@@Commodiumbut I find without using said counterpoise , I occasionally suffer incontinence when I hit transmit….probably because I am using too much power…which is against the rules….not the law…and who’s going to measure it anyway ??? A question I often ask myself.
Rules: the first rule is the 1st Amendment which supercedes all others. So, unless it causes bodily harm or death, I would say the: Commodium +1 - Thought Police -0
I’ve gotten into radio communication the last few months and have spent a few dozen hours watching poplar radio “enthusiasts”. As a newb, I would have saved 25+ hours with this 1 10 minute video. Thank you for the video and I hope to see you releasing more content👏🏼
Thank you so much! There will be a ton more content coming! Please share the channel and I appreciate you as a viewer! The viewers are what makes this possible.
I'm relatively new to GMRS and I'm still learning. I definitely have been impressed with how much difference a properly tuned antenna makes. Using a Baofeng 5RM and the stock antenna, I tried and failed to connect with a repeater about 30 miles away. I then changed to the Nagoya 771G and connected, having a clear conversation with someone on the far side of the repeater. Much to my surprise, I was able to do the same thing with the 6" Nagoya 701G. I got the same results using a BG-F8HP, so I know it's not just the radio. Good information. Thanks!
Yup, better antenna, better range. I once tried experimenting with the tactical antenna and the farthest contact I made was 74 kilometers. I used the 72cm tactical antenna with my vintage Icom IC-02AT. With battery pack, it transmits somewhere around 3.5 watts. I was at around 200 feet of elevation above sea level. It really is a great antenna especially for emergency use.
With the CRE line of antennas you can use metal mast clamps. The antennas have grip tape at the mounting locations as well which makes a for a rock solid mounting. If you do want run with 3D printed mounts I can send the files over too.
Before some geek came out with the word Counterpoise, like they created the idea, I called them Pig tails. I have been adding a pig tail to my HT antennas since the 1990s.
I am setting up my first (real) GMRS antenna this weekend. I’ve been using a magnetic car antenna on my front porch (about 2-3 foot of the ground at the top of the antenna) since I got my GMRS license (Feb 21). Hopefully, it works out… I can reach a repeater about 5 miles away with my handheld, but my 50 Watt-er hasn’t been doing much yet.
Hello Thomas! Most of the mag mount style antennas are designed to use the metal car roof as a ground plane to get the right impedance. If you want to try a simple quick experiment… grab a pizza pan or cookie sheet and slap that mag mount in the center. And get it up a little higher in air if possible. Might get you out a bit further. Or at least yelled at by the significant other for using kitchen equipment to play radio 😀
@@Commodium it’s on a cookie sheet now, but the Hight is the serious problem. This weekend I’m installing a Retevis MA-09 fiberglass antenna to my roof. Now, I’m getting a 2+ SWR with my 50 watt and car antenna… but that should go away this weekend… hopefully
Excellent! The difference between that 2-3ft to the rooftop will be dramatic on GMRS. For every 4x in height, your radio horizon doubles. Let me know how your install goes!!!
Interested in the counterpoise / counterbalance wire you mentioned. I'm working on a radio setup for use while playing airsoft. Will be keeping a UV-9R Pro in a radio pouch, and running a PTT/headset. Where can I get more information on how the counterbalance works, and what to do to get that done?
The UV-9R Pro should have a screw located dead center on the back of the radio towards the top. That is grounded to the internal chassis of the radio, and where the counterpoise would attach. Making one consists of cutting a length (between 19.5 an 20.25 inches) of wire and attaching a ring or spade terminal to the end. It works by completing the "missing half" of the dipole antenna. And stabilizing /altering the impedance and radiation pattern of the antenna. If you want us to build one for you let me know.
@@Commodium Thanks! That seems easy enough to make and install. Quick follow-up question: I'm planning to run a relocation cable from my radio pouch and mount the antenna on my back. Does that change where the wire should go, or how useful it will be?
