to get my hunting partners to get their GMRS license once it drops.
waiting also. waiting on government to actually help us is like watching paint dry lol
Not likely until sometime in spring of 2022. Hams who are coming up for renewal are watching for the opposite reason. Right now there is no charge from the FCC for a Ham license or renewal. When the price change goes into effect, Ham licenses will go UP to $35.
Once you get that antenna hooked up it would be nice to get an SWR reading on it. And will different lengths of RG cable affect the SWR reading on that antenna?
SWR is determined by the length of the antenna itself. Increasing the cable length will decrease power output depending upon the length and type of cable.
I’d like to get one of these GMRS antennas. Could you send me a link where I can get one?
Hands down the best is Ed Fong antenna.
Can you point me to the video where you tested Dr Fong's GMRS antenna? I've been very happy with his DBJ-1.
This one - ua-cam.com/video/SIle2hXa8As/v-deo.html
Get something with some gain, like a Comet GP-9NC. Is the lower end of decent antennas, but great performance.
Is the wire just free floating inside the tube? Could you paint the pvc or would that cause issues? And do you seal the pvc with pvc cement or is it just friction tight?
paint with non-metallic paint. Do not glue, just hand tighten. Yes the wire will just free float.
I'm using one of Dr. Fong's antennas (nicely camouflaged re: HOA) for my 2m/70cm gear. Would I be able to use the same antenna for my new Tidradio(s) TD-H5? Also, if I could use the antenna, I'd need an adapter from the 259 plug to the SMA female of the radio - your suggestion and source, please.
Thank you!!
New subber!
Yes that antenna should work for that radio.
I made a mono band folded dipole for UHF, ham bands. They have a very wide bandwidth. I use it on GMRS and still don't pop up above about a 1.4 SWR at the high end.. All you need is some electrical PVC, and 1/4" stainless aluminum tubing. It's great for simplex. Gets out further than those j-poles or quarter (5/8) waves. Just need to build a 4:1 balun, and get a good 12" or so loop that's about 3 to 4" wide. Run it with your family horizontal and with a PL tone on both in/out. You'll kill it on GMRS simplex.
If you want the exact dimensions, reply here and I'll get em to you. You also need good 1/2" hardline, or LMR-400 minimum to get real nice RX on GMRS. Most people use a vertical unbalanced antenna designed for horizon or repeaters, and they combine it with some cheap off the shelf coax. They stuff just doesn't work all that well
Interested!
My reply with details and links to build it got removed, so I dunno... scratch that I guess.
can you update your info to have the link for the next video for this antenna
How do I get to “the next video” showing this antenna in use? Doesn’t appear to be linked in the description (just a bunch of affiliate junk).
I would love to see a video of this antenna married to a telescoping pole
Not a bad idea at all...
What's best way to mount, without messing with swr?
What are your thoughts about mounting this to a vehicle for a mobile setup? Either mount it horizontal on the roof for a low profile or mount it on the trunk vertically. Love to hear some thoughts on this.
Not a good idea. You don't want to mount it horizontally because UHF FM is better with a vertical polarization antenna. Mounting it vertically on a car would destroy it - it isn't made for that type of wind resistance. There are other GMRS antennas made for mobile mount that will work much better.
@@HamRadio2 Much appreciated for the reply! My goal for the mobile was to get better SWR then the Midland Ghost Antenna can offer. So my thoughts were to mount a longer antenna horizontal to the roof. I suppose its not similar to surface area but height is the king. Do you have any better suggestions other then the Midland Ghost for a low profile GMRS antenna?
Some good choices here
www.buytwowayradios.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gmrs+antenna&cmid=amsreGRvTmttM0k9&afid=dVVPbGl2K2tzVDA9&ats=bHdLSkJuKyttWFU9
Was all set to order one, but sold out. I am struggling with this GMRS stuff. I built a copper J-Pole and SWR is perfect. Anywhere from 1.01 to 1.4, but did I just build a dummy load? I thought I could hit some local repeaters, but this home brew antenna doesn't seem to receive very well all. Maybe my coax? I have no idea. The HT with rubber duckie picks up stuff the roof mounted J-Pole doesn't. As soon as he gets them in stock, I'll give it a shot. Nice review Jason
The J-Pole gives me excellent Simplex coverage but I had a tough time getting my repeaters. I don't blame the J-Pole however.
