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In a world where Amateur Radio ought to be on the cutting edge of technology, far too often hams are seen as being “old school” and “behind the times”. There is no part of the hobby where this is more painfully obvious than in that of amateur radio license study and examinations. SignalStuff strives to help wherever we can in those efforts!


Signal Stuff is dedicated to enhancing the use of technology in the amateur radio licensing technology. When you purchase things from our website, here are some of the efforts you are supporting:


HamStudy by Signal Stuff

HamStudy aims to provide smarter study tools for anyone seeking to enter or advance in the Amateur Radio hobby. Studying with just practice exams is like prepping for a math final by throwing darts at an answer sheet and just reading the result — sure, it works, but it’s not the most efficient way to do it.

HamStudy provides an intelligent study mode, explanations (maintained by the community!) for all questions, and practice exams which are geared towards giving you a realistic look at where you are and where to focus your studies. While it is not a full instructional tool, it may still be enough for many by itself with the included explanations and it pairs well with any other instructional tool you may decide to use.


ExamTools is the other side of the coin — the half where the license exams are actually administered. Since 2006 several exam sessions have been using ExamTools to administer computerized exams and facilitate paperwork, but once social distancing began in March of 2020 due to COVID-19 ExamTools really came into its own.

We have spent hundreds of hours revamping ExamTools in order to better facilitate fully remote license exams — and all of it is paid for by the products which Signal Stuff sells.

Our products

Super-elastic signal sticks

Here is a review from a third party (posted with permission)

Did your antenna break, or was there a defect? Request a RMA.


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219 thoughts on “Home

  1. Richard

    One thing that I think you should add to your antenna history/description is the weight of the antenna. These are so light, that they really make a difference in the feel of the radio. They feel much more stable in your hand, and are far less likely to tip over when standing up because of the weight reduction on the top end of the radio. I would guess this also reduces the strain on the connector in the radio.

    1. Good thought — I’ll add that.

      1. Hi I have a yaesu and a baefeng v5r do u do an adapter so will fit both when I purchase for uk ????????

        1. Well, there are Yaesu radios which require a SMA-M, radios which require SMA-F, and radios (older ones) which require a BNC… but the answer is still probably “yes” =]

          Assuming your Yaesu takes an SMA-M (for example the VX-8, FT-2dr, etc) there are two ways you could do this; the first is to buy a BNC antenna and then get a “$5 BNC barrel” which consists of a SMA-M to BNC and a SMA-F to BNC, so you’d just use an adapter for each radio. The second way is to either buy a SMA-M antenna and a SMA-F to SMA-F barrel or to buy a SMA-F antenna and a SMA-M to SMA-M barrel. Of those last options I’d go with the SMA-M antenna personally, but I think I’d lean towards suggesting the BNC adapters overall.

      2. Hi. Do these antennas have glow in the dark tips? And do they still increase the radio’s range if they are slightly bent, like they are Velcroid to a shoulder strap?
        Thanks!

        1. Yes, all Signal Sticks (well, except some special orders I’ve done in the past) have glow in the dark tips. As to range when you bend it, it really depends on a lot of factors — as long as the bend isn’t too extreme you’ll probably lose more from having it shielded by your body than you do having it slightly bent. The human body makes a fabulous RF shield and you’ll find if you hold your HT close to you it’s actually possible to determine the direction of weak signals by rotating around such that you see where your body blocking the signal makes it fade.

          In general being a little bit bent shouldn’t make too much difference, but having it too close to different things might.

          Hope that helps!

    2. I agree, the weigh of 0.38oz is amazing. Less top heavy than the stock antenna even though it is almost 3x the length.

  2. I believe the demo video with your little boy would be good advertisement on your site!

  3. How many need to be ordered to get a discount? Time frame?

    1. Contact us directly via email at sales@signalstuff.com to ask about bulk discounts; it’s not something we do frequently, but we can talk about it.

  4. Loved the video. Ordered an antenna today to test for our radio group. Keep up the good work!

  5. How much would shipping be to Québec City, Canada for 1 or 2 antennas?

    1. Hi David,

      To the US or Canada shipping is $2 (USD) for one antenna, then $0.50 for each additional antenna. Above $50 USD shipping is free.

      To other countries you’ll have to start checking out and it will calculate the shipping costs during checkout.