@@Ghazrin Yes, 100% That changes everything. If you were to add a counterpoise/counterbalance to the back of the radio with a relocation kit, it would do little to help and mostly would hurt! It would cause the Coax to radiate more power. BUT, if you can attach one trimmed at 19.5" to the outer portion (shield side) of the relocation kit closest to the antenna, you would be in business and see improvement.
@@Commodium Well, crap...I'm glad I asked! But I'm not entirely sure I follow what you're suggesting. You mean put the wire where the relocation cable meets the antenna, on my back? If so, how would I attach it? Is the external metal of a TNC connector (the bits that you actually thread together with your fingers) part of the ground? Can I connect the counterbalance to that?
Yes the physical bonding of the counter balance should be on the out side of the TNC connector. Just to try it out, it can be ‘jerry-rigged’ with stripped wire and electrical tape on the connector. If you see any marked improvement, that would let you know if its worth your time to solder it on there. Or clamping, etc
@@Commodium The information helped me considerably I have most of the antennas you mentioned and now I can implement them properly. I am a newbie and find this technology fascinating and will be a great asset for me in the near future with all that is going on in our world, I'm sure I'll be using this technology soon. Peace from BC
The top cap and ball are separate pieces. The ball simply unscrews leaving the top cap in place. Those 20ft poles are perfect for getting a little extra height and allows portable or temporary setups. Thanks!
Love the video, everything in this video is spot on. I run a KB9VBR jpole antenna mounted in a tree on a statlite dish mount on my HTs and it works very well. If im carrying a HT i run Nagoyas. Use a Nagoya UT-72G on the suv and i also have a few Smiley antennas which are really well constructed but over rated. Never tried one of your antennas maybe i will give one a try. I was gonna get a signal stick antenna since i hear good things but theu dont have a GMRS version. I subscribed.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it! Once our shop is online I’ll post a video and send out notifications. And I don’t think many antenna manufacturers realize the demand for performance GMRS antennas.
@@Commodium yeah GMRS is growing fast and has had a very steady growth for a bit now. I belong to the Southwest Community Radio System and connect via my local repeater. I have pretty much every repeater in my state programmed in my radio. My newest toy is my Wouxun KG-UV9GX.
I found an online surplus store with fiberglass poles used for radio masts and erecting camo nets. They’re 4’ long, and a set of 4 was about $21. I got 2.
I’ve got a tid h3 with a signal stick antenna and I’m struggling to get much more than a mile of range out of it. I’m on the high power setting ,Not sure what the case is but there’s a repeater less than 2 miles from my house and it won’t pick me up even if I’m outside I have to get almost within a mile to be heard by it. I’m starting to wonder if I have a faulty unit that just has super low power output
Couple things to check. It is always possible you may have either a faulty radio or antenna. But that would certainly be a rarity. Especially rare with the antenna. First thing to check is to make sure the antenna is one tuned for the frequencies you are using. Secondly if you can get your hands on a power / swr meter and check the power output level. You can check the antenna with a multi meter but that would require peeling back a portion of heat shrink to check continuity on the center pin. Next are you operating in “RF unfriendly” terrain. Hills or many trees / ground clutter. You should be able to hit that repeater out at 2 miles without a problem. However depending on the repeater antenna arrangement, there can be “dead spot” very close in. This can occur if the repeater antenna is mounted very very high. It is also a rarity for that situation. And as always, double check power settings. Also if you have access to another radio test that as well and see what results you are getting.
