High-Gain Dual Band Extendable Antenna AL-800 with SMA-Female Connector for Two-Way Radios Review

Provides significant gain in the VHF and UHF bands. The antenna is well made and a great buy. I often carry a walkie-talkie in my backpack with the antenna fully extended. Watch out for obstacles when carrying this trail while hiking as tree branches can damage it. I added a 1/4 wave counter position to make it work even better!

Over the years I have bought seven of these AL-800 antennas and used them mainly for Baofeng, BTech and other Chinese HTs. They work better on both 2m and 70cm, making these Chinese radios sound much better and their signal goes much further than a standard duck or even a quarter wave whip can get. But within a few months, due to the poor build quality, almost all of them are broken. If you pull the top out, even if you're careful not to try to pull it out after it's already fully pulled out…

This antenna gives you two or three times the range of a rubber duck antenna. The problem is that it's about 3 feet tall and awkward to use in tight spaces like a car. Just get out of the car. Buy a few too. You will bend and break them as you go. This antenna will not take a hit on the top of a door frame when you walk through it. Anything you walk under will bend the antenna. This will also last as long as you treat it with care. Keep pulling the base back into the base. Never close it from…