Nagoya NA-771 antenna for Baofeng HT

Started by raybiker73, November 11, 2012, 03:18:13 AM

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raybiker73

I bought a Nagoya brand NA-771 HT antenna from eBay for $7, and I'm really impressed with it. It's a flexible whip, about 15" long. I figured it would be better than the stock antenna on my little Baofeng UV-5RA, but it is REALLY better. In fact, I can now hit repeaters with the Baofeng that I can't hit with my Yaesu VX-7R. It even picks up broadcast FM pretty well, whereas the stock antenna was pretty much useless for this. If you have one of the little Chinese HT's, spend the money and pick one of these up, they're worth every penny.


cockpitbob

Ray, thanks for posting this.  I have a FT-60R and have been living with the factory rubber duck.  I didn't know about these antennas, but they get good reviews on eHam so I just ordered one (male SMA).

raybiker73

Make sure to post how it works on your FT-60R. I might pick up another one for my VX-7R.

cockpitbob

Will do.  I have a roll up slim jim pinned to my office wall.  I'll compare it to the stock duck and the Nagoya.

White Tiger

Do you know if this work for the Baofeng UV-3R (the smaller HT)?
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

cockpitbob

Quote from: White Tiger on November 21, 2012, 06:05:48 AM
Do you know if this work for the Baofeng UV-3R (the smaller HT)?
It's all about the connector on the radio.  Most HTs use the SMA connector but some are male and some female.  I had to hunt for the male for my FT-60R.

raybiker73

Quote from: White Tiger on November 21, 2012, 06:05:48 AM
Do you know if this work for the Baofeng UV-3R (the smaller HT)?

Yeah, just look for the SMA Female version. You can find a ton of them on ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/af87e7x

White Tiger

Quote from: raybiker73 on November 21, 2012, 11:09:57 AM
Quote from: White Tiger on November 21, 2012, 06:05:48 AM
Do you know if this works for the Baofeng UV-3R (the smaller HT)?

Yeah, just look for the SMA Female version. You can find a ton of them on ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/af87e7x

Thanks Ray, located, and bought one, for a little more than $7 dollars!

I'll let you know the performance, as by then I should have read, understood, and USED this to make a contact!

Just a note for other new "ham's" - an HT this small requires some technical understanding - and 2m operation is a LOT more difficult than HF!

Ask me how I know...!
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

cockpitbob

Quote from: White Tiger on November 22, 2012, 12:30:04 AM
Just a note for other new "ham's" - an HT this small requires some technical understanding - and 2m operation is a LOT more difficult than HF!

Ask me how I know...!
A wise old ham I know put it this way.  A computer has a 20" screen and a keyboard with about 90 keys.  An HT is a computer with a 2" screen and a keyboard with about 20 keys. 

White Tiger

Quote from: cockpitbob on November 22, 2012, 09:50:34 AM
Quote from: White Tiger on November 22, 2012, 12:30:04 AM
Just a note for other new "ham's" - an HT this small requires some technical understanding - and 2m operation is a LOT more difficult than HF!

Ask me how I know...!
A wise old ham I know put it this way.  A computer has a 20" screen and a keyboard with about 90 keys.  An HT is a computer with a 2" screen and a keyboard with about 20 keys.

Perfect analogy!
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

cockpitbob

Quote from: cockpitbob on November 11, 2012, 09:23:53 PM
Will do.  I have a roll up slim jim pinned to my office wall.  I'll compare it to the stock duck and the Nagoya.
I got my NA771SM with the male SMA connector for my Yaesu FT-60R.  Tonight I went outside to compare antennas during a 2M club net.  I'm dissapointed with the Nagoya antenna.  At 15.5" long it is more than twice as long as the stock Yaesu 7" duck that came with my HT.  The 2 antennas performed identically.  As I moved around they both bounced between S5 and S6.  For reference, I hung my Ed fong shirt-pocket roll-up J-pole on a branch 7' up.  It did 3 S-units better at S9, but it usually does.

So, the Nagoya is a good value for a replacement antenna, but it isn't an upgrade from the Yaesu 7" duck and since it's longer I'm sticking with the duck.

White Tiger

#11
Sorry to hear this, hoping the results are better from my Baofeng UV-3R...I'll let you know!

Quote from: cockpitbob on November 25, 2012, 10:28:33 PM
For reference, I hung my Ed fong shirt-pocket roll-up J-pole on a branch 7' up.  It did 3 S-units better at S9, but it usually does.

I bought a 2m antenna from him and asked some questions during the process. Dr Fong replied, answered my questions, including a response to an invitation to,check out our site here at Radio Preppers (...said he would), and enclosed a handwritten note thanking me for supporting his students (whom, he says, actually does the tuning of the antenna's)!
If you're looking for me, you're probably looking in the wrong place.

cockpitbob

Quote from: White Tiger on November 26, 2012, 02:20:24 AM
Quote from: cockpitbob on November 25, 2012, 10:28:33 PM
For reference, I hung my Ed fong shirt-pocket roll-up J-pole on a branch 7' up.  It did 3 S-units better at S9, but it usually does.

I bought a 2m antenna from him and asked some questions during the process. Dr Fong replied, answered my questions, including a response to an invitation to,check out our site here at Radio Preppers (...said he would), and enclosed a handwritten note thanking me for supporting his students (whom, he says, actually does the tuning of the antenna's)!
Yeah, Ed Fong is an awesome down to earth guy.  When I bought his PVC pipe base station antenna and the shirt-pocket roll-up he also answered questions and chatted by email.  People like him make Ham radio (or any hobby) great.

Paul

I'm surprised it do at least a little better than a 'standard' rubber duck.  Just for grins, try adding a 'rat tail' to that HT and see what happens.  Still wouldn't expect any huge differeces but 'some'.
- Paul

cockpitbob

Good idea about the rat tail.  I'll give that a try and report back.