I have an n9tax lader wire gmrs tuned antenna and just ordered a 13ft fiberglass extending flag pole for like windsocks, if it's strong enough to hold it it the antenna has 16ft of coax connected to it... wonder if I should return it and get the 19ft so I can angle it but still reach the coax to my ht, any thoughts on that ? If I can hoist it straightish up that will give me a few feet of coax to move around the pole (sit in a chair maybe ) I know that isn't that high but it's more than double what I can reach.. will a fiberglass pole interfere with the antenna hanging straight down it? Or should I get the longer fiberglass pole to angle so the antenna isn't directly next to the pole? I may can even stop shipping from the jungle store if I act fast enough and get a longer one plus I'm not sure how strong that last section of the is until I get it... just kinda wanted to get you opinion on it I'm kinda new to all this had my gmrs license a couple months and can reach a local repeater with the little Nagoya 701g 5.5" I believe..just looking a way to get further to my family on simplex more or less.. thanks for what you share I just found your video this morning but will be looking for more of them and a pice of wire to try the counter balance...thanks
Hey Matt! Great questions and explaining your situation. To answer your question accurately, it would depend on the weight of the coax if the pole was sturdy enough. 16ft to 19ft may make a little bit of a difference but it might not be worth the hassle. That I will leave up to you. Just remember it takes 4X the height to double your radio horizon. So to get double the range out of that 16ft pole you would need to jump up to 64ft! The ladder line antenna will NOT have any real significant interaction with a fiberglass pole. There will always be some, regardless of material when an object is in the antenna's near field. BUT you will never know it with GMRS ranges and it's insignificant. Don't even worry about it. IF you encase that antenna in a piece of thin wall CPVC to make it "rigid" that will work, HOWEVER, it would need to be re-tuned. Surrounding the antenna like that is called a radome. And even though the pipe is not metal, it will decrease the velocity factor of the antenna (changes the electrical length). Makes it easier to mount but the radiating element of the antenna would need to be clipped a bit to account for what is known as dielectric reactance. And if you ever decide to get that aluminum pole from harbor freight, Go to lowes, home depot, menards and get a 6ft fiberglass driveway marker. Use that for even more height and to keep your antenna rigid. Hope I was a help!
@Commodium awesome thanks! Yeh I don't really have a place in my yard in my neighborhood where I can hoist that thing up very high so it was an idea to get it higher than I can reach at least.. I'm guessing my 13 ft pole will be better than hanging on the corner of the roof but that 16ft I think it's rg58 whatever it is that n9tax uses he's on UA-cam and explains all the radiation effect and all but it's way over my head in understanding what he says... but yes thanks for the reply I am assuming with this antenna a 20 1/4" wire connected to the screw on my radio would also help? Could I get away with 16 or so speaker wire ..it's fairly heavy for speaker wire but I do have some left over wire like they use to wire a house..? Would that help also?
I can’t figure out how to set mine. What band to put it on frequency or anything is there anyway that someone could contact me and help me through that?
Look at my “cheapest repeater” video. That shows a VERY basic simplex repeater using a handheld. Any half or full duplex repeater using two radios will require a duplexer to operate properly. And even with a duplexer getting ‘feng to play nice is difficult at best. They are very ‘leaky’ and notorious for desensitization. It can be done…. But if you want a repeater you should build one based on commercial grade mobile radios. And never ever use LMR-400 or any coax that has a foil shield for duplex repeater operation. Good repeaters even DIY ones cost some serious $ to get right. I also build custom turnkey repeaters for any band of operation too fyi.
@@Commodium thanks for the reply. So bigger antenna it is lol. I have a repeater 13 miles away in one direction. And my brother is 12 miles away in the opposite direction.
Rules are meant to be broken. The government does like to over reach. And remember it no illegal of u don’t get caught. Just saying. And before I get hate if you speed up broke the law remember that.
Nope, I'm using a short piece of 3/4 CPVC pipe as a 'stub mast' to get up and away from the Aluminum mast a little bit (18" or so) to prevent any coupling with the antenna's ground plane.
The basic physics of GMRS and 2m radio is no different from HF radio. HF vertical antennas need radials. A counterpoise/pigtail is simply the "radial" for HTs.
