Review on TWAYRDIO SMA Male 42-Inch Retractable Dual Band VHF UHF Ham Radio Telescopic Antenna - Replacement Long Antenna for Walkie Talkie Yaesu Vertex VX-3R VX-132 WOUNXUN KG-UV8D TYT Radios by Gerald Munajj

Just got back from a walk where I called 146.520 FM Simplex and got a clear connection through trees and structure, no elevation change, 8.6 miles / 13.8 km away. I'm new to this hobby and this is my longest simplex QSO so far. The station on the other end of the line told me the signal was coming through the back of its yagi, which was facing the opposite direction, and we could easily hear each other. It's a summer morning, so I'm not sure if tropospheric conditions had an impact. However, I am very happy with that. The handheld used was a Yaesu FT-65. This antenna probably isn't the best for rough travel, as you have to be careful not to bend it and you can't just toss it in your pocket while it's attached to your portable device. (Well you could, but it could damage the antenna connector). The 42 inch extension is very impressive and looks very solid even with the segments removed. I will definitely use this antenna for SOTA activation in the future.