Rich Bartlein
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2025
I wasn't really able to assess the functionality of this antenna. When I attached it to the roof of my car and began to drive, the magnet let go and the antenna was flailing at the end of the cable. I was on the freeway so it took a few minutes to take an exit to stop and bring it back inside.I would look for a mobile antenna with a more substantial magnetic mount.
J. Sullivan
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
This antenna has a low SWR on 2m, 70cm and GMRS. It may not produce a useful pattern on GMRS, but the radio won't complain.
Merriwether
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
As a ham radio operator, I kind of have an addiction to antennas. This one was picked up to put on my wife's car for those times when I have to drive it. I didn't see any reduction in receiving and my transmissions were on par with the more expensive, permanently mounted 2m/70cm antenna on my vehicle. My concern is that the overall quality of construction and materials suggests it won't last a long time, especially when exposed to a lot of sunlight. This mainly seems to be an antenna you might lend a newbie rather than use yourself, or maybe keep as a spare for some reason, considering how inexpensive it is. I'd rate it a good value for its price, but not something to rely upon.
Andras
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
This is a great antenna overall. Strong enough magnet, correct antenna length, okay cable, and two connector choices thanks to the included adapter. It works well on both VHF and UHF HAM radio bands. I would use it for temporary installation, but for daily use I would look for something permanent, not magnet mounted. Highly recommended for a quick and capable solution.
roblaux
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
I purchased the Ham Radio Vehicle Car Mobile Radio Antenna Dual Band VHF UHF 136-174MHz 400-520MHz Magnetic Base PL259, and for me this is just OK. I intended to use this on my handheld Baofeng while driving. I don’t have the equipment to make a professional analysis, only my ears, but the antenna does not seem to work any better than the one included on my radio when it is inside the vehicle. The large PL259 connector and adapter fit the radio correctly, and they may be plenty strong, but they give the appearance of breaking off in the future. The antenna and cable look well built and the magnet is strong. For my use, I think this antenna will remain on the shelf and not in the vehicle…
MinnesotaDrew
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2024
Very good uhf/vhf dual bander, very minimal/low profile. It doesn't have enough bandwidth to be a great GMRS antenna but it would do OK in a pinch. The coax is decent, I'm glad they didn't make it too long because RG58 is pretty lossy at UHF frequencies, but the downside of RG58 is its neither too big nor too small so its the worst of both worlds... a lot of loss yet still hard to run it through a door jam without too much pinching. But RG58 is what most of these kits use so... you can't hardly get away from it. All you can do is keep the length down to keep the loss down, which they've done here. Magnet seems strong and with this small of an antenna doesn't seem to have issues holding it at highway speeds, but I would put a sticker or painters tape under it for long-term use to protect the pain.
Michael Smith
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2024
Hooked up easily and worked perfectly right out of the box
IT Gal
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2024
While this isn’t a premium VHF/UHF antenna, such as a Nagoya, it is certain a capable antenna performance-wise for this price point. I tested it on my 2M net and it did quite well. In fact, it did almost as well as my base Diamond X30A when placed at similar height (on my garage roof). This antenna features a nice strong magnetic mount that will definitely stay well in place. It covers 136-174MHz and 400-520MHz and has a male PL259 connector on the end at ~10’. It also includes a female SMA adapter in case you don’t already have one for your Chinese brand radio. This is certainly a capable antenna and in my tests does well for both receive and transmit within the defined range. This would be a good second SHTF antenna or extra antenna to keep in your car should your main antenna conk out. I like the antenna, I really like the price, and it would make a good starter antenna for a new ham that needs one for mobile use.