Abbree Tatical Antenna - Tacticool or Tacticrap?

In this video, we'll continue our series on the VX-6R and take a look at running it with the Abbree Tactical Antenna. Let's find out if this thing actual works.

0:00 Introduction
1:13 Plate Carrier Setup (Back)
4:23 Initial Antenna Thoughts
6:02 Plate Carrier Setup (Front)
7:24 Test Results
9:37 Conclusions

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[realtyrocks]

Basically if anyone just wants to hear about the antenna instead if hearing his cool chestrig, etc... It works as good as rubber duck. There ya go.

[Mindstangle]

Quick explanation regarding ABREEs. I happened to serve in the Army infantry in Iraq as an RTO. The team leaders and squad leaders(12 per platoon) only have MBITRs with ABREEs because they are almost never required to transmit anything. The larger radios in the Strykers(x8 per platoon) or Harris manpacks(x2 per platoon) take care of any longer range communication and can hit every ABREE within several kilometers. I never saw anyone unfold one, they have no idea why they have it. The people that use that antenna in the military are not responsible for transmitting anything, but they need to be able to receive transmissions from the large, 160W radios inside the Stryker or whatever the power of the Harris manpack was, I forget now.

Also we couldn't mount our radios to our kits for a lot of reasons. Primarily, if you die or become unmoving and your radio is woven onto you, it's a big hassle for other people and 2, it is just nice to have a backpack to throw down in front of you to work on the radio, change antennas, change frequencies, try to listen for unencrypted enemy communication, and figure out who is messing up this time, etc. This is a big deal in the infantry since the RTO or Fister has command when the chain of command is no longer established for whatever reason, simply because it will take the other, higher ranking idiots too long to figure out how to work the radio.

I really enjoyed your manpack video! I am new to ham stuff but I am interested in radios from my time in service. What would the civilian capabilities be for direction finding from that manpack you had? In the army there are spectrum analyzers and other pieces of cool equipment that can let you see from where someone else is transmitting, is that extremely expensive to recreate as a civilian? Would be very useful in certain situations, more useful than comms sometimes.

[ped]

I have this antenna hanging 25ft in a tree and talk on a repeater 70.15 miles away @ 4w after coax run.

[TACTICALNOMAD]

@The Tech Prepper, I have my 42" ABREE looped though the Velcro® tabs on the shoulder strap. That makes it ease of use for deploying and retracting, and it reduces the cahnce of getting caught on foliage, low-hanging branches, etc., and reduces your signature in the event you need to 'lay in hiding.'

[moss-ccw]

Tests that I've watched indicate better performance from the 24 (or is it 28) inch abree. Haven't had a chance to get one and do my own tests yet.
Thanks for all your hard work bringing great content to us.

[m.p.]

Good video, nice to see the incorporation of a PC. You might think about running a molle cummerbund in the future. You could move the radio off the front normally occupied space. Using a radio/mag pouch off the just off front left or right allows you to still work the radio controls, and the front still has a relatively slim profile so you can get low. Also, using a BNC connector for the antenna (specifically for the VX-6R/7R allows you to pull the antenna off quickly to twist the Disco PTT cable on the radio and slip it into the pouch. If your PTT wire spans the cummerbund connection point, you can just leave it connected and swim out the other side.

[Rusted_Link]

I recently installed the TYT TH-8600's on my ATV's. In normal configuration I run the Signal Stuff signal sticks but have the ABBREE as an enhancer. The SSSS at 8 miles was just breaking squelch while the ABBREE was full quieting. At 20 watts it works great and is an asset.

[roydugger]

The tiger tail will help (from experience)...usually very easy to make. I would suggest trying the relocation cable with the stock antenna and tiger tail (at the new location). Your body attenuates signal. You may be surprised how much more range with that minor elevation and the counterpoise of the tigertail to refocus the signal horizontally (instead of heating your body and the birds). :-)

[robertchambers]

I've used a home made tiger tail for use with APRS and the difference was dramatically better. Truly enjoying your videos. Thank you.

[TheShawna]

You are going to need a Ground plane, the reason these antennas worked with the AN/PRC-10, 25, 77 radios was that the Radios body was the ground Plane!The VX-6/7Rs have no appreciable ground plane.Jim KB1PFL

[nbookie]

On my setup, I just each over the shoulder and fold it up "high", it does not matter much where you fold it. Leaves it higher than you had folded but works.

We run these in airsoft and in practice at NTC because we can't get enough working issued radio setup state side (theater is different). At times we leave it and just pull it over the shoulder and strap it to the front of the carrier when we need it shorter. A lot of the time we are not running but when we are, no one cars if it flops. Our radio guy runs this setup, most squad comms just use the 18inch antenna.

BUT. Just run a backpack with your comms if you are the rto. Much easier tonswing it around, put on a table or hand off.

[shawnwade]

I've used a abbree antenna (like yours)meant for gmrs and while stationary it works really well.

[matthewwagner]

I dont think I heard this but what frequency did you perform your tests on? Because I have had a few simplex contacts with this antenna at 30 miles and a 80 mile repeater contact. It performs amazing for me. But I also didnt have the 300 miliwatt base station transmitting I had some other HAM transmitting 25 watts or more.

[matthewtaylor]

Took mine apart and it’s a tape measure 😂. It worked, though. Curiosity got the better of me so I tore into it. Ordered another.

[norm_sueb]

Thanks for the video! Keep em coming!!

[BobBob-ilku]

Would like to see signal stick or Nagoya whip with the antenna relocation cable instead of the abree

[MhP]

Hello Gaston. Thanks for the test. This antenna I haven't tested yet, but I tested Diamonds against the rubber ducks, and as incredible as it may seem, the second ones have resulted better in dualband, being much reasonable both in V and in U. When I need it, I just add one of the two tiger tails that I always have in my backpack... cut to the right size and with a crocodile clip on one end, which I attach to the belt holder, since it is in contact with the mass of the radio. This option can make a difference at a coverage edge point. Hug. 🙏

[markhuisinga]

I have 3 abbree antennas. The first one I got broke as soon as I got it. It was not a genuine abbree. I got a full refund and didn't have to send it back. I disassembled the "loading coil" to fix the antenna. I discovered that the "coil" was a crap piece of wire with no q for proper loading of the whip. I bought a second one and checked it with my antenna analyzer and it was looked great so I tried it and had great results hitting several repeaters 20+ miles away with a baofeng on low power. I bought a third one labeled for 27mhz. This one showed a bandspread that was very good for 10m and I now keep it with my yaesu ft-817nd or my xeigu x6100 for portable operating. Personally I would never depend on these antennas while moving. But maybe in a backpack with the antennas deployed for maximum reception and transmit. The thing I see them handy for is you can fold them quickly then throw the bag on your back and move. I always keep the velcro attached to the antenna so you're never searching for it.

[franciscolopez]

Also, tha Abbree is designed to used in its full length, because in the video test that I saw, the SWR is kinda high when it is folded.

[scorpion]

Yup, just like the military short whip on our old comms, they bend when you don't want them to all the time. I feel your pain.