      1. I was just at the checkout and its calculating the shipping at $9.50 USPS to Ontario, Canada instead of the $2.00 stated above. Is this higher shipping total correct? It is turning the $21 antenna into a $30 purchase.

        1. Unfortunately yes. The shipping method I used last year was discontinued and that is the cheapest one remaining to me that still has tracking. Even without tracking it’d be $5.

          At this point you’re likely better off going with a different antenna unless you are ordering several or with a group. Really sorry… Wish I had other options :(

          1. No worries I appreciate your help. A great product you are making!

  6. Hi there,

    I am wondering if you can ship the antenna to the UK?

    1. I think we can actually ship to most countries.

  7. Looks like I ordered the wrong base :(
    I would have put a note on the order but didn’t see a place for that.
    Anyway, I needed the SMA male, I received the female. Can I exchange these? I think we are local so I could just run by and swap?
    Let me know please.

    1. I won’t pay for the shipping label if you ordered the wrong base, but I will let you swap it. Double check your order recept, though, and make sure that you really ordered the wrong thing and that I didn’t just make a mistake — I’ve never so far shipped the wrong one to someone, but there is a first time for everything.

      If you are local you can come swap it in person; if you aren’t you can ship it back. If I did make a mistake and ship the wrong one then email me at sales@signalstuff.com with details and I’ll send you a return shipping label.

      Looking at the order history I see that you did order the SMA male, and I was pretty sure I shipped you the SMA male — those are the ones that fit the Yaesus, Icoms, etc radios which have an SMA female connector *on the radio* and the antenna screws down onto a nub that sticks out. If you wanted one that fits one of the Chinese handhelds (Baofeng, Pofung, TYT, etc) then you wanted an antenna with an SMA-Female connector on it, which screws down *into* the radio. As I said, if I shipped you the wrong one despite your order then please let me know and I’ll do whatever I need to to make it right.

      Sorry for the trouble!

  8. Hi Richard,

    I bought one of your sma signal sticks at the slc hamfest and love it! I also bought one of your bnc adapters to fit my baofeng. In order to hook up to my new JPole I need a male sma to male bnc adapter. Do you have one I can buy? I’m local.

    1. I do have male SMA adapters, they are $3 and I only ship them with an antenna (haven’t gotten them listed on the site yet). If you want to pick one up sometime that’d be fine, I’d just have to charge $3 for shipping as well and I don’t make any money on it so as a rule I don’t ship them unless it’s packaged with an antenna. Contact me at sales@signalstuff.com for things like this.

  9. Want to buy a signal stick but can’t figure out where to create an account – no links anywhere??

    1. You don’t need to create an account to order a signal stick. Just go to https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick/, select the options you need, and click “Add to Cart”. Be sure you get the right connector! Many people confuse SMA-F and SMA-M, but the page has information on which radios it fits. If you still have trouble email us at support@signalstuff.com

  10. I’m interested in your antenna and would like to know how “stiff” it is when using it.
    Does it flop around or stay straight like any other antenna?
    Thanks.

    1. They are quite flexible; they tend to me more stiff than most whip antennas (more than any other commercial whip antenna that I know), but far less stiff than a thicker/heavier antenna would be. How much they wave around depends on the temperature (when it’s really cold it’s less stiff, a property of nitinol) and how much you are moving. In areas of marginal coverage you might find that a lot of movement will cause the signal to fluctuate in strength… but then again in those areas a rubber duck probably won’t work at all =]

      There is definitely less rigidity than many antennas in our whips, though.

  11. do your antenna affect any water proofing offered on some HT? a yaesu vx-6r

    1. I’m fairly confident that they do not because I believe the water proofing is around the connector on the radio and does not have any extra requirement on the antenna. That said, I don’t know for sure and you’d have to ask Yaesu about water proofing and 3rd party antennas to be certain. It seems unlikely that water could penetrate into the antenna itself, but I can’t say that it’s entirely impossible and I haven’t done any testing with actual submersion to find out.

  12. How long is the antenna?

    1. The dual band 2m/70cm version is approximately 18.5″ long. The 220 only version which we haven’t released yet will be approximately 12″ long. =]

      1. Hamstudy.org was instrumental in my passing both Tech and General exams recently. I will DEFINITELY be purchasing one of your antennas in order to pay back. However I am definitely also interested in getting a 220 version (since you said you don’t yet have a capability to create a tri-band version), as I have a tri-band HT now, and there is apparently some 1.25m use in my area. Any update on when you might release one? I suppose, in theory, I could just get two, and cut one down for 220 use? But I don’t have any kind of antenna analyzer yet to accurately do this… and I read on another post these things are apparently a beast to cut?

