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Anyone ever use one of these?


I see these on the counter at Universal R

Sorry double post.

Damn Tapatalk has submit button to close to onscreen keyword. I need to see if they can change that.
 
I don't doubt that they can help, but I have a problem with their cost. 'Specially when I can make one for pennies (and have).
- 'Doc

I like the red eye though.
 
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I've used these, made right on the spot, for half a dozen HTs in the past 20 years or so. Once, I was on a Navy ship that was having sea trials after drydocking and a massive amount of alterations and repairs. One of the officers on the bridge was complaining about his radio's lack of sensitivity. I asked him if I could borrow it, or another one. He picked up a spare and handed me the one he'd been using. I made a tiger tail, using deck tiles as a high-precision measuring device. Got it connected and handed it back to the officer. He immediately noticed received transmissions were full quieting and that he could contact other vessels much better. He was happy.
 
I would never pay that much. They have increased the price. I remember Universal selling them much cheaper.

Maybe price went up after they got a real patent and/or started selling to the Guvment people.
 
Went to OSH hardware and bought a few feet of wire. Came home and stripped 1 1/2" off the wire and made a loop using a phillips screw drive that has about the same diameter as the SMA connector. Soldered it together and put that end in a vise and squarshed the loop flat. Slipped that over the SMA and then cut the length of the wire to 20 inches. Got on to the local 2m repeater and tested signal strength. It reported a 1 S-unit increase in signal strength (went from a S-3 to a S-4 using 1 watt) over the same antenna without the 'tiger tail. Hey, not bad for $.25 of wire!
 
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A 1/4 wavelength on 2M is very close to 3/4 wavelength (odd number of quarter wavelengths) at 70cm. Shouldn't need two separate tails. For 220, however, a separate 1/4 wave tail would probably work better.
 
I installed a counterpoise on my VX-8R about a year ago and always leave it on now. I ran some tests with the stock antenna, a comet whip antenna, and the comet whip antenna with a counterpoise using an RF meter. The counterpoise, without a doubt, makes a difference. I should provide a video of my results. Whats interesting is that the field strength varies depending on where the counterpoise is pointing, but overall, it was definitely higher with the counterpoise than without.

Doubt I'd pay $31.95 for one (that's insane). You can make one for less than a quarter, or nothing if you have the parts laying around.
 

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