For a reliable off-road communications setup based on GMRS, one of the most crucial elements to making it all work is a good antenna. We’ve used high-gain GMRS antennas on our vehicles, but never on our handhelds, and have previously been skeptical of so called “tactical antennas” which are military-style, fold-over jobs extending ridiculous lengths. The issue with the previous versions of fold-over tactical antennas has been high SWR, but there are now models which are tuned for GMRS.
High SWR – Standing Wave Ratio – is sort of like radio frequency “feedback” that gets radiated back into your radio, reducing range and possibly harming a handheld unit.
SWR Test of the ABBREE GMRS Tactical Antenna
When we found out that someone was actually making a 5/8 wave tactical GMRS antenna, using an SMA female connection, (which our Baofeng UV-9G and GMRS-9R uses) and tuned specifically for 462-467 MHz, we thought “why not” it’s $9, why not just try it?
The first thing we did after receiving ours was check the SWR on GMRS channels 1-7 and on 15-22, plus the repeater channels. The reading on the meter in the photo above was taken while on channel 16. The Abbree AR-152’s SWR reading measured a nice 1.15 on all channels tested, including the repeater offsets For more info on checking your radio’s SWR see How to Set GMRS Radio SWR.
Can You Use a Tactical GMRS Antenna When It’s Folded Over?
We even tested the SWR of the Abbree AR-152 tactical GMRS antenna when folded over, and it wasn’t terrible, reading between 1.3 and 1.5 across all GMRS frequencies. When we folded it over and tied it off with the Velcro strap, the total length measured under nine inches. At its full extension it’s not small, as you can see it sticking way out of our day pack in the photo.
Did The Tactical Antenna Boost Our GMRS Handheld’s Range?
After testing the SWR to make sure the antenna was tuned for GMRS frequencies, we tried tuning in the NOAA weather channels in our local area. While NOAA weather stations use VHF, not UHF like GMRS, testing the antenna on these channels would be a good indication of its signal grabbing capability. Without the tactical antenna, using our Nagoya 5.5″ whip we could receive just one weather radio station, located about 25 miles away in Austin. After we screwed on the Abbree tactical GMRS antenna we could pull in three more NOAA stations, one from College Station – 80 miles away – Llano, TX – 61 miles away and even San Antonio at 90 miles away.
On channel 18 we could hit a repeater 28 miles away, across a developed urban area. We called a friend who lives 7 miles away on channel 16 to try talking with and without the tactical antenna. Without it, using the Nagoya 5.5″ whip, we were readable, but with a weak signal and static on both ends. After switching to the Abbree 19″ antenna, we had a solid copy on both transmit and receive, with barely any static – at 7 miles away, across a crowded city, using only 5 watts.
We’ve since used the Abbree tactical GMRS antenna when hiking in New Mexico, where we were able to keep in touch with camp up to 8 miles away in rugged terrain, as well as hit a repeater over 60 miles away, up in the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft. A similar Baofeng 5 watt handheld, without the tactical GMRS antenna, couldn’t hit the same repeater, but both our 50 watt mobile and the handheld using the military- style fold-over antenna were both “full quieting” from over sixty miles away. (It also didn’tt hurt that we were at 8,000′ elevation!)
How a Tactical Antenna Doubled the Power of Our GMRS Handheld
Our Baofeng UV-9G puts out 4.9 watts of RF power, as tested on our SWR meter, a Surecom SW-102 that we using for bench testing. The folding, Abbree 18.89″ tactical GMRS antenna has an effective antenna length of 15.24″ (5/8 wave) and, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, should give us 3dB gain over a theoretical dipole antenna – even more gain when compared to our quarter-wave 5.5″ whip.
The calculator below is used by amateur radio operators. It shows the ERP or Effective Radiated Power of our 5 watt Baofeng should theoretically be almost doubled using the 3 dB gain tactical GMRS antenna. A similar signal gain on the receive end means allows us to receive stations we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to when not using the high-gain GMRS antenna on our handheld.
