mobile uhf antennas,,what is the best

I have one of these also and more than happy with the performance.

Leroy

Gidday,The higher they are the easier to be wiped out on trees etc.Then you have no antenna.I use a ground independante which means you can mount them anywhere.Mine is mounted on the bull bar so you can keep your eye on it when 4wd driving.
Seeya Locallaw.

reply to locallaw i alresdy have a ground inderpendent anteena on the top of my bull bar,i think it is a 4,5 db gain job but it dont seem to be picking up a lot of traffic,,have done radio checks on channel 40 and have lots of replys,but still not happy with it would like more range,,steve

Voxson is right, however it applies to the base only.
ie an ariel 3cm tall will work better 3m off the ground than a 2m tall antenna would sitting on the ground.

I use a 3db dipole that cost $27 inc GST, it's tiny and flexible so it doesn't break when out push and does better around town and in hills than the higher db's quite often do. The higher DB antennas work better in long flat country. Normally on the flat country my convoy is next to me anway! It's only in the hills and rough country where we get seperated.

The idea with a guttermount antenna is to have a swing down base so you can swing it down when coming into 4x4 territory....

And also to get into the dam low garage door!! LOL
The gutter would have been better than the bonnet for sure, but you need a gutter first!!
Been toying with the idea of mounting it to the rhino sportz racks but the rig works great so I just havn't been bothered...

I'll go with Utemad on this, the GME 4700 are brilliant, I used to use an AE409, which I thought was good until changing over to a 4705. I can now talk over the range on simplex that previously required to use the repeater. On extremely flat country with not much in the way of tree's, the 4706 antenna can be utilised in the same mounting. Or if I go shooting, a 409 antenna can be put in, which presents less for a wayward bullet, not that, that ever happens. Point is, there is just so much you can do with 4700 series. They are so good I'm buying a second for myself when I pick up the second Rodeo this week.

Cheers,

Dion.

Yeah those look good at least you have some flexibility, when my surf grows up and get's a bullbar I might put one on, however with it bonnet mounted the smaller flexi antennas probally the safer bet.
In saying that it's bloody copped a pounding, been bent right over flat touching the bonnet in dense bush and still goes strong.

Steve,

Have to agree with Eric and Leroy, POLAR are the best, taking into account size, price and performance.

Have tried the GME 4706 & 4705, and while the principle is very practical, I've found that they haven't lasted. Both the 5 & 6 have gone out of tune, so they don't like roads around western qld. The performance of 409's is good but the stainless steel whips break on corrugations, no matter where they are mounted.

Have struck a number of townies that use a small aerial round town, but have a base(for 6dB whip) mounted on bullbar permanently, for bush trips.

Like fridges and 4WDS, Steve, your choice,

Hoorroo...

steve i getting very confused now with all these antennas,anyway were and who suppies these polar atennas

Steve,

Have a look at the Prestige Comms site, they have at least 2 extended gain aerials, which are similar in performance, and cost to the Polars. The 3/6dB Benelec might be the pick, as it has a 3dB whip that you could use when around town, or in very hilly terrain.

I recently bought a GME extended gain aerial, which on inspection, is only a 4.5dB gain. Don't think I'll fit it until the AE409 breaks off, or else buy one of those Benelecs. Dick Smith has them in his Catalogue too.

Hooroo...

Your supposed to use a special grease Dave.

Mind you when I was installing my 4705 I dropped it in the dirt and all the dirt got stuck in the grease GRRRRRRRRRR. Had to clean it all up and regrease it.

My 4705 has a chip on the front of it though when I forgot to remove it and ran it into the garage door. It bent over on the spring though and made it into the garage.

Doh!