  13. Can you tune one for gmrs only 462-467mhz?

    1. I don’t generally custom cut them, but if you trim yours down to ~5.75 inches long it should work well on those frequencies. Note that this will void the warranty =]

  14. What are the chances you’ve looked at making a tri-band 2m/1.25m(220)/70cm version? Something equivalent in concept to the Nagoya NA-320A ?

    1. I’d definitely like to; unfortunately, I don’t currently have the manufacturing capability to create the coil needed for a triband antenna. It’s something I’ve been trying to figure out :-/

      I will likely start selling some 220 only antennas at some point, but tri-band is beyond my capabilities to do with sufficient quality at this point.

  15. What’s the website so I can order some of these antennas how can I buy some of these antenna’s

    1. To order go to https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick/ and choose the connector and color you want, then click add to cart.

  16. Looking at the bottom of the SMA connector, why is there such a big gap between the end of the metal. & the hole for the pin? This will not make contact with the antenna pin on my Motorola radio. Do you make a SMA antenna where the metal at the bottom is flush with the center hole for the pin?

    1. Hi Gary,

      I can definitely see your problem. Unfortunately, the problem isn’t that the SMA connector pin isn’t as deep as it’s supposed to be — the problem is that motorola seems to be using a non-standard SMA connector. The pins on standard SMA connectors actually end about 1mm inset from the lip of the connector; I will look around when we next order connectors, but I don’t know if I can get special “motorola” SMA connectors or not. There hasn’t so far been enough demand for those to make it worth doing any special builds for motorola radios, and if the pin is flush with the lip it won’t fit on many of the other radios (and may well damage the ones where you try, since the center pin isn’t expected to go that deep).

      If you ordered an antenna from us and it didn’t work because of this problem please submit an RMA request and we’ll be happy to give you a full refund. We have also seen a similar issue with a very few of the Baofeng GT-3 radios where the connector on the radio doesn’t allow as much overlap as our standard connectors have. This is the trouble with making them try to mount flush :-/

  17. I’m new to Ham Radio and purchased a Baofeng just to receive for now until I test for technician. Just ordered mine to replace the standard antenna. However I do have an off topic question, I’ve looked into the material Nitinol that you used. I have been collecting materials to DIY a Dipole. I need it to be light and easily taken down when not in use. Would this “memory wire in 2mm or 1.5mm thickness work for the antenna element?

    Charles

    1. edit: when I first replied to your post I somehow misread and thought you said “jpole”, not “dipole”. Nitinol has a high resistivity; I don’t think it would work well for an antenna significantly longer than the ones we make. You could try it — I even have some long lengths of 1.1mm wire that I could sell you (I get it pre-cut now) for a reasonable price, but it’s difficult to work with because of how springy it is and I just don’t think it would perform well for you.

  18. I am trying to figure out the advantages of one of these over a Nagoya antenna. I can’t find a way to ask this more private. I would like to upgrade my antenna soon. Any help is appreciated.

    1. You can always email sales@signalstuff.com with questions, but I have no problem with answering this publicly.

      I don’t have the equipment to do a meaningful objective comparison between our antennas and another companies, but here are a few advantages of the Super-Elastic Signal Sticks over most other brands (including that one):

      • Very light weight, but still extremely durable. We use stronger wire than other whip antennas but are lighter weight than the thicker clubs
      • Super-elastic — you can literally tie these in knots to store them
      • Lifetime guarantee — what other HT antenna can you drop your radio on, break the connector off, and send it back to get a replacement?
      • All sales support HamStudy.org and other ham radio endeavors.

      I hope that helps!

  19. Richard, my stick arrived today, Thanks! Quick question. The red cap that covers the threads, is there a trick to removing it? It seems to be epoxied on and I don’t want to break anything in the removal. I just wanted to check to see if I need to do anything special other than brute force.

    Thanks

    1. Hi Casey,

      This happens sometimes; usually I use my leatherman to try to get it to turn in place first, then grab it and work it back and forth a bit until it comes out. I’m generally pretty careful to keep the epoxy from getting too thick, but I might have missed one. If you have too much trouble getting it off (or the cap breaks and you can’t dig the remnants out) let me know and I’ll get you a return label so you can send it back and I’ll send you a replacement.

