Rat Tails and Counterpoise adapters for VHF Rubber Duck Antennas. Post #1283.
If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-JqK7w_1d8. Are you disappointed in the performance of the stock "rubber duck" antenna that came as standard equipment on your HT? You're not alone. The "rubber duck" antenna is sometimes no better than a "dummy load", especially if you're trying to hit a distant repeater. In this video from "Mountain Parameters", we learn about a quick and easy antenna attachment that will help improve the efficiency and range of your "rubber duck" HT antenna. A simple, effective, and inexpensive improvement that can be made for any HT antenna is the creation of a "counterpoise" made from cheap, locally available components. This homemade "counterpoise" creates a virtual ground plane, by adding the "missing half" to your HT's antenna. This simple device is often called a "