Ham Radio Antenna 42.5-inch Long Range SMA-Female Dual Band 144/430Mhz Foldable CS Tactical Antenna for Baofeng UV-5R BF-F8HP Pro 5RM UV-21R K5PLUS AR-152 GM-15 Pro UV-5G Plus Two Way Radio

I picked up this antenna because it folds down small and fits in my Summits On The Air (SOTA) pack. I had been using a signal stick and tested the 2 antennas head to head. I made 2 contacts with this antenna that I was not able to get with the signal stick. This one got better signal reports every time. One was a 70 mile VHF contact from a summit. I cannot say how long term durability is, but it seems sturdy enough for my use. I am going to continue to use this as a great antenna for the money.

This ABBREE 42.5-inch ham radio antenna works amazingly well with my Baofeng. It really extends the communication range far beyond the stock antenna, making a noticeable difference in signal clarity and distance. The flexible design makes it easy to carry and use without worrying about damage, and the build quality feels solid. For anyone looking to get more performance out of their Baofeng, this is a simple and affordable upgrade that truly delivers.

. have been using and testing the Nagoya 771 whip, along with the collapsible telescoping diamond whip, this abbree 42" folding is the best I've tested. On a second floor apartment, I went from there only being one tiny spot with signal, to full 4 bars and clear as day with this folding antenna with an extension smr cord, and I actually havent needed to string up my Slim Jim into a tree. And im only using an 8 watt baofeng, and the other hams are telling me im coming in crystal clear. Honestly, I knew it would be better than the Nagoya 771 (yes, I have an authentic Nagoya), but I had no idea how big of a difference. Connecting to a repeated 35 miles away (also in a mountain range, so intermittent signal based on proximity) with no issues at all, the other HAMs were surprised at what equipment I was using and still able to penetrate the walls of the house without externally mounting antenna. All In all, absolutely blew me away compared to everything else. Yes, it is but that's part of why it works so well. It is cumbersome, and you would not want to use a handheld radio with this directly attached (the length really stresses the connector), but I caught around that issue by just attaching an extension to the antenna so I dont have to touch it when in use and therefore the stress is greatly reduced.

It does improve range. I talked to the ISS repeater with my HT using it. It is crazy long, but it does fold for transport. Because of the size, it is a little awkward for hiking.

I bought this antenna to use with my Baofeng UV-5RMK5 (which is really a F8HP that for some reason is marketed under that name, but that is a different review.) It has the female SMA required by the Baofeng HTs, and it fit great. There was a small gap when fully seated that appears taken up by one washer that comes with the antenna. The folding nature of the antenna feels like a strap bracelet or tape measure internal mechanism and after some apprehension about folding it in arbitrary places, I'm over that. You can fold it however you want, but the "into thirds" approach seems to be the best way to go. I store it folded with the included velcro strap with no issues. Now, to performance. I don't have the kit to measure gain or SWR as I'm just getting started with Amateur Radio, but this thing appears to be booming. I can hit repeaters 22 miles away on 2 meters and 70 cms with this antenna and my 8 Watt radio. I've heard nothing but positive feedback and generally get full quieting on the repeaters I'm working. Folded the performance is not as good, so it really needs to be extended to work, but it is good for listening folded up. Even folded the antenna is a long lever and I do live in fear of snapping the SMA off of my radio. I ordered a ultra-flexible signal stick for more mobile use, but this thing is my go-to if I am relatively stationary and need to cover some ground or want to participate in a net / serious conversation and not just "see if I can make it". A friend has the shorter version with the flexible mount / lead to the antenna itself and I'm excited to see if that works well too. I have seen videos online where people construct home ground plane kits for this antenna and rig it for hoisting. I would think it would work great as a field antenna if run up a tree quickly. It really is a beast and I'm glad I bought it. Has made my first contacts much more enjoyable than if I was stuck with the rubber duck. There is no substitute for size when it comes to antennas and this thing proves it.

