Windsheild antenna - any good?

N659HB

N659HB

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I have an iCom handheld I'd like to use (sometime). For plane without an external VHF antenna, are these flexible windshield "antennas" a reasonable equivalent?
 
N659HB said:
I have an iCom handheld I'd like to use (sometime). For plane without an external VHF antenna, are these flexible windshield "antennas" a reasonable equivalent?
Click to expand...

Don't have an answer, but do have a question...

Is the handheld radio worthless in the air with only the standard rubber duck antenna?

Mine works fine on the ground and I always assumed it would be at least somewhat useful for backup use in the air. Maybe I should try it once.
 
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Haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I think the rubber ducky is ok for short-range transmissions, but I'm interested in monitoring from 15-20 miles out. This will be a primary radio.
 
N659HB said:
Haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I think the rubber ducky is ok for short-range transmissions, but I'm interested in monitoring from 15-20 miles out. This will be a primary radio.
Click to expand...

Now that I think about it, using a "2-meter" amateur radio that operates in a similar VHF frequency range (144-148 MHz instead of 108-136 MHz), I generally have super clear conversations over a repeater that's on a high mountain peak located 20+ miles away.

Next time I go flying, I'm going to see if the handheld works well or just annoys the heck out of ATC.
 
N659HB said:
Haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I think the rubber ducky is ok for short-range transmissions, but I'm interested in monitoring from 15-20 miles out. This will be a primary radio.
Click to expand...
Then you will need something more than the "rubber ducky" which came with your handheld. I'm not sure what a "flexible windshield antenna" is, so I have no idea how effective it is. However, the standard antenna that comes with your handheld has an antenna gain of zero or less, while a typical external comm antenna has a gain of about 30 db.

However, the biggest thing you get from an external antenna is removing electrical barrier of the aluminum skin of the plane from between your antenna and the one on the ground. A windshield-mounted antenna may do that in some directions, but may not in others. For effective omnidirectional comm capability, you really do want a proper external comm antenna.
 
Never had any luck with the flexible antennae in my 172. Mounted an outside antennae on the bottom of aircraft worked like a charm.
 
Ron Levy said:
Then you will need something more than the "rubber ducky" which came with your handheld. I'm not sure what a "flexible windshield antenna" is, so I have no idea how effective it is. However, the standard antenna that comes with your handheld has an antenna gain of zero or less, while a typical external comm antenna has a gain of about 30 db.

However, the biggest thing you get from an external antenna is removing electrical barrier of the aluminum skin of the plane from between your antenna and the one on the ground. A windshield-mounted antenna may do that in some directions, but may not in others. For effective omnidirectional comm capability, you really do want a proper external comm antenna.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Good to know.
 
Ron Levy said:
Then you will need something more than the "rubber ducky" which came with your handheld. I'm not sure what a "flexible windshield antenna" is, so I have no idea how effective it is. However, the standard antenna that comes with your handheld has an antenna gain of zero or less, while a typical external comm antenna has a gain of about 30 db.

However, the biggest thing you get from an external antenna is removing electrical barrier of the aluminum skin of the plane from between your antenna and the one on the ground. A windshield-mounted antenna may do that in some directions, but may not in others. For effective omnidirectional comm capability, you really do want a proper external comm antenna.
Click to expand...

So, in a composite plane the rubber duck may work ok?
 
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