Hi Jason,
I appreciate all the video content! Always good to hear what others have to say, their experiences in radio etc.
In my experience, J-pole antennas have a major dead spot and are inherently hyper directional. They also do not have any gain as the design is not the most efficient. There are much, much better antenna options for a base radio, GMRS or not, available from Diamond, Comet and others. Sure, the J is cheap to build at home but later trying to help someone get a good signal with one is not fun.
Thanks again!
Will
N7WNS
Will this work for an attic antenna
I have this same GMRS antenna mounted just above my roof line on a PVC pipe. The clamps are plastic so there is no metal anywhere hear the antenna. The coax is about 50' LMR-400. The radio is a Wouxun KG-1000G. I am getting 1.8:1 VSWR on channel 22. I only have a Surecom SWR meter so take the reading with a grain of salt. I wonder if there's anything I can try to get the SWR down or if I should worry at all. Ed Fong's products and reputation are impeccable so I'm sure the problem is on my end
The antenna looks Ok
But is Only a 1/4 wave
I will stick with my Comet GP-9
Though Admittedly is designed for 70cm and Not the Slightly shorter FRS/GMRS with is 470 mhz and not 420-450mhz of 70cm band.
That said
Antenna looks good
Seems like Quality
But my GP-9 with groundplane radials gets better transmitting and recieving and gets about 10Dbi possibly 10 DBd
Andmittibly is a much bigger antenna
Though still very lite antenna
If my comet goes
I will seek out a Andrew's GP-24 ( I think is the model )
Can I build a cubical quad antenna for GMRS Radio. I really like the Quad in Ham Radio.
Sure you can
Unless I missed it, how do you properly ground this antenna? And would be suitable as a repeater antenna?
J-pole antennas do not need grounding, that is one of their features. You can use it for a repeater, sure - but you can probably find better antennas for repeater use.
Hi I have a question: can I know when you will have the GMRS version available?
A new shipment is en-route and will probably be here today or tomorrow
Please forgive me if this is a stupid question I'm new at this.. So well a tri band antenna work for GMRS or is it better to have a GMRS antenna? Thanks!
Not a Stupid question.
Depends..
Bottom line..likely yes
However..Tri-Band is for 2 meters 1.25 meter ( 220 mhz) and 70cm
Murs is 151 to 154 mhz..
but 2 meters is at highest 148 mhz
FRS/GMRS is 470 mhz
But 70cm is 420 to 450 mhz
Most will be happy getting and using the Tri-bander
On Both MURS and FRS/GMRS
Not all though ( like me )
If signal resonates inside the tube, wouldn't that decrease the signal strength and quality?
How did this antenna preform? I’m looking for a antenna and was wondering how it compares to the J-Pole or other GMRS antennas. Thank you
This antenna IS a j-pole but it is also colinear so it has a great gain than a normal j-pole. I'd say it performs like a $100 antenna for only $50
Noob here. If using Ed's GMRS antenna with a 70' run, can I use RG8X or LMR240 cable (PL259's w/adapters) on a 50W unit? Suggestions? I really hate to deal with RG8 or LMR400 due to the size and stiffness. Thanks for any info. GREAT videos.
LMR240 should be fine. GMRS is in the UHF range, so you want the lowest loss cable you can run in your environment. LMR240 would be better than regular-old RG8 anyway, I believe.
@@HamRadio2 Thanks. I can't find a DBJ-UHF anywhere. It must be very popular.
240..ugg..minimum LMR-400 I'de say
I use Heliax LDF5-50A
@@MrBOB39 You're right it's a better choice, but I only needed 50' and would have difficulty running that nearly 1/2" cable. Looks like the LMR400 has about half the loss. Thanks
@@bubba7008 by UHF do you mean the GMRS version? hr2.li/bbe82
Do u have Ed Fong antenna for 2m and 70m on your website??