"@@Commodium For the longest time, this equipment has been the only equipment that has made repeaters on GMRS even possible. I will never understand" some people."
Only problem with those Nagoya antennas is how much of a lottery it is to get a non counterfeit antenna. I would recommend never buying one on Amazon since they've basically become a Chinese sponsored storefront.
The only ones that I have found on there that seem to be legit are on the 'btech store' that's the link I have included. I have gotten a few counterfeit ones off of there before and it will drive you nuts! I pitched them, but should have saved one for my HT antenna testing vid but that was years ago.... That video showing HT antenna testisg with a nanovna will be out soon.
I asked my first question in a GMRS forum about using a dual bander with a mag mount and the second response was from guy telling me I should know that was not allowed and I should know it. This is exactly why I refuse to get a HAM license. Ya can't key up without someone looking up your ass
No one wants to answer real questions without being the self appointed radio police on those forums. There isn’t anything wrong with information. Secondly there is a TON of pretend experts out there giving bad advice. If you were to use a dual band setup in a mobile, i would use a dual band loaded 5/8 wave antenna. That way you had a good enough radiation pattern on both bands. Next I would use a mobile that had built in duplex repeater capability like DB-40D or similar radio. That’s the response you should have gotten. Also coming soon I have a service that will allow complete privacy on your GMRS/HAM license.
Sure the ICOM is a much better radio, no doubt. But not everyone can afford that. Not everyone can drive a hot sup'ed up Audi Q7 (Talking to you Katie) That's why more baofengs exist in the world of hobbyist than any other brand. Doesn't make em the best by any means. But there sure are a ton of Honda Civics out the on the road.
Just found my new Radio Pasta**….amen. Subbed. I don’t expect a sub in return, in fact I strongly recommend against it. Life is too short for the stuff I have done… **A reference to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, rather than being my radio pastor…far too much responsibility being that.
According to fcc rule 88.95 subsection g4 72 1.5 all you said is against the rules!!!!
Not everything I said is against the rules... I really don't like the word 'counterpoise' it's 100% factual and not against the rules.
@@Commodiumbut I find without using said counterpoise , I occasionally suffer incontinence when I hit transmit….probably because I am using too much power…which is against the rules….not the law…and who’s going to measure it anyway ??? A question I often ask myself.
If the PTT button makes you piss yourself, you gotta be doing it right!@@MidlifeRenaissanceMan
Hence why he said nobody important actually cares
Rules: the first rule is the 1st Amendment which supercedes all others. So, unless it causes bodily harm or death, I would say the: Commodium +1 - Thought Police -0
I’ve gotten into radio communication the last few months and have spent a few dozen hours watching poplar radio “enthusiasts”. As a newb, I would have saved 25+ hours with this 1 10 minute video. Thank you for the video and I hope to see you releasing more content👏🏼
Thank you so much! There will be a ton more content coming! Please share the channel and I appreciate you as a viewer! The viewers are what makes this possible.
I like your site. I just stumbled over it and your straight forward approach to radio communication is right on.
Thank you sir! I appreciate you and all my viewers!
I dont know why you only have 300 subscribers based on this video. Based on this video I like your views on radio and your content so i made it 301! 🖖
I just launched the channel so it takes a little while to gain traction. But since you subscribed about an hour ago it is now at 348!
@@Commodium Well I'm not surprised you are growing that fast. I'm glad I got in on the ground floor. 🖖
@@markw.4679 I'm glad to have you sir!
Omg im glad i stumbled upon this video! Thank you so much for the info. Subscribed!
Awesome! Thank you!
I appreciate your style… simple and effective… 👍👍👍
Thank you so much 😊
I'm relatively new to GMRS and I'm still learning. I definitely have been impressed with how much difference a properly tuned antenna makes. Using a Baofeng 5RM and the stock antenna, I tried and failed to connect with a repeater about 30 miles away. I then changed to the Nagoya 771G and connected, having a clear conversation with someone on the far side of the repeater. Much to my surprise, I was able to do the same thing with the 6" Nagoya 701G. I got the same results using a BG-F8HP, so I know it's not just the radio. Good information. Thanks!
