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Ham Radio - The ABBREE VHF UHF "tactical" antenna.

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by KB7TBT, Jul 26, 2022.

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  1. KB7TBT

    KB7TBT Ham Member QRZ Page

    Ham Radio - The ABBREE VHF UHF "tactical" antenna.

     
    KG7IRJ, W5PDQ, KC7ZXY and 1 other person like this.
  2. K8BBL

    K8BBL Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have one and it definitely works better than the 'rubber duckies'. My concern is that if I leave it bent in half in the go bag it would eventually develop a memory and not want to straighten ... so I don't. I unscrew it from the base (to make it will fit in the bag) and store the antenna straight. Probably an unwarranted concern but until I hear from someone who has stored theirs bent for a long period I'm leery.
     
    W4MMR, KQ4CQX, AK4FD and 4 others like this.
  3. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Your conclusion is wrong. The antenna is electrically long and multi- lobing. You assume it is a single-lobe monopole, such as a 1/4 wave.

    When you turned the antenna offvertical, you then optimized to one of the lobes. It does not have the elevation pattern of a 1/4 wave monopole.

    Why did you discard the clear advantage in SINR when you tilted the 'Feng??
     
    W0OLL, UT7UX and KU4GZ like this.
  4. KV6O

    KV6O Ham Member QRZ Page

    The use of the word tactical do describe just about anything to do with ham radio is just silly. It just screams wacker.

    I am waiting for someone to market a strategic radio.
     
    VE3EEI, K1XS, KV4ATV and 49 others like this.
  5. DO1FER

    DO1FER Ham Member QRZ Page

    This kind of antenna found its start in the military enviroment. Its a so called blade-antenna in use with knapsack transceivers and handhelds.
     
    KV4ATV, KI5UFO, K7IWW and 2 others like this.
  6. KB0MNM

    KB0MNM Ham Member QRZ Page

    At approximately 8:55 in the video, it is revealed that the resonant point is approximately 126 Mhz., making this best for aircraft receive. Thus 'tactical' might best apply to "DNR Forestry", FAA, Air Marshall's service, Select Secret Service, and some other DHS related pursuits. While this would not exclude other agencies, most of which also have 3-letter abbreviations { CIA, NSA, FBI, BATF ( Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms ) under DHS }, tactical screams federal and/or state enforcement. Sometimes a helical antenna ( one example of which is called a 'rubber duck' ) is seen as little more than a dummy load. Longer ones, tuned to a group of frequencies of interest- maybe less seen as "dummy loads". The best of these look like 'tapered rubber ducks with coax extensions'. They have been available with colored-dot band indicators for a number of years in one of the commercial radio 'Royalty' vendor's catalog. This 'new' design is a bit different, yet not much.
     
  7. KA0USE

    KA0USE Ham Member QRZ Page

    i have a couple of bao uv-5rs. i bought a mixed pack of 'rubber' covers for them.
    one is woodland green camo.
    does that make my radio(s) strategic' or 'survival', or 'prepper'?
     
    KD7TWW, KJ7OES, W7USD and 5 others like this.
  8. N6JPG

    N6JPG Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I have one the Abbree antennas. I have to say it is a real improvement over the stock rubber duck. Receive signal strength is greatly improved. Reports are great as well on transmit. I recently took my Yaesu HT up onto fire lookout peak in the Sierra Nevada. I was working mobile stations in the East SF Bay which is a distance of just over 100 miles from that location with no problem. Switching to the rubber duck I lost almost all the receive and they could no longer hear me. I have also found that they do have a tendency to stay bent when folded for extended periods of time however if the antenna is laid out flat on a table for a day or two, it seems to lose the crease.
     
    K7IWW, KL4R, G3SEA and 6 others like this.
  9. N5PTV

    N5PTV Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have worked for FAA for 18 years, and I cannot remember anything being referred to as tactical other than the TACAN or VORTAC because it supports military aircraft (L-Band). Let me know if there are things other than the two NAVAIDS mentioned. I worked with CBP for 10 years and yes, it seemed everything was tactical. I think the toilet paper may have been tactical.

    That being said, I have one of these folding tape antennas and although the return loss may be great in the VHF air band (according to the video) it seems to work well for me on my tri-band Baofeng HT. I fold it over when its in the cup holder of my truck. If I'm out using it, I unfold it. I did find that it works better on 220 folded, however. Regardless of how they market them (tactical), they are kind of cool. I have a Harris version for a PRC-6809 and it works well. I will have to verify the return loss on the ABBREE and if it is indeed resonant in the middle of the air-band, then I may look into a BNC version for my A23 Icom. The rubber duck really stinks. I had difficult talking to a helicopter 8 miles away while working on a 4500' mountain. Yes, it was official communication. I don't think it was the helo radio since I had some difficulty talking to ground while crossing some runways (in a car) at a medium sized airport.

    I try to change the spot where I make the fold often. They will develop a memory. My Harris version is a bit floppy because it was always folded in the same spot. For the price, I recommend one. One may be able to trim one down and re-apply the plastic tip and heat shrink if tuning is a concern. I have a $35 radio, so I really don't care. It works for me.

    Respectfully,
    Matt G, N5PTV
     
    W5JDK, K7IWW, HB9EPC and 6 others like this.
  10. N5PTV

    N5PTV Ham Member QRZ Page

    Careful, that may be the next marketing buzz word. In the 1980's everything was "Turbo". In the 90's everything was a something-something "2000". Then everything was "Extreme". My GMC Sonoma was an Xtreme version (I guess because of the rims and ground effects). Everything is "Tactical" now. I wonder what the next one will be?

    73,
    Matt G., N5PTV
     
    K1XS, HB9EPC, KJ7OES and 8 others like this.
  11. UT7UX

    UT7UX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Er... You seem forgot The Orange Vest! :D
     
    KV4ATV, AK5B and KE0GXN like this.
  12. UT7UX

    UT7UX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I'd suppose a 'strategic' radio has to have water cooled final stage. :rolleyes:

    Anyway a rack mount or at least big desktop and grid powered radio like TS-990 could be named 'strategic', why not?
     
    N0TZU, KV6O, AK5B and 1 other person like this.
  13. UT7UX

    UT7UX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    SWR chart makes me to suppose a kind of resistor is inside the antenna; it could be lossy matching circuit if any. Good antenna usually has more or less smooth wide U-shaped or narrow V-shaped SWR chart depending on its fundamental design and particular implementation. Extremely wide, W-shaped chart with one single radiator makes me guessing it has some design flaws. The review requires the subject disassembly and circuit analysis otherwise it is not exactly review but 'hey guys look at me I've got new toy''.

    Especially on 70cm. Excessive length would not affect match if the length is equal to odd number of quarterwaves: all we know a 3/4 GP has near perfect match and so does 5/4, 7/4, and so on. That means SWR charts will not be illustrative as the pattern will be poor so real world efficiency will be poor as well while SWR figures will be pretty good looking.
     
    AG6QR, W7HK and AK5B like this.
  14. KE0GXN

    KE0GXN XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Yes sir it does! Just remember to maintain your OPSEC OM….no one needs to know about the special operations you may or may not engage in. ;)

    When all else fails, at a minimum at least you’ll be “tacti-cool! :D
     
    KD9HIG, KQ1V, N0TZU and 2 others like this.
  15. KE0GXN

    KE0GXN XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Exactly, more Tuber click & view generating junk is all this antenna is.
     
    K0UO, N1RBD, W7XLR and 2 others like this.

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