Replacement to my rubber duck - A LOT more static than the duck, is the antenna bad?

[nckwltn]

I purchased a Comet SMA-24J to replace the rubber duck on my Baofeng UV-5R+.

Tonight, while listening in on a local net, I was switching between the two antenna (24J and RD). Pretty much without fail, I was getting a better sounding reception with the duck. Everyone that I could hear, seemed to have a stronger signal with the duck. With the 24J, there was A LOT more static, and depending on how I held the radio, and the orientation of the radio, the signal would be too weak, and the squelch would kick in. Not the same with the duck, I could hold it just about in any orientation and was able to hear the transmissions in just about any orientation.

I did try the radio+antennas in multiple physical locations, but had the same results.

The 24J antenna is pretty floppy, and if I let if flop around, as it moves around I can hear the static kind of phase in and out. But I still get static if I stop the antenna from flopping around (I don't hold onto the antenna after stabilizing it)

A couple of things to know: The net was on 145.570, in the San Fernando Valley. I live on the north side of the valley, up out of the valley a little. I have near direct line of sight with just about the entire SFV. Which is where everyone else on the net would be transmitting from. I don't have my license yet, so I can't transmit.


So my question: I'm concerned that I have a bad example of this antenna. Is there anything I can do without some other equipment to test the antenna?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I'd make sure the center contact in the connector is good, not bent, broken or in some way not making solid contact with the radio side. Other than this it might just be the nature of the antenna. I have one of them and know the fading phenomenon as the antenna flops around but the benefit of super flexibility proves useful just the same. Just have to keep steady if you're at the fringe. I like using it when I have my HT in a chest rig or backpack, the antenna doesn't get in the way & snapped off.

 

[nat]

I've read elsewhere that the Bao Feng radios don't perform well with a good antenna.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I've read elsewhere that the Bao Feng radios don't perform well with a good antenna.

That's ridiculous, the laws of physics are the same for the Chinese as they are for anyone else. Now what might be the case is what kinds of antennas work best are different. The stock rubber duckies have the benefit of being designed specifically to work with the radio they come on, so the Baofeng designers might have done something unique that makes a particular type of antenna work better. The SMA-24 is a 1/4 wavelength and maybe on my FT-60 the case is coupling my body well so it has a decent counterpoise while that's not the case with the Baofeng.

 

[uli2000]

I've got a UV-5R with an aftermarket antenna, I dont remember the brand, but it's about 18in and pretty floppy. Didn't affect it much on recieve but did boost transmit quite a bit. I hear the recievers in these radios arnt that great. Maybe you have a problem of the antenna is picking up so much better it's overloading the reciever.

 

[Crom]

maybe it's a counterfeit antenna? I've read complaints on Amazon about some of the aftermarket antennas being bad copies, poor fitment, bad performance etc.

 

[nat]

That's what I read somewhere, I have no experience with any antenna other than my RD

 

[4x4junkie]

I hear the recievers in these radios arnt that great. Maybe you have a problem of the antenna is picking up so much better it's overloading the reciever.

This is probably what nat was referring to (intermod noise from receiver overload).

The way to tell would be to observe the signal strength indicator on the radio. If the indicator is showing good strength, but the signal sounds staticky or noisy (or sounds like other conversations or digital buzzing noises that come in intermittently), this is probably what is happening.

If the signal strength meter shows weak or is not registering at all though, then the antenna itself is probably got a bad connection or is defective in some way.

 

[Crom]

Unfortunately, the UV-5R that the OP has does not have a working S meter. The Baofeng UV-B5 does though. Also I've read that the stock antenna on the UV-B5 is actually pretty good and may actually perform as good or better than many of the popular 15" aftermarket antennas people are buying. Someone had suggested trying to find one and stick it on the UV-5R to improve RX/TX.

 

[madmax718]

believe it or not, I found a small piece of straw to have made loads of difference. For some reason the duck acted funny- I would barely get FM radio stations. If I gave the antenna a half turn, it would be great. Couldn't figure out why, but a piece of coffee stirrer did the trick. your mileage may vary.

 

[4x4mike]

I did a quick Google search and didn't find what I was looking for but I do remember reading about the 5R's having problems with aftermarket antennas because of an internal shorting issue. It seemed to not damage the radio but the antenna would cause some kind of short which diminished the performance. I have a Boefeng UV-3R and have had great performance with my Diamond SRH519 and RH77CA.

 

[madmax718]

I just bought a nagoya 701- seems pretty decent without being overly large.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I just bought a nagoya 701- seems pretty decent without being overly large.

I have a Nagoya 701, great antenna. It looks to me to be a shortened Diamond RH-771, exact same construction just shorter.