      Richard

      1. Thanks Richard, will do.

  20. I want to thank you for this website. The way it is organized and walks you through the tests is great. The flash cards start out going through a small loop of questions, and adding more as you progress. It moves on pretty quickly as you master the information but it repeats the missed questions several times so you begin to remember the correct answers in short order.

    I did not realize that after passing the technician test they would offer me the chance to take the General test, so I had not studied at all for the general. I did pass the Technician test with a perfect 100% so I tried the General and missed passing it by two questions which I didn’t feel too badly about, considering I had not prepared for it.

    I began prep for the general and whizzed through it in a few days and began working on the Extra class test also. A month has passed and the next test session was this morning. I am happy to report that I passed the General, missing only a couple questions and I also passed the MUCH more difficult Extra Class test also! (yes I missed more than a couple but I was still 80 some percent!)

    The way the system starts slowly and builds your knowledge base as you learn the material is really remarkable… at least it worked well for me!

    On a side note, I bought one of your antennas and it works really well… so much better than the original rubber duck that came on my FT-60!

    Thanks again!
    Ray

    1. We’re glad it’s been helpful for you!

  21. I need to contact someone in charge of the hamstudy.org website because I am having trouble registering. As a “Guest”, yesterday I went through all the flash cards and then “registered” using my email address and accepting the “Terms”. I then received a message to check my email inbox to finish the process. The problem is I have not received any message in my inbox or spam box and there was no way for me to enter a password. Today, the website says there is no account for my email address so I tried to re-register and the same thing happened. There is no way to enter a password. Please HELP!

    1. For help with hamstudy.org please email support@hamstudy.org

  22. Gentlemen,
    I don’t know how you do it, but these antennas are wonderful! The TX/RX is increased beyond anything I expected. Even after reading the reviews.
    Well worth the purchase price, and helping a great cause!
    Many Thanks.

    1. We’re glad you are pleased =] How we do it is simple — we do the math, we do real-world tests, and we make changes as needed. With hundreds in use in our local area (we sold them locally for 10 years before offering them online) we’ve had a lot of feedback. Most improvements actually have nothing to do with performance, just with durability.

      73 and thanks!

  23. Hi there. Just thought I’d leave a note thanking you for the hamstudy.org site. I passed my Tech, General and Extra tests yesterday all at once and I do believe hamstudy.org had a good deal to play in that. I tried to donate but it was forcing me to create a paypal account which I don’t want to do, so I decide to buy a couple of your super-elastics antennas.

    Anyway thanks again for the site and keep up the great work!

    Regards

    ian

  24. I have not gotten a confirmation on the antenna I ordered a few days ago. Did you get the order?

    1. Hi Scott,

      It might be worth checking your spam folder; your order was received and you should have received both a confirmation email when the order was placed and another email with the tracking number when the order shipped. I’ve emailed the info to you from a different account in hopes it’ll reach you. In the mean time, your antenna shows out for delivery today so you should have it soon =]

      Queries like this are most effectively addressed to sales@signalstuff.com, just for future reference (and for any others reading this comment who may find it useful).

      Richard

  25. Hi Signal Stuff!
    I got my antenna a few weeks back and have a question.
    What is the expected impedance of the antenna at ~145MHz?
    I realise that the antenna is part of a ‘system’ comprising the antenna, the metal parts of the HT, and my body, to which it capacitatively couples. However I see a large disparity between the impedance presented by this antenna and another known good antenna.
    I took readings with a ‘tiger-tail’ 19′ counterpoise in place on the VNA to help with the missing coupling to me.
    Regards
    Gerry

    1. Hi Gerry,

      It’s always interesting to see these come in, because everyone who puts it on an analyzer gets a different result =] I can totally understand your confusion, and I’ll try to answer it.

      The first thing to understand is that the affect of all of the other parts of the system is *significantly* greater from the perspective of the antenna analyzer than you seem to expect; if you want to get an “accurate” read of the antenna (and that term is still arguable) you will need to put a choke balun (or large ferrite) at the end of the feedline where the antenna connects. You’ll find that the length of your tiger tail will be able to change the “center frequency” by a surprisingly large amount.

      Here is an analysis I did with a wide band analyzer: https://signalstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/g.png

      Different antennas are affected by this different amounts, so your other “known good antenna” is probably a significantly different design.