So what it the gain, and can you paint the pvc to protect it?
Collinear JPole like this should have 5dBi. No, don’t paint it, you’ll change the tuning of the antenna.
Sold out. What is an alternative antenna for my H8?
Not sold out
I swear I tried to order it yesterday! They all showed sold out!
@@PeteGarza It probably was - stock is replenished on a regular basis.
What is the best option, Gmrs or the Murs/gmrs dual band?
The GMRS antenna has more gain than the dual band model but if you need to use MURS also, then the dual band is the better option.
Where is the video after this one where he has radios hooked up to it?
ua-cam.com/video/SIle2hXa8As/v-deo.html
Any updates on this antenna?
niiice
So is there a video that demonstrates this antenna with a radio?
Yes. ua-cam.com/video/SIle2hXa8As/v-deo.html
Ham radio 2.0 ... when will you have more of the Ed Fong J-Pole Antennas - Dual Band, 220 and Roll-up gmrs version.????????????????
I emailed with him today and he is sending some.
@@HamRadio2 cool brother great vid's TY and i'll keep my eye's open.✌
SOLD OUT. I want a GMRS version please.
Are these GMRS antennas no longer made? I see you no longer have them and I can't find them anywhere else online. I found Ed Fong's website, but it seems that he is no longer selling antennas of any kind.
Not sure where you're looking on my website, but they're there
I got my GMRS call sign just for the purpose of my family. Wife not interested in the Technician exam but we have questionable cell service. I intend to use this is a base antenna. No repeaters within 100 miles. Anyone got a guess on cost for a GMRS repeater? Just a question. Thanks
See "Notarubicon Productions" YT channel - he discusses building your own repeater.
Newb question, can this pipe be mounted horizontally on the top of a truck?
No
How well would it work for a small local repeater?
It would work but you can find better options for a repeater
Jason, pls post a link to the antenna.
It's in the description of the video. Here it is again
grapevineamateurradio.com/collections/radio-gear/products/ed-fong-j-pole-antennas-dual-band-220-and-roll-up
Can these be attatched to HT radio at home or is that not allowed?
With GMRS that is perfectly fine
Interesting, I have the DBJ-1 and the DBJ-2 antennas; at the time I bought the DBJ-2 for GMRS and I don’t recall there being another GMRS resonant antenna available from him at the time. Mine did not have a coil and was closer to 5 foot long. Curious what the difference is between the two, other than size.
73
K9MKE
WQZD371
I want to purchase another ed fong antenna. Dual band roll up. Are you going to get stock soon? Thanks. 73. NJ3X
Should be this week
I'm a non Ham old CBer and a GMRS Noob. What type of coax do I need for a GMRS base station antenna ?
The best would be LMR400 or equivalent
@@HamRadio2 It looks like the same type of connector as a CB radio, correct?
@@jimgresham5529 correct
@@HamRadio2 At Minimum mind you if 50 ft or less
@@jimgresham5529 correct, it is called an SO239 on the end of the antenna. The end on the coax is called a PL259
Thanks Jason. Your channel is very informative! ZSL7583, 73
Hi-- will the DBJ - UHF GMRS Ed Fong Antenna be available anytime soon?
I should get some more soon
@@HamRadio2 Thanks for the reply.. :)
jason does this antenna mount horizontally?
never mind found the answer had to go vertical, follow up question is how high up does it need to be?
WILL A DIAMOND SRH77CA FIT ON A BAOFENG UV5R OR BF-F8HP ? AND WHERE CAN I BUY BOTH RADIOS AND ORIGINAL DIAMOND ANTENNA, SO I DONT GET A FAKE RADIO AND ANTENNA. PLEASE HELP ME ON THIS MATTER. THANK YOU.