Antennas make all the difference
First time I run into your channel. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. Educational and funny.
Glad you like them!
Hey there, love your style. Can you share your all band antenna details. Maybe a video.
That will be coming out soon! Thank you so much!
Yup, better antenna, better range. I once tried experimenting with the tactical antenna and the farthest contact I made was 74 kilometers. I used the 72cm tactical antenna with my vintage Icom IC-02AT. With battery pack, it transmits somewhere around 3.5 watts. I was at around 200 feet of elevation above sea level. It really is a great antenna especially for emergency use.
I need those 3d printed adaptors for that antenna you are making me. I plan to get that flag pole this weekend. lol Great video!
With the CRE line of antennas you can use metal mast clamps. The antennas have grip tape at the mounting locations as well which makes a for a rock solid mounting. If you do want run with 3D printed mounts I can send the files over too.
Great video! Couldn’t help but notice you are a Bladen county man; I’m right next door in Pender county! Subscribed 👍🏼
Thank you so much for subscribing! I'll have plenty of content posted regularly and always welcome to suggestions for new videos!
Before some geek came out with the word Counterpoise, like they created the idea, I called them Pig tails. I have been adding a pig tail to my HT antennas since the 1990s.
I am setting up my first (real) GMRS antenna this weekend. I’ve been using a magnetic car antenna on my front porch (about 2-3 foot of the ground at the top of the antenna) since I got my GMRS license (Feb 21). Hopefully, it works out… I can reach a repeater about 5 miles away with my handheld, but my 50 Watt-er hasn’t been doing much yet.
Hello Thomas! Most of the mag mount style antennas are designed to use the metal car roof as a ground plane to get the right impedance. If you want to try a simple quick experiment… grab a pizza pan or cookie sheet and slap that mag mount in the center. And get it up a little higher in air if possible. Might get you out a bit further. Or at least yelled at by the significant other for using kitchen equipment to play radio 😀
@@Commodium it’s on a cookie sheet now, but the Hight is the serious problem. This weekend I’m installing a Retevis MA-09 fiberglass antenna to my roof. Now, I’m getting a 2+ SWR with my 50 watt and car antenna… but that should go away this weekend… hopefully
Excellent! The difference between that 2-3ft to the rooftop will be dramatic on GMRS. For every 4x in height, your radio horizon doubles. Let me know how your install goes!!!
Just found you. Good stuff. I just got our first GMRS radios. UV-5G plus and love them. Didn't know about the height thing. Thanks!
@@summerwindcharters1326 The UV5G is a great little radio!
Haha...just found your channel. Entertaining and in informative. Great job
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!
@@CommodiumI would like to check out your store. Where can I find it? Thank you for the info.
Adding a counterpoise really works!!! I made a few for my main handhelds, and it made a huge difference in range.
Yeah I believe most of the 'nay-sayers' either are expecting unrealistic results or just spouting off and never tried it in the field.
Interested in the counterpoise / counterbalance wire you mentioned. I'm working on a radio setup for use while playing airsoft. Will be keeping a UV-9R Pro in a radio pouch, and running a PTT/headset. Where can I get more information on how the counterbalance works, and what to do to get that done?
The UV-9R Pro should have a screw located dead center on the back of the radio towards the top. That is grounded to the internal chassis of the radio, and where the counterpoise would attach. Making one consists of cutting a length (between 19.5 an 20.25 inches) of wire and attaching a ring or spade terminal to the end. It works by completing the "missing half" of the dipole antenna. And stabilizing /altering the impedance and radiation pattern of the antenna. If you want us to build one for you let me know.
@@Commodium Thanks! That seems easy enough to make and install. Quick follow-up question: I'm planning to run a relocation cable from my radio pouch and mount the antenna on my back. Does that change where the wire should go, or how useful it will be?
