|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for Rattail antenna booster |
|
Reviews: 3
|
Average rating: 4.7/5
|
MSRP: $24.95 USD
|
|
Description: A antenna booster that promisses to increase the transmit power from an ht for 400% to 800%. Rattail. It works!
|
|
Product is in production.
|
|
More info: http://rattailantenna.com/
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the Rattail antenna booster.
|
VE3LNU
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 13, 2010 11:46
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
You can't go wrong
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I own a Kenwood THF-6a tri-band HT and was having serious trouble accessing my favourite 222 MHz repeater from a park near my office when using the stock antenna. The repeater is about 60 km (40 miles) away. Of course, I tried going to a more efficient antenna like the Diamond tri-band HT antenna - it worked wonderfully on transmit but also brought in all sorts of interference and intermod so that I couldn't hear the repeater anyway!
Enter the Rattail antenna booster. I figured I had nothing to lose for twenty-five bucks: nothing else was working for me. The folks at Microsec were very helpful in customizing mine for 222 MHz, and I got it in the mail within a week or so. Initial tests were inconclusive, but I didn't give up. I ran an on-the-air test today and proved that I could hit my favourite repeater on 0.5 watts instead of the usual 5 watts, and still be readable. Removing the Rattail took me totally out of the picture and I couldn't even key up the machine!
While it may not always perform as well as claimed, it is definitely an improvement over the rubber duck. For the money, if you use your HT a lot, it's well putting this little gem in your pocket for those difficult locations.
73
Joe, VE3LNU
|
|
VA7DH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 19, 2007 22:52
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent Addition
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
My wife and I were "given" Rat Tail antenna boosters by the local inventor at a HAM club meeting. He explained to the members at the meeting how the rat tail worked and used a signal strength meter with a very large meter movement to show it off. Basically what it looks like is the other half of a vertical dipole capacitively couple to the case of the hand held. The signal reaching the far device is almost a couple of S units higher. For under $30 you have boosted your 2m hand held enormously without an external antenna and the weight, bulk, and cost of more batteries. It's a simple concept elegantly carried out. I highly recommend it.
|
|
KB1ILH
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Jan 23, 2006 06:48
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
good for 2M w/ rubber duck
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
This device, if placed in the optimal location, will stabilize a shaky signal on both transmit and receive. It will need to hang freely from your HT in order to do its job which is to provide a "better" 2M antenna ground" than you do already with your body. It is typically attached to your HT with a 1"x1" velcro pad. It seems to add the most value when used with your typically poor-performing "rubber duck" antennas. It only works across VHF 2M ham, VHF marine, and VHF Aircraft frequencies.
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