      At the end of the day, my recommendation is this: try it out in real conditions, see if it works. If you aren’t happy, you’re welcome to send it back =] We have always stood by our products and we always will… I have had a number of people express concern or even send the antennas back because of what they saw on their antenna analyzers (and each tells a different story), but it is very rare that someone is unhappy after giving it a real try.

      Hope that helps!

      73,

      Richard
      KD7BBC

      1. Hi Richard…
        thanks for the detailed reply.
        Could you share with me how you connected the antenna to the spectrum analyzer? Presumably some form of reflection bridge, but what else?
        I’m curious to know what I’m missing to get an accurate reading.
        Thanks
        Gerry

        1. I’ve reproduced that with several different analyzers, but that particular one was a Rigol DSA815-TG with Rigol’s overpriced VSWR bridge. I then connected a standard 50 ohm coax, ran it to a stand away from other forms of metal, and put a large ferrite bead around the coax just below the connector. I connected the antenna through a barrel (it was a BNC, I believe) and attached a tiger tail.

          Most likely the thing you’re missing is the ferrite; you should be able to use any type of choke balun, though.

  26. How well will this antenna work on the commercial 155. freq?

    1. Eh, middling. It’ll be usable, but probably not amazing. You could improve it by cutting about 1.25″ off the end, but that would of course void the warranty. If you plan to do that let me know in the notes and I’ll include a spare tip you can put on after clipping.

  27. I bought one of these antennas a couple of months ago – what a great antenna!! I highly recommend. Works great on my Baofengs and my Kenwood D74. I initially bought it just to support hamstudy.org, but this antenna is a must buy for your HT’s.

  28. Just got my second signal stick today for my Radioddity GD-77 handheld DMR radio. This antenna is awesome. I can work a repeater that’s about 10 miles from my home that is unusable with the stock antenna. I’ve been using one of these antennas on my Baofeng FM transceiver for a few years and they are virtually indestructible. Great antenna for a good price.

  29. Picking up a new 144 / 220 / 430 MHz TRIBANDER Kenwood TH-D74A Any idea how your antenna would work on the 220 Mhz

    1. “ideal” SWR on 220 for this antenna is about 5:1… you could probably use it if you needed to, but it’s not going to perform particularly impressively for you. I do have some monoband 220 antennas that I just don’t have in large enough quantity to advertise, but they cost the same as the other antennas. I don’t currently have a design for a tri-band 220 antenna that is viable, so there are unfortunately no plans for a triband so far :-( (I’d like one too =])

      Nagoya has a triband with 220 that has worked decently for me so far. It’s not lightweight and lacks many of the advantages of the signal sticks, but it does seem to work.

  30. Hi…I need one of your enhanced whip’s optimized to public safety frequencies (155-165mhz) for Search and Rescue application. Can you build me one or two of these? Needed for an ICOM 7010 so SMA Female termination.

    Please let me know if you can support.

    Thanks
    Scott

    1. Hi Scott,

      I don’t do custom lengths — it’s too much of a distraction from my efforts on hamstudy.org given the limited time I have — but you could convert a regular signal stick to work on those frequencies by cutting off approximately 1.75 inches from the end of the signal stick. Truth be told, HT antennas have so much variation in practical use that I’m not even sure you’d notice much difference from a stock signal stick, but that would put it closer to the “ideal” on those frequencies.

      I will mention, however, that intentionally cutting the wire of a signal stick is one of the few ways (if not the only way) you can void our warranty =] If you want to do that, though, let me know in the notes and I’ll include some extra tips so you can glue a new tip on after you cut it.

      73,

      Richard

  31. Yesterday, I received the two 2m/70cm antennas and one 1.25m antenna and very happy with the construction and performance. The antennas can be coiled on my HTs and easily carried on my belt without having to keep removing and reinstalling the antennas which was my goal. I enjoy these super-elastic signal stick antennas.

  32. How is the fit on either a VX-8DR or the TH-D74? That wide base has me concerned about the fit. Anyone?

    1. Assuming you mean the signal stick antennas, the base is not that wide — it’s actually narrower than many antennas. I’ve personally seen it on both of those radios, you need the SMA-M.

    2. The SMA male has no problem fitting on the D74, plenty of room. I’d recommend getting the rubber washer/spacer though.