@@Ghazrin Yes, 100% That changes everything. If you were to add a counterpoise/counterbalance to the back of the radio with a relocation kit, it would do little to help and mostly would hurt! It would cause the Coax to radiate more power. BUT, if you can attach one trimmed at 19.5" to the outer portion (shield side) of the relocation kit closest to the antenna, you would be in business and see improvement.
@@Commodium Well, crap...I'm glad I asked! But I'm not entirely sure I follow what you're suggesting. You mean put the wire where the relocation cable meets the antenna, on my back? If so, how would I attach it? Is the external metal of a TNC connector (the bits that you actually thread together with your fingers) part of the ground? Can I connect the counterbalance to that?
Yes the physical bonding of the counter balance should be on the out side of the TNC connector. Just to try it out, it can be ‘jerry-rigged’ with stripped wire and electrical tape on the connector. If you see any marked improvement, that would let you know if its worth your time to solder it on there. Or clamping, etc
Great information, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
@@Commodium The information helped me considerably I have most of the antennas you mentioned and now I can implement them properly. I am a newbie and find this technology fascinating and will be a great asset for me in the near future with all that is going on in our world, I'm sure I'll be using this technology soon. Peace from BC
Spank you vury much! Vury informational like. Notasadham!
Glad it was helpful!
What kind of cap did you use in place of the ball on top of the flag pole? Excellent video!
The top cap and ball are separate pieces. The ball simply unscrews leaving the top cap in place. Those 20ft poles are perfect for getting a little extra height and allows portable or temporary setups. Thanks!
Love the video, everything in this video is spot on. I run a KB9VBR jpole antenna mounted in a tree on a statlite dish mount on my HTs and it works very well. If im carrying a HT i run Nagoyas. Use a Nagoya UT-72G on the suv and i also have a few Smiley antennas which are really well constructed but over rated. Never tried one of your antennas maybe i will give one a try. I was gonna get a signal stick antenna since i hear good things but theu dont have a GMRS version. I subscribed.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it! Once our shop is online I’ll post a video and send out notifications. And I don’t think many antenna manufacturers realize the demand for performance GMRS antennas.
@@Commodium yeah GMRS is growing fast and has had a very steady growth for a bit now. I belong to the Southwest Community Radio System and connect via my local repeater. I have pretty much every repeater in my state programmed in my radio. My newest toy is my Wouxun KG-UV9GX.
I found an online surplus store with fiberglass poles used for radio masts and erecting camo nets. They’re 4’ long, and a set of 4 was about $21. I got 2.
How was the shipping? The fiberglass poles are excellent!
I’ve got a tid h3 with a signal stick antenna and I’m struggling to get much more than a mile of range out of it. I’m on the high power setting ,Not sure what the case is but there’s a repeater less than 2 miles from my house and it won’t pick me up even if I’m outside I have to get almost within a mile to be heard by it. I’m starting to wonder if I have a faulty unit that just has super low power output
Couple things to check. It is always possible you may have either a faulty radio or antenna. But that would certainly be a rarity. Especially rare with the antenna.
First thing to check is to make sure the antenna is one tuned for the frequencies you are using.
Secondly if you can get your hands on a power / swr meter and check the power output level.
You can check the antenna with a multi meter but that would require peeling back a portion of heat shrink to check continuity on the center pin.
Next are you operating in “RF unfriendly” terrain. Hills or many trees / ground clutter.
You should be able to hit that repeater out at 2 miles without a problem. However depending on the repeater antenna arrangement, there can be “dead spot” very close in. This can occur if the repeater antenna is mounted very very high. It is also a rarity for that situation.
And as always, double check power settings.
Also if you have access to another radio test that as well and see what results you are getting.