I received this antenna just recently. It is reminiscent of the antenna I had on the radio I operated on while in the Army. Always wanted one like it. The pricetag for this antenna is great! However, the quality, in terms of the sma, needs improvement; that's where a steel dental-pick comes into play. I had to compress the center pin of the antennas sma adapter because it was not making positive contact with the radio's male sma pin. This led to inconsistent rx/tx. So far it seems that my own effort to rectify the issue has been fruitful. However, it still leaves me with a sense of uncertainty and doubt. Did I receive a product that was defective? Not sure. So far, the performance is awesome. I'm able to receive and hit repeaters far more effectively compared to my rubber duck antenna. Edit: To address the question about SWR, I’ve edited this review to include the SWR readings from my antenna analyzer. Given the terrible SWR on UHF, I would only run VHF with this antenna. I don’t want to risk blowing the front-end of my expensive Motorola UHF radios. So UHF is a definite no-go. It would be great if ABBREE sent me their other models of portable antennas for me to test out.

The first thing I did with this antenna was conduct swr readings. I have triband handhelds. So here are the results I have 3 radios Baofeng A48S, UV-9S and UV-5R 144.000- 148.000 swr 1.48 through 2.16 220.000- 222.276 2.76 through 2.76 430.000- 450.00 1.28 through 2.56 In the low end of 2 meters and 70 cm this antenna will do well Much better with UV-5R Very good on 2 meter 1.41.through 1.76, 1.25 meter 3.00, 70 cm 1.88 through 1.16, UV-9S well on 2 meter 1.48 through 1.17 1.25 meter high 3 through 4 , 70 cm 2.11 through 1.99. When hiking, I mount the antenna near my shoulder and use an sma cable to connect it to the radio. The radio is in a pouch at my waist. Baofengs come with integrated mic and earpiece and you can set the radio to voice activated transmissions.

I'm going to address the three main complaints I see in other reviews. 1. "the antenna doesn't stay extended": mine arrived like this as well, but by simply applying a bit more pressure to overextended it very slightly and then leaving it on a table fully extended for a few minutes it now stays in whichever position I put it in. Some people may have had worse luck, but they also may not have done this to try to correct the problem. 2. "it doesn't seat properly without modification": I had no such problems with my Baofeng UV-5R. Screwing it in was enough for it to work without filing it down anywhere, and the included rings made it flush with the radio. 3. "the signal is bad": I'm no expert, and I don't have any fancy equipment to test the antenna with, but I can say that I'm picking up signals I couldn't with the stock antenna, and some signals that were fuzzy with the stock antenna came in clearly with the ABBREE. I haven't tested transmission yet, as I don't have a license, so I can't speak to the transmission quality, but with what I've seen so far I'm very pleased with this antenna. Overall, it's a good deal for the money. If you want a cheap, collapsible antenna you can throw in your car for when you need it, this is a good option.

Well, I've tested this antenna and compared the results with the GT-3TP stock antenna. Here is what I have found. 1 - Range test This was done in a very hilly area which had tree coverage. We were unable to make contact using the Baofeng antenna. When this antenna was used - success over a 10km distance on the 433.5Mhz UHF frequency. The 2M band was unsuccessful. 2 - Price Comparing the result to other antenna which were very similar in price this antenna performed the best 5 Stars. 3 - Build The antenna comes with a set of rubber washes. I did not use them as I wanted a good ground connection. The antenna is a much better fit on the GT-3TP without the washers. I can recommend this antenna.

Per i2metri è impareggiabile!!!

Good quality and works well. Only complaint is that the antenna won't stay open as easily over time. I recommend storing the antenna fully open to maximize the elasticity.

Excelente antena. La ocupo en un baofeng y me funciona muy bien mejorando mucho la recepción.

I have had this antenna for a day and has been good over since I tried to unscrew it today and the whole thing came apart and all the transistors inside fell out. It seems to be very cheap in the little thing that actually connects it to the radio. Other than that before it broke it works pretty well.