The Bottom Line: Would We Buy the 19″ Abbree AR-152 Tactical GMRS Antenna Again?
Most folks don’t really want a giant antenna on their handheld, but in certain circumstances where the usable range of a radio is more important than looks, we can see where a high-gain tactical GMRS antenna like the AR-152 could be very useful. When trying to keep in touch with a group in a remote area, where safety often depends on reliable two-way radio communication, or during disaster relief-efforts, a folding, tactical GMRS antenna should be extremely useful for giving that extra little boost to handheld GMRS radios.
For our own use, whenever we head off from camp on a long hike or kayak to the far side of a lake, we enjoy knowing that we’re carrying a radio that’s more able to reach our family back at camp, or a distant repeater if we really needed to. For situations when range is crucial, it’s easy enough just to carry a 5/8 wave high gain GMRS antenna in our backpack and quickly put on, if our radio needs a boost.
“Would we buy it again?”
The Abbrree tactical GMRS antenna scores points for its low price (around $9), its range-boosting 3 dB gain and for having a blunt tip that won’t put somebody’s eye out.
That being said, after buying two of these – which we’ll keep – we’ll probably use a couple less obtrusive looking Nagoya NA-771G 15″ antennas on our other radios instead for long range applications and swap them out for the shorter 5.5″ Nagoya NA-701G for pocket carrying our handheld.
Can Tactical GMRS Antennas Also be Practical?
Abbree also makes a 42.5″ tactical GMRS antenna, which is just a bit ridiculous, since it’s length makes it impractical for day-to-day use. A smaller version, the Abbree AR-152 GMRS tactical antenna, has a length of 18.89 inches, making it practical for use outside of a vehicle (inside the cab not so much), and for carrying in a backpack.
The only issue that we see with using any larger than stock tactical antenna on your Baofeng or similar handheld is that if any leverage was ever placed on the heavy antenna relative to the radio it might damage the male SMA connector on the handset. So far we’ve had no issues, but do treat our handheld a bit more carefully when using the folding antenna.
It also makes the radio more top-heavy, so you also have to be a bit more careful when leaving it standing up on a campsite table, since a breeze can blow it over. In terms of day to day practicality this antenna is definitely usable, but more cumbersome than the Nagoya NA-771G (see our review here) which also has 3 dB gain.
Performance in Heavy Winds
When we were recently standing on the summit of Mt. Elbert in Colorado at 14,440‘, we could feel the antenna catching some wind, but it never folded despite some strong gusts. You’re definitely aware it’s there, much more than the Nagoya NA-771G when the wind is blowing.
When we climbed Mt. Elbert last week we got a good signal report through a repeater located more than 100 miles away. This was our longest handheld to repeater range ever, but at almost three miles high it’s not surprising.
Tips For Using The AR-152 GMRS Tactical Antenna
We’ve noticed that the Abbree fold-over tactical AR-152 GMRS antenna works best when used out in the open, away from metal objects, just like any other handheld’s antenna. We’ve also noticed that often you can get a much better signal by tilting the antenna at a certain angle or finding a “sweet spot”, leaving us to think there might be some directionality to it’s radiation pattern. When using it in a vehicle, it’s best to use the strap and fold it over to half its size to make it more manageable.
Note: If you decide to purchase this antenna, know that the AR-152 must be the GMRS version to be tuned for that band, otherwise you’ll get a dual band ham antenna.
A Better Alternative to the Abbree AR-152
An excellent alternative to the Abbree tactical GMRS antenna is the Nagoya NA-771G, which is three inches shorter but still offers 3 dB of gain in a 5/8 wave GMRS handheld antenna. This antenna is less obvious on the radio. While it’s flexible, it can’t be doubled over like the Abbree. At 15″ of length, minus the lower shaft on the Abbree tactical, it offers the same gain in a shorter package.
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