I have an n9tax lader wire gmrs tuned antenna and just ordered a 13ft fiberglass extending flag pole for like windsocks, if it's strong enough to hold it it the antenna has 16ft of coax connected to it... wonder if I should return it and get the 19ft so I can angle it but still reach the coax to my ht, any thoughts on that ? If I can hoist it straightish up that will give me a few feet of coax to move around the pole (sit in a chair maybe ) I know that isn't that high but it's more than double what I can reach.. will a fiberglass pole interfere with the antenna hanging straight down it? Or should I get the longer fiberglass pole to angle so the antenna isn't directly next to the pole? I may can even stop shipping from the jungle store if I act fast enough and get a longer one plus I'm not sure how strong that last section of the is until I get it... just kinda wanted to get you opinion on it I'm kinda new to all this had my gmrs license a couple months and can reach a local repeater with the little Nagoya 701g 5.5" I believe..just looking a way to get further to my family on simplex more or less.. thanks for what you share I just found your video this morning but will be looking for more of them and a pice of wire to try the counter balance...thanks
Hey Matt! Great questions and explaining your situation. To answer your question accurately, it would depend on the weight of the coax if the pole was sturdy enough. 16ft to 19ft may make a little bit of a difference but it might not be worth the hassle. That I will leave up to you. Just remember it takes 4X the height to double your radio horizon. So to get double the range out of that 16ft pole you would need to jump up to 64ft!
The ladder line antenna will NOT have any real significant interaction with a fiberglass pole. There will always be some, regardless of material when an object is in the antenna's near field. BUT you will never know it with GMRS ranges and it's insignificant. Don't even worry about it. IF you encase that antenna in a piece of thin wall CPVC to make it "rigid" that will work, HOWEVER, it would need to be re-tuned. Surrounding the antenna like that is called a radome. And even though the pipe is not metal, it will decrease the velocity factor of the antenna (changes the electrical length). Makes it easier to mount but the radiating element of the antenna would need to be clipped a bit to account for what is known as dielectric reactance.
And if you ever decide to get that aluminum pole from harbor freight, Go to lowes, home depot, menards and get a 6ft fiberglass driveway marker. Use that for even more height and to keep your antenna rigid.
Hope I was a help!
@Commodium awesome thanks! Yeh I don't really have a place in my yard in my neighborhood where I can hoist that thing up very high so it was an idea to get it higher than I can reach at least.. I'm guessing my 13 ft pole will be better than hanging on the corner of the roof but that 16ft I think it's rg58 whatever it is that n9tax uses he's on UA-cam and explains all the radiation effect and all but it's way over my head in understanding what he says... but yes thanks for the reply I am assuming with this antenna a 20 1/4" wire connected to the screw on my radio would also help? Could I get away with 16 or so speaker wire ..it's fairly heavy for speaker wire but I do have some left over wire like they use to wire a house..? Would that help also?
*^^^New Subscriber* Finally, a no B/S UA-cam channel 😮 I like it 🤠
I'm also undecided about which word I prefer, "counterpoise" or "commode'ium"? 🤣
Thank you for the sub! More no BS content on the way sir!
Thank you
I appreciate you and all my viewers!
Im ham and gmrs backup. Good advice. Keep it up. Totally agree. 73 K9DYN
Glad you liked it! Thanks!
Very well done! Thanks!! De N9RAN
Glad you liked it!
How can I buy your antenna?
Email me at stevetow01@proton.me
I can’t figure out how to set mine. What band to put it on frequency or anything is there anyway that someone could contact me and help me through that?
Stevetow01@proton.me
Have you ever tried or had success with those small repeater boxes that make two baofeng radios a repeater?
Look at my “cheapest repeater” video. That shows a VERY basic simplex repeater using a handheld. Any half or full duplex repeater using two radios will require a duplexer to operate properly. And even with a duplexer getting ‘feng to play nice is difficult at best. They are very ‘leaky’ and notorious for desensitization. It can be done…. But if you want a repeater you should build one based on commercial grade mobile radios. And never ever use LMR-400 or any coax that has a foil shield for duplex repeater operation. Good repeaters even DIY ones cost some serious $ to get right.