  33. Is there any chance you’d make any 70cm only version? I’ve got a few business band radios 400-470mhz that want new antennae but don’t need a VHF-length whip. They’re also old enough that OEM ducks are nearly impossible to find.

    1. There is certainly a chance, but I don’t have a timeline for you at this point.

      1. Wow, thanks for the speedy reply! I read the rest of the comments above and saw a few references to cutting them. I’m not going to chop the first one I order, but now that I know it’s a possibility I’m definitely going to order a few more with that intention. Your price point is not high enough to worry about voiding warranty.

        Cheers, can’t wait to get my first one!

  34. I have a Yaesu FT-250 handheld and wanting to connect it to a car roof-top or window mount antenna. What products to you have OR can you direct me to where I could find the them. Thanks!

    1. We don’t have any mobile antennas, I’m afraid. There are a number of different products out there each with advantages and disadvantages. The best results you’ll get of course would be from doing a full proper mobile install (drill a hole in the roof, etc), but there are magmount antennas, lip mount antennas, and many others. Note that most will do some sort of damage to your paint over time, so choose your priorities!

      Sorry I can’t recommend anything specific — look around on ebay, there are a lot of cheap options you can get started with, then move up to something more serious.

  35. How long does it take to reach say Quebec City (I live not that far from there), do you have any info ?
    Asking because I would like to get it prior to leave on Aug 24.
    I would order immediately.
    73, Chris

    1. I don’t know for sure; if you order today I’ll ship it tomorrow, and that’s 3 weeks. You’d think that would be plenty of time, but I can’t absolutely guarantee it. I don’t get reliable tracking information from USPS for shipments going to Canada, so I can’t tell you for sure how long it takes.

      I wish I could give you a better indication :-/

  36. I listen almost exclusively to frequencies between 152 to 156 Mhz. Can you make a signal stick for this frequency range. And, if so, would it be much better than your stock length?

    1. Hi Jimmy,

      Honestly I doubt it would make much difference, particularly for receiving, but you could cut off about 1 1/8″ off of the end of the antenna to tune it just a bit better for the frequencies you’re talking about. Note that this would void the warranty (about the only thing that does). If you want to do that let me know in the order notes and I’ll include a couple of extra tips that you can glue on after you cut it down.

      Richard

  37. I was wondering if you’d considered making an antenna with an NMA mount. I know I can get an SMA (or maybe even a BNC) to NMA adapter but to me they are just not robust enough for vehicle use. A thicker wire would be better for wind resistance but even the ones you have now might be better than what I now, have for the application I have in mind. That is, a roof mounted NMA antenna on my pickup that I sometimes have to drive into city garages with very low clearance. When I have to do so now, I swap my everyday center-loaded 2M/70cM antenna for a stub antenna which is really nothing more than a dummy load and preforms about the same.

    1. Hi Gary,

      I’ve considered it, but I just haven’t found a good way to do it. As a workaround, you could get a NMO to UHF adapter and then use a UHF to BNC adapter to try putting the signal stick on a NMO mount; it’s probably $20 of parts is all.

      Richard

      1. Never heard of NMA. Did he mean NMO? If not, please educate me.

        1. Pretty sure he meant NMO

      2. Have you thought any more about providing your antennas with a NMO connector? I really don’t want to stack adapters on the outside of a vehicle.

        1. I am actively working on it, but having difficulty finding a reliable supplier for some of the parts that I need :-/

  38. I do not have a ham license, but I like to listen to repeaters in my area. I do have a GMRS license and I use those repeaters in my area. Will your antenna still be suitable for GMRS frequencies? I am looking to buy 2 of these antennas. (I should probably use HamStudy.org and get my ham license.) Thanks!

    1. Hi! Our antennas will work reasonably well on GMRS frequencies but not amazingly well; to be perfectly honest, I can’t guarantee that they would work significantly better than the stock antenna, though I would be shocked if they didn’t work as well. You’d just have to play with it to find out; it isn’t something we really test.

      Hope that helps!

  39. Hi. I recently received two BNC antennas and noticed that there is a hole in the side of the glue cap. There does not appear to be any kind of adjustment or anything like that accessible through the hole – all I see is the side of the connector. What is the purpose of the hole?

    1. Hi! The hole is there so that we could inject the adhesive in that holds everything together. We used to do it a different way but it was too easy to have the adhesive get where it didn’t belong, sometimes causing issues that were very difficult to detect with a visual inspection. I don’t love the hole, but sometimes compromises must be made for build quality when doing hand made products :)

      Hope that helps!

