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need Ideas for Omni directional antennas for 144/440 and 23cm

If you want lots of 'gain' or 'range', pick an antenna that can cover the bands in question and get LOTS of height. An antenna for indoor use isn't going to do much better than the rubber duck that comes with most HTs. A simple 1/4 wave antenna will do well if you get it high enough (although a 1/4 wave has no gain at all, has a negative gain when compared to the standard antenna used to measure gain, a 1/2 wave). If you're looking for a 'portable' antenna I think you are out of luck as far as the gain/range thingy is concerned.
That height thingy is important on 2 meters, more important on 70CM, and a -requirement- for 1.2Ghz.
Good luck.
 
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And just for grins...
A simple 1/4 wave antenna on an HT will certainly do better than the regularly supplied 'duck'. There's also a 'trick' with that 1/4 wave, add the 'other-half' to it and have a 1/2 wave antenna. That 'other-half' is commonly called a 'rat's-tail', a piece of wire about 15 - 19 inches long connected to the chassis of the HT that dangles down. It sounds to simple to be worth much, but it'll surprise you!

That 1/4 wave is around 15-19 inches long/tall. Not as convenient as the shorter 'duck', but will make an improvement. Don't use a 'loaded' or 'shortened' antenna, there's no benefit other than 'bragging rights'.

Anytime time you 'shorten' an antenna you are sacrificing a bit of efficiency! How much efficiency you loose is directly proportional to how much that antenna is shortened. A good example is an 80 meter mobile antenna. 'Normal' 1/4 wave is about 125 feet. Shorten it to 10 - 12 feet and you're left with maybe 1 - 2% efficiency! No, it really is that low...
Paul
 
GP-95
Tri-Band 146/446/1200MHz
Gain & Wave:146MHz 6.0dBi 5/8 wave x 2
446MHz 8.6dBi 5/8 wave x 4
1200MHz 12.8dBi 5/8 wave x 9
VSWR: 1.5:1 or less
Max Power:150W/100W 1200MHz
Length: 8′ 0″
Weight: 2 lbs. 10 ozs
Connector: N-Type
Construction: Heavy-duty fiberglass
 
Not in order...

'Tiger Tail' or 'rat's tail', same thing different name. Call it a moneky's tail, that'd work too.

Nope, 63 feet (there abouts) is a 1/4 wave on 80 meters. The part about 1 or maybe 2% efficiency is still right. (It'd be about a 1/8 wave on 160m though...)
Paul


Sorry about the late post. Spent the last 5 days in the hospital because of a new girl friend. Her name is Pneumococcal Pneumonia... one a them exotic girls that just won't turn loose of you... Okay, the girl friend part's a lie, but the rest ain't.
 
BJ... I appreciate it, thanks. Began on a Monday, Hospital on Thursday. No Idea where it came from. One more day and it'd have been to late.
 

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