What's a good VHF/UHF ham radio antenna?
I will be purchasing a Yaesu FT-7800 dual band VHF/UHF radio in the next couple of weeks.
I am seeing all kinds of antennas being advertised with different connectors (N-connectors, PL-259 plugs, BNC and SMA fittings). They are quoted at various dBs of gain, and different wavlength designs. It is confusing.
Does having a higher DBI get you better range? And does buying a longer antenna mean you are going to get better receive and transmit signals?
I will be purchasing a vertical antenna for the two bands and was just looking for a little bit of help to understand what these things actually mean when you are operating the radio equipment.
The set up will be mobile, in a vehicle.
The Yaesu FT-7800 is a nice radio that covers the Amateur 2 meter band and the Amateur 70cm band. You will enjoy it. (I have the FT-1802 and the FT-1807 myself, that’s two separate radios for the same two bands.)
My radios have So-239 sockets on the back, which are matched by a PL-259 plug (male) on the coax cable. What’s at the other end of the coaxial cable all depends on the antenna you choose to buy, and the base fitting that is used to mount the antenna on your car.
SMA connectors are tiny and are used on handhelds, so they won’t apply to you. N-connectors are very high quality and are often used for UHF connections on base-station UHF antennas. BNC connectors are used with many older handhelds, and are used on the front panel of the Yaesu FT-817 multi-band amateur radio portable – which also has an SO-239 connector on the rear. (I _think_ this is the same connector you have on the back of your dual-band rig, but I haven’t got one here to confirm that.)
You are right about the antenna. If it has some db gain, that helps you to transmit and receive. Just pick a good brand-name, such as Diamond, and you won’t go wrong. Make sure the base and mount will fit your car. Common places are gutter-mount or boot/trunk mount. Or you may decide on a magnet mount antenna that goes on your car s roof.
To help you decide, take a look at the Reviews section of eHam.net and view vhf/uhf mobile antennas. See what the people who own and use them have to say!