Thanks. That was very helpful in deed.
Glad I don't have to worry too much about tuning at this point.
I dont' know much about antennas yet, though I do plan to learn as I
get more and more in depth.
That's really cool about the battery eliminator. I'll have to invest
in one of those. I'm hoping that the baofeng turns out to be a decent
mobile rig.
I've started programming it using the tutorial that Buddy Brannon
wrote over at active elements, which Buddy, if you're reading this,
you rock for doing that!

Take care,
Zach

On 6/5/13, Colin McDonald <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> hey zack:
> congrads on getting your license.
> Dual band or even single band Mag mount antennas typically require minimal
> tuning.  They are cut and designed to be used right out of the box or
> package without the use of an SWR meter or cutting the whip to match the
> antenna.  You can tweak them yes, and sometimes that is done to achieve the
>
> absolute lowest SWR, but by the very nature of the design of a purchased
> antenna like this, it isn't necesary to work well.
> There are many models of dual band magnetic mount antennas out there.
> To get the most out of the radio and have the best gain and range, find a
> 5/8's wave 2M antenna, or a dual band which would have a 5/8's on UHF and
> half wave or 5/8's on VHF.
> These types of dual band antennas are about 33 inches long.  The key is to
> make sure you get the right adapter for your radio.  The UV5R has a male SMA
>
> on the radio itself.  So, you would need a Female SMA to so239 adapter to go
>
> from the radio's antenna jack to the standard PL259 connecter that comes
> with your typical dual band magnetic mount antenna.
> Some magnetic mount antennas come with a male SMA connecter on the coax, and
>
> then you would just need a female to female (lesbian) connecter to attach it
>
> to the radio.
> Anyway, the antenna choice really comes down to your budget and weather you
>
> want an antenna with some gain, or just a simple quarter wave style antenna
>
> that will get the signal out of the vehicle and offer far greater
> performance and range compared to the stock duck antenna inside the
> vehicle.
> MFJ makes some relatively inexpensive antennas and mounts that work just
> fine.  There are also diamond, hussler, aero, larson, and several other
> manufacturers.
> You can also buy generic clone style antennas from china off ebay that do
> the trick nicely...although there is quality control issues with those
> antennas and they may not be as reliable as one of the other better known
> brands.
>
> So, in a nut shell, just do a search on your favorite ham store website or
> ebay for the dual band or single band magnetic mount and decide how much you
>
> want to spend.  Don't worry about tuning or matching the antenna at this
> point...unless you can find someone with an SWR meter or antenna analyzer
> that doesn't mind taking a quick look and tuning the whip for you before you
>
> go...but again, it's not vital to get good operation out of the antenna.
>
> Personally, I use an MFJ 5 inch magnit bass with a generic chinese made dual
>
> band antenna that resembles an MFJ dual band whip.  It has 3db gain on UHF
> and 2 on VHF so they say.  It works just fine on the top of my explorer and
>
> has for a long time.
> If you need to watch the budget, go with a quarter wave antenna from MFJ
> that will run you 20 or 30 bucks.  It won't last for more than a few years
> without major over hauling, but it'll get the job done if you only intend to
>
> use it occasionally etc.
> hope this helps.
> It's funny, your going to spend almost as much on an antenna for the radio
> as you did on the radio itself.
> Not sure if you have checked this out already or perhaps you already have
> one, but you can get a cigarette lighter plug battery eliminator for the
> UV5R.  It slides into where the battery goes and you can plug it straight
> into the car's accessory power jack IE cigarette lighter jack.
> Or, you can use a standard cigarette lighter adapter with the right sized
> barrel plug and use your battery charging cradle in the vehicle.
> You have to take the radio out to transmit, but at least it'll stay charged
>
> while you are monitoring.
> Also, one final note, when getting the connecter adapter, try to get one
> that is a short length of coax...IE a pigtail so that there is less strain
> on the radios antenna connecter when you have the larger coaxial cable
> connected to it.
>
> Again, hope all this helps and please ask if anything doesn't quite make
> sence here.
>
> Also, if you have any troubles programming the UV5R, don't hesitate to ask
> as several of us have that radio.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Zach Shifflett" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 12:05 AM
> Subject: a couple antenna questions
>
>
>> Hi all.
>> Still haven't gotten my license yet, but it should be coming in some
>> time this week.
>> I just received my radio in the mail, though.  It's a baofeng uv5r
>> duel band handheld.
>> I'm taking an extended road trip in a few days, and assuming my
>> license is in by that point, I want to work some repeaters up and down
>> the east coast as we travel.
>> I plan on replacing the standard rubber duck with a mag mount for the
>> roof of our car, and am looking for some advice.
>> I'd like one that I can use with relatively little hastle on both the
>> 2 m and 70 cm bands, though if I would be better off using a single
>> band antenna, I'd rather work 2m.
>> I've read a lot of stuff online about tuning, and how much tuning is
>> necessary for these antennas.  Is there a duel band I could use
>> without tuning?  If not, could I get a single band to operate on 2m?
>> If I do end up having to tune the antenna, what's the best way to
>> accomplish this?  Is there a talking swr meter out there somewhere?
>> I know I'll need to tune antennas in the future, especially for dxing
>> and hf work, but as a total newbie, I'd kind of just like to get on
>> the air for a little while before I have to spend a lot of money on
>> talking tuners and taking my radio apart.
>> Thanks for any advice!
>> Zach
>