uhf antenna

[Shager]

What size do you use 6.db 4.5db 9db high medium low gain?

[Estelle]

3db ground independent from memory. General use.

[qlddsl]

I have a gme ae4705?, with the 4' aerial(6.6db gain) This stays on 90% of the time, and the 6' (8.1db)for open country trips. There are also a couple of other aerials that fit the base.

[crackacoldie]

The higher the gain, the flatter the signal radiates out of the antenna, so on flat open country a higher gain antenna is best, lower gain antennas work better in hilly country as they send the signal on a broader vertical angle, over a shorter distance.

  Cracka

[Fivid]

As it was described to me by a radio tech, our 4.5db aerial puts out a signal shaped like a donut so is good in the high country where we do most of our driving.  Our other UHF runs off  a tiny 100mm aerial (not sure of the db rating) which is on a magnetic base on the roof and it puts out a signal shaped like a pancake, won't get over too many hills but goes out a long way.  We found around Birdsville and along the Oodnadatta Tk that we could communicate with people for quite a while using that aerial before the other UHF even picked them up.

 
Dave

[Hogie]

I use a RFI Explorist (http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=56) which comes with two different gain whips. I keep the small on on around town (because the Patrol fits in the garage with it on and doesn't hit the door all the way in) and I put the larger one on when we are heading off on a trip. It's a ten second change over just simply unscrew one and screw on the other.

[Bennlexx]

And now a different antenna question.

I have just purchased a new 80 channel UHF to put in the new Prado.  Was thinking that there could be some benefit installing the old 40 channel as well eg one on channel 18 the other channel 40 etc.  The question is do I need two antennas or is it possible use a splitter on the one antenna for both radios?

[speedcomm]

You need 2 antennas. No easy off the shelf way to share 1 antenna with 2 radios unfortunately 

[Bennlexx]

Thanks speedcomm.  Thought that would be the answer.