I also build custom turnkey repeaters for any band of operation too fyi.
@@Commodium thanks for the reply. So bigger antenna it is lol. I have a repeater 13 miles away in one direction. And my brother is 12 miles away in the opposite direction.
@@joeguerrier7975height and a good antenna will always help!
Rules are meant to be broken. The government does like to over reach. And remember it no illegal of u don’t get caught. Just saying. And before I get hate if you speed up broke the law remember that.
I have yet to see a "GMRS Radio with a Removable Antenna Causes Fatality" headline in the news.....
So you’re encasing the top of the mast with CPVC?
Nope, I'm using a short piece of 3/4 CPVC pipe as a 'stub mast' to get up and away from the Aluminum mast a little bit (18" or so) to prevent any coupling with the antenna's ground plane.
Absolutely a great video, just subscribed, but that might be against the rules.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it! And were not sticklers about the rules around this camp!
You COULD call it a "Opossum tail" 👀💪🤔
That is the damn best idea I have ever heard!
The basic physics of GMRS and 2m radio is no different from HF radio. HF vertical antennas need radials. A counterpoise/pigtail is simply the "radial" for HTs.
You can have an elevated external antenna with GMRS. It's not against the rules.
Correct. But "some people" want to admonish operators running a ham rig on GMRS (UV5R) and such.
"@@Commodium For the longest time, this equipment has been the only equipment that has made repeaters on GMRS even possible. I will never understand" some people."
Only problem with those Nagoya antennas is how much of a lottery it is to get a non counterfeit antenna. I would recommend never buying one on Amazon since they've basically become a Chinese sponsored storefront.
The only ones that I have found on there that seem to be legit are on the 'btech store' that's the link I have included. I have gotten a few counterfeit ones off of there before and it will drive you nuts! I pitched them, but should have saved one for my HT antenna testing vid but that was years ago.... That video showing HT antenna testisg with a nanovna will be out soon.
Not hard to find real Nagoyas. I have a bunch of various Nagoyas and yet to recieve a fake. I order from Btech store.
Hey, what is the status of the store ?
Hello Gator! The website is currently in production. If you have an immediate need for something, I will be more than happy to help!
I asked my first question in a GMRS forum about using a dual bander with a mag mount and the second response was from guy telling me I should know that was not allowed and I should know it. This is exactly why I refuse to get a HAM license. Ya can't key up without someone looking up your ass
No one wants to answer real questions without being the self appointed radio police on those forums. There isn’t anything wrong with information. Secondly there is a TON of pretend experts out there giving bad advice. If you were to use a dual band setup in a mobile, i would use a dual band loaded 5/8 wave antenna. That way you had a good enough radiation pattern on both bands. Next I would use a mobile that had built in duplex repeater capability like DB-40D or similar radio.
That’s the response you should have gotten.
Also coming soon I have a service that will allow complete privacy on your GMRS/HAM license.
To get the most out of your Baofeng, throw it in the trash and buy an Icom.
Sure the ICOM is a much better radio, no doubt. But not everyone can afford that. Not everyone can drive a hot sup'ed up Audi Q7 (Talking to you Katie) That's why more baofengs exist in the world of hobbyist than any other brand. Doesn't make em the best by any means. But there sure are a ton of Honda Civics out the on the road.
Counterpoise.
LOL so evil
Just found my new Radio Pasta**….amen.
Subbed. I don’t expect a sub in return, in fact I strongly recommend against it. Life is too short for the stuff I have done…
**A reference to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, rather than being my radio pastor…far too much responsibility being that.
I will check you out
@@Commodium you may wish you hadn’t, instead wishing you were spending some time with family…..or Quangshang firmware, but thank you :-)