2M antenna

[parttimehammer]

Hey all,

I recently moved from SoCal to Oklahoma City, and while there is a repeater I can reach here in OKC, it is so very faint that I can not seem to make the connection. Wondering what kind of an antenna I could find in the area that would be cheap and allow me to hit some more repeaters? I have a Wouxun KG UV3D 2M/440

 

[W5LZ]

Almost any antenna other than a 'rubberduck' will be an improvement. The OKC repeaters are vertically polarized so hanging a simple dipole vertically near a window (if not outside), should get you into at least one repeater. An antenna outside at roof height should get you several repeaters.
- 'Doc

 

[Dave_W6DPS]

Yo9u might think aboput a J-pole:

http://www.w5fc.org/files/how-to/j-pole/MENTORFEST_ANTENNA.pdf

Or a simple ground plane:

http://www.northcountryradio.com/PDFs/groundplane.pdf

For easy directional antennas here is what I use:

W6DPS

Or any of the various commercial equivalents:

MFJ Enterprises Inc.

I agree with W5LZ, anything beats a rubber-ducky for performance. They are just the most convenient for carrying.

Dave_W6DPS

 

[Slothq]

Try 444.10, I can hit it from El Reno with a duck well the big MFJ duck about half the time,
and 146.925, 146.82, if you want to try a contact sometime let me know, we can even make plans for it email auctionmaster46@yahoo.com

good luck
Slothq
KF5ORR

 

[parttimehammer]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I like the looks of that home built ground plane, and while I feel I could build one, have no idea how to do so.

I would love to try and get a contact with you, I have been on 144.100 successfully, Ill have to try the other two. Are there any PL or freq shifts?

 

[kd-5-bgt]

I made a j-pole for my base rig a few years back and it worked surprizingly well..

just some rigid copper pipe 1/2 inch a few elbows and T's,a so239 chassie connector a propane torch and some solder...all it took was a couple of hours of time from the first cut of pipe to on a mast and I was on the air

 

[W5LZ]

Almost no one has (or has had) just one antenna. There are just too many things that can affect how well -any- antenna works, so I think everyone tries a few to see what's 'best' for them in any particular situation. So, try a few, see what happens to work best for you and just remember what you did with the other ones cuz you'll try them again, you know?
Your options run from making your own to visiting your banker to try another option. Suit your self in that regard, sort of. Antennas aren't difficult to make, and really simple ones do better than you might think. Build or buy a simple groundplane type thingy, see how it does. That's probably the 'base' line antenna for VHF antennas, the one most people make comparisons to. A 'coat-hanger' groundplane antenna for 2 meters ought'a get you a gob of OKC repeaters. The one thing that will make more difference than almost all the rest is antenna height on VHF/UHF. The 'catch' with that is -getting- that height, where and how. Do what you can, that's what all of us do.
A dipole hung vertically is another 'easy' antenna to make. How you go about that is dependent only on what you have available and your imagination (within reason). Then you get into the commercial antenna market! Hooo, that's an area where some experience is certainly helpful (along with some disbelief in 'claims'!). Lot's of choices!
Good luck.
- 'Doc

(That coat-hanger antenna means using a metal coat-hanger! The plastic ones are the only worse antenna than a rubberducky that I can think of. )

 

[Slothq]

Amateur and GMRS radio repeaters in Oklahoma

This site should have all the offsets and tones you will need, most of the new radios have auto offsets and a tone search, I always check though. They are not always right.

My Icom W32A even has them and I think it was made in 94.

so long
Slothq

 

[W5LZ]

I just took a look at that site. As with almost -all- repeater listings I've seen, it isn't exactly up to date and/or correct in all the supplied information. It is 'close enough' that you should be able to get the required offsets/tones in most cases. You might also take a look at the 'ORSA' (Oklahoma Repeater Society) web site. They do the coordinating for Oklahoma and while not completely up to date, it's the "official" source of information.
If nothing else, try the 146.520 calling freq and ask for local information. I can't imagine with the number of hams in OKC that it isn't monitored (some, anyway).
Have fun.
- 'Doc