Look up the Diamond SRJ77CA, it has the reverse SMA you need for the Chinese radios. Best advice is to not buy them on eBay, buy through a trusted source, such as direct from the manufacturer. Good luck! Oops, this was meant for reply to the all CAPS comment.
sorry for that i cant see that well, instead should i use a nagoya 771 or the flat antenna like to military uses?. also on the baofeng uv5r, is the connection on the radio for the antenna female or male on the radio? and thank you for you feed back. thank you will
@@tm8747 So sorry, I understand completely. The flat "tactical" antennas aren't very useful and the bandwidth is not spectacular. If you buy a Nagoya 771, be sure to buy it direct from Baofeng, B-Tech. It will save you some money over the Diamond. There are many counterfeiters, beware.
The UV-5R and 95% of Chinese radios have the male end on the radio with a center pin.
@@wills8291 thank you for the info.
link to part 2?
ua-cam.com/video/SIle2hXa8As/v-deo.html
No ground plane. curious why, looks similar to a mobile antenna
The J-Pole design requires no ground plane
How do u secure it in the pvc?
You don't. It just sits in there
@HamRadio2 thank u Jason
Noob question. Can I use the same antenna for GMRS and ham?
Some of them, yes. Depends on the bandwidth of the antenna
@@HamRadio2 so if I get an antenna that handles UHV and VHF, that should cover both, correct?
Again, it depends on the antenna. "VHF and UHF" aren't frequencies, so you have to look at the specific frequencies that the antenna covers.
Is your 2m Ed Fong version in stock? I am still waiting for shipping information.
Some are - there are 2 versions that have 2M Ham Band available. I shipped out ALL orders last Monday - since then, some new orders have come in, but I haven't got to those yet.
@@HamRadio2 I ordered the Dual Band in PVC on Monday night. When does your next batch of orders ship out?
@@chasiu75 maybe tomorrow or this weekend. Monday at the latest - I usually ship on Monday mornings
@@HamRadio2 Thanks we have a monthly ham club meeting coming up that is a show and tell I want to bring it to and set up. You may get some more orders in after they see it.
@@HamRadio2 Were you able to make it to the post office today? Monday was a holiday.
Great antenna for little money. I've even read claims from people saying it outperformed their Diamond x-50.
Diamond makes Great antennas indeed
I should look into getting their 2 meter / 70cm dual band 24 foot tall antenna.... That's King
I have been using the Comet GP-9 for 20+ years
Let me see that Fong…..Babyyyy, that Fo Fo Fo Fo Fonggg. -Sisqo.
Is the Fong better than J-Plole?
The Fong antennas are J-pole antennas.
Should cut the antenna PVC in half and insert a " T" PVC add a horizontal PVC short piece to make a tower standoff, all one piece. Theres no weight to the antenna...
Spoiler: PVC thickness doesn't matter at all. It's an excellent insulator and literally one of the main examples of an "RF transparent" material. There is no "resonance" in there; it's just mechanical protection.
That’s not true. It changes the velocity factor of the antenna, which will affect the center frequency and SWR.
Cb radio is the original ham radio, please somebody tell me that I am wrong 😂
Actually Ham Radio existed first, but essentially they're the same animal
@HamRadio2 I'm giving you sh... lol I know lol
Lol. Hard to tell with comments, sometimes
Schedule 125 PVC... It's the thin stuff
sold out
2:06 ... Uh, maybe the fact that it looks like a pipe bomb going thru the x-ray... 🤪
I thought FRS/GMRS radios had fixed antennas - not removable
To be legally type 95 certified, FRS handheld radios must have fixed antennas, and GMRS handheld radios that have the capability to transmit data digitally must also have fixed antennas, otherwise they can have removable antennas. Base stations require external antennas.
@@wateroperator1972 GMRS only handhelds are not required to use a fixed antenna.
@@williamlowry9585You are right if and ONLY if the GMRS radio is NOT able to transmit data. Please reread my comment more thoroughly and Per FCC §95.1787 --- GMRS additional requirements. (a) Digital data transmissions. GMRS hand-held portable units that have the capability to transmit digital data must be designed to meet the following requirements. (4) The antenna must be a non-removable integral part of the GMRS unit.