Help Needed [with portable radio antenna]

[BMedcom]

I am thinking of ordering a new antenna, and I have checked about 15 sites online, and they all show a picture of an antenna that looks like a UHF, or 800mhz "whip antenna" the one with the "ballpoint pin top" however, they claim it is a VHF 100mhz antenna? Is this true? Here is a link to one site that has a picture: http://www.kawamall.com/pd_1x_htkv136174.cfm I have heard this antenna referred to as a VHF 180mm antenna. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[N7QQU-Ken]

Good Day-

Wide band antennas are usually not very good... especially short ones. The best is to get an antenna that is tuned for the frequency range you will be using. That may mean that you will have more than one antenna to use. A pain but the most efficient use of RF energy.

That being said, Moto makes a dipole wide band antenna for VHF that works pretty well. They are not cheap. I have them on all my VHF Moto's and I am happy with the performance. The best thing to do is ask (what you are doing) and ask what folks have used and how well they work.

Have fun-
Ken

[Tom in D.C.]

Buying an aftermarket (overseas) antenna is always a crap shoot. Some are okay but most are not. You are better off by far if you spend the money on an OEM antenna. The antenna in the listing's photo may or may not be the one you are buying, to start with, so don't use it as a reference, and the manufacturing quality of these units is often between plain crummy and very low.

[RadioSouth]

Better off posting what radio you have and what range you use, you'll get recommendations. Like Tom said stay away from the unknown, your finals will thank you.

[chrismoll12]

Over the last year I have gotten sample antennas from many wholesale suppliers in Hong Kong, China, etc. The same suppliers of kawamall and such.
Heres a little FYI to anyone who buys those $2.99 aftermarket antennas on ebay.
All those "aftermarket" antennas are all the same, very badly molded rubber with a crap spiral wire on the inside and labeled for VHF, UHF, 800, 900, you name it. The sellers say they are "good aftermarket quality" is total BS. Cheaply made and poorly soldered is what you get. A favorite style like you said is the ball tip antennas. They come in VHF whips, VHF stubby, UHF whip, UHF stubby, 800 whip, 800 stubby - they're all the same except they are labeled for you to think that they are made for that range. They are all crap and do nothing but make reception worse. If you don't want to hurt your radio then buy a genuine or OEM antenna thats made for a specific range. I hate to see people buy these, they do nothing but create problems along the line

[Will]

The advertisement shows a 800 mHz antenna for Jedi radios.