KB7INO's Portable VHF/UHF Station Page

My Mobile and Portable VHF/UHF Radios are :

Radio	Bands	Modes	Comments
Yaesu FT-817	HF 6 meter 2 meters 70 centimeters	All Mode	Used for Camping and outings Used for my "Upstairs Shack"
Icom IC-2100	2 meters	FM	Installed in my Chevy Astro Antenna is a 5/8 wave. Really Great Receiver
Kenwood TM751A	2 meters	All Mode	Portable/Mobile This Radio puts out a maximum of 25 Watts. This means I can run it from a cigerratte lighter when in a rental car. 25 Watts is a huge difference when compared to 5 Watts of an HT. This has a really sensitive receiver.
Yaesu FT-530 HT	2 meters 70 centimeters	FM	Got it in July of 1994. My favorite non-mini HT. Check out my review on www.eham.net
Radio Shack HTX-200 - HT	2 meters	FM	Spare HT I got on Clearance ($80)! I usually carry this in my brief case.
Radio Shack HTX-400 - HT	70 centimeters	FM	Spare HT I got on Clearance ($30)!
Kenwood 21AT	2 meters	FM	Spare HT with no CTSSS that I got for $20!!!
Motorola T-6220 - a few of them A few others I picked up here and there for less than $5 a piece	FRS	NFM	When you go camping with non-hams what else can you use? I like FRSs because now they are real cheap.  - If you look around, you can find them for less than $10 a piece. I usually carry a FRS in my briefcase.
Radio Shack 21-1850 Mobile FRSs  - bought these on clearance  - these are no longer sold  - click here for a review	FRS	NFM	These give much better range when going from car to car.   - great for highway/rural communications.   - OK for urban type areas.     - you will go farther, but you will hear everybody in between This is probably the longest range FRS you can purchase   - 500 mW out - the max allowed by the FCC   - 1/4 wavelength non-loaded antenna. This is much easier to set up than CB   - No big antennas   - No CB radio to stuff somewhere

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My Mobile and Portable VHF/UHF Antennas are :

Antenna	Bands
2 meter dipole   - telescopic antenna that is 19" long  and  6.5" closed   - 19" wire counterpoise   - mounted on a BNC to PL259 adapter   - If I can hit a repeater with 2.5 Watts on a rubber duck      then I can hit it with 250 mW with this antenna	2 meters 440 MHz     - via 3rd Harmonic     - probably a poor VSWR
2 meter / 440 hershey kiss mag antenna   - Used mobile while on business trips	2 meters 440
Radio Shack 2 meter 5/8 wave	6/2 meter I use this antenna for 2 mtr SSB I use this for 6 meter
Dual band antenna 5/8 wave on 2 meters 1/2 wave over 1/2 wave on 440 MHz   - mounted on van   - my van has a fiberglass top, so I wanted a full antenna     - if I used a 1/4 wave, I still need a ground to work against   - when compared to the 1/4 wave on my previous car,      I go much further with this antenna I like it better that an regular 2 meter 5/8 waves because the antenna is smaller so there is less waving in the wind, hence less flutter for local repeater	My main 2 meter antenna.

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Something worth mentioning about VHF/UHF HT Antenna

If you want a extra punch in you signal, consider adding a 1/4 wave counterpoise to you rubber duck antenna.

For 2 meters, this is about 19.5 inches long.
To make one just cut a wire, put a loop at the end so that you can slip it over your BNC connector.
What is happening is that this now becomes the other half of your antenna and this makes a HUGE difference.

It is the best  antenna improvement you can get for the smallest amount of money.

Many times, with my highpower HT (Yaesu FT-530),  with just the rubberduck, I would need the full 2.5 watts to make a repeater.
But if I attached a 19.5" wire to the ground, I'd make the repeater on  0.5 Watts.
That is a 7 dB reduction in power... or you could say 7dB increase in antenna gain.

Once when I went to visit my parents house, my mini HT (Icom Q7A) was not making the repeater.
So I attached a 19.5" wire to the SMA connetor of  the HT, and I hit the repeater full quieting!

When I was in High School, my buddy and I were about 2 miles apart.
From rubberduck to rubberduck we were scratchy.
One we both added the counterpoises, we were full quieting.

You can always buy a full size antenna, but that would be ~40 inches long... but this way to big to carry.
Even the 19" antennas still need a counterpoise, and a 19" tall antenna is still not easily carry-able.
With my idea, the counter poise just hangs down and out of the way.

If you want a full size antenna, you can always make one.
Please see what I did below under the "2 meter dipole" section.

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