BINGFUVehicle Ham Mobile Radio Antenna VHF UHF 136-174MHz 400-470MHz Car Truck Amateur Two Way Radio Low Profile Antenna with Lip Mount Fixed Bracket PL259 Male 5m 16.5 feet RG58 Cable

I got a new vehicle and wanted to get Radio Operator plates for it. My first problem is, at work we have a parking garage that is a very low celling. So low in fact that our company vans scrape their roofs if they try to park in there. So, I knew I needed a low profile antenna. I bought this to install but found that the lip on newer cars are not suited for this. So, I kept the antenna and bough a magnetic mount for it. The antenna screws right off this mount and right on to the appropriate magnetic mount and now it is a perfect antenna for a mobile HAM setup. I live in a large urban area and while surrounded by tall residential buildings, I was able to get out a 2 meter signal strong enough to hit the repeater I use which is a little more than 8 miles away.This may not seem like much but considering the compact, low profile of the antenna and the large urban environment, this is impressive. I haven't tried to get out of the downtown area with it, but I will say that I didn't know how well this would work and the signal, both outbound and inbound was strong.If you know what you need and what this antenna is for, I say it is a solid buy.

All the complaints are from people who are ignorant about antennas and or radios. This antenna works pretty good for its intended purpose. It is a small stubby antenna intended to be used for better clearance. And since it is small it will not perform like a regular whip antenna. It performs pretty much the same as a factory rubber duck antenna that comes with a handheld duel band radio. I’m getting the same performance from it as I do with my factory UV5R rubber duck. If I was standing outside the vehicle with the UV5R. Come on use a little common since. You don’t use a teaspoon in place of a ladle. So why would you expect to use this stubby antenna in place of a good whip antenna?I purchased this antenna to use in my off road rig. So my good whip antenna wouldn’t get caught on all the tree limbs driving down tight trails. And so I could communicate with others I am on the trail with. It does this perfect. If I need to communicate with someone further away I know I need to swap it out with my good whip antenna. This one is only for short distance use. It’s not rocket surgery people.As for the CB comments. Other countries use VHF as CB radios. And it is no longer marked as a CB antenna. Not to mention the stated frequency is nowhere near the US CB band. Again ignorance about antennas and radios.

If you want the performance of an expensive antenna, better to go with one. My usage is a 20 Watt GMRS radio running trails with my friends. We aren't more than a mile apart at any time, generally 1000' or less. TX and RX seem fine, no issues, WX comes in fine. Install was easy and I feel like this will last a year minimum.The bracket is fine, I mounted it on the windshield cowl of my Jeep Wrangler. The wire was obviously plenty long for my application, I coiled the rest carefully and secured it under the dash. Not having an NMO base might limit future options when this one gets broken by a tree limb but it's only 15 bucks for the replacement PL-259 antenna itself as long as the bracket survives.All in all, a good value, good enough reception for trail use and I would buy it again.

Very good external antenna for someone wanting a minimal vehicle or mobile antenna for ham radio. I use with an Anytone 878 and get much better reception than with handheld antenna in vehicle. Much better range over standard antenna to connect with DMR repeaters in my area.

Have not run a SWR on it but it is working well.

Let’s talk about the level of absolute trash we have here, because not only is the mount absolutely horrible, but this antenna, it’s an absolute RF crime.The mount has no real ground, period, so you better strap it with braided cropper and ground to the frame if you are gonna ever try and transmit from it.Speaking of transmitting, let’s discuss the antenna now, because, you ain’t gonna transmit outta this thing period. Your radio is gonna be transmitting into a wet sock that sends such a high reflected current back you’re going to fry your finals like bacon in a pan.Let’s dissect the disgrace:1. That “element” is a PCB trace.• No real whip. No wire.• Just a sad, stumpy piece of green board pretending it’s a 1/4 wave.• You could’ve had more luck radiating off a discarded Starbucks gift card.2. The winding?• That one turn of janky copper wire glued to the trace?• That’s not a matching network. That’s electromagnetic performance art.3. The epoxy?• Oh you mean the puck full of sadness and thermal entrapment?• Sealed up so it could never cool or breathe or function again.• It’s basically a RF tombstone.4. The housing?• It’s a chunk of thick plastic.• Not RF transparent. Not tuned.• Literally a cup of detuned despair.This thing has the rf capability of an unwrapped pop tart. Maybe it was a gps or wifi puck rebranded as a dual band antenna. Either way, if you wanna get signal out, and you like your radio not on fire, MOVE ALONG.

I replaced the lip mount on the antenna with a magnet I had at home so that I can easily put into vehicle or move from one car to another. I plan to throw this into my saddle bag for motorcycle trips. I can reach local (10-25 mile) repeaters with a qyt 8900 and I suspect depending on conditions and location will reach even further. I like it so much I am thinking of buying another as a spare just in case i forget to put it in the car and some hoodlum steels it.

the screws are tiny and not stainless steel. 1 winter and they rusted out.