      Richard

      1. Hi Richard. That certainly makes sense – thanks for the quick response! 73, Bruce

  40. I’ve been reading every article there is about the Signal Stick and watching every video that I could find about it and I came to realize that I really REALLY need one so went on to order one. However, when the postage cost part came, I had to give up =( As much as I want a Signal Stick, I can’t convince my wallet that it makes sense to pay (almost) the same for postage as for the product itself (I’m from Portugal).
    I guess I’ll have to just keep dreaming about it =(
    Either way, that’s just an amazing product you have here! Congratulations for that! =D

    1. Yeah, I sure wish there was a better option for us. Last year we could ship them there for under $3, but that shipping option was removed this year. There is another I was using for awhile that was $5 but tracking didn’t work and after a number of disgruntled customers and lost items I decided we needed the tracking, which unfortunately meant the cheapest I could find for international ends up being around $9-$15USD :-( Note that shipping for 5 antennas is about the same as one, though, so you could try to find others who are also interested and do a group order.

      Sorry we can’t help more — we’d really like to.

      Richard

  41. I bought one of your antennas for my dual band HT and am very happy with it. BUT, it made me want a better antenna for my Marine VHF handheld, which uses a rubber ducky antenna. Can you fashion one for 156 – 158 MHz?

    1. You could cut down a regular dual band signal stick to work a bit better on 157Mhz (centered on the range you want) by cutting off about 1.5″, though this is is one way (about the only way) to void the warranty. I don’t make them custom length, it’s not worth my time — we’d rather spend our development efforts on hamstudy.org.

      1. I have your 2m/70cmsignal stuff BNC antenna, however the swr is 2.5-3.5 across both bands. Is this to be expected? I need it closer to 1.2 what can we do?

        1. SWR on most HT antennas is really dependent on the radio and environment and unless you have a SWR meter built into the radio you’re probably not getting an accurate reading because adding the meter changes the antenna system. If you do have one then you’re probably using it with a IC-705 — and while it’s not really designed for that, it should work okay but you’d need to add a counterpoise at minimum, such as a 19″ to 21″ long wire connected to the shield of the antenna. Better still would be to connect it to earth ground.

  42. Is the newer base design for the SMA M narrow enough that it fits onto the ID51A Plus 2? I have one of the previous antennas and the hex of the base hits the GPS hump on top and won’t let it screw all the way down.

    1. Are you sure the problem is that it hits the GPS hump on top? It fits my ID-51 just fine, but I don’t have a Plus 2, just a ID-51 (US version, whichever letter that is). Most Icoms you end up with a gap under the connector because their SMA connectors have abnormally long barrels, so it’s possible that’s actually the problem.

      The hex cover has decreased in size slightly over the last year but I’ve never seen a radio that any of mine didn’t fit on, so I can’t be sure if it’s enough. If you order one and it doesn’t fit you’re welcome to send it back.

  43. Hi,
    I am looking at an antenna for my Yaesu VX6R TRIBAND. DO YOU HAVE ONE AVAILABLE FOR ALL 3? OR .. ALSO I BELIEVE I NEED A SMA-F ANTENNA? AM I CORRECT?
    THANK YOU AS I WSNT TO ORDER ASAP…
    73

    1. The vx-6 has SMA-F on the radio, so you’d need a SMA-M antenna to match it.

      We do not have Tri band antennas, unfortunately.

  44. Hello, I work in industrial maintenance, your site is great, I used it to study for my ham licenses. I would like to find about getting your program behind your site. I know you would need to be compensated in some way for the development, but we could really use it for developing our your team members. Please let me know something.

    1. Hi Tom,

      The software behind hamstudy.org is all custom designed; it could probably be adapted for specific use but it would take a little bit of tweaking.

      Feel free to reach out to me at support@hamstudy.org and I’m happy to discuss possibilities with you. Note that I’m having surgery tomorrow (12/12/2018) so will likely be out of touch for at least a week before I could get back with anything specific.

      Richard
      KD7BBC

  45. hello,

    i bought two of these recently. can you tell me why these antennas go “limp” in the cold?
    we’ve had temps in the single digits lately, and i do notice the stiffness deplete from inside warmth to the outside cold.

    thanks,
    kd1zx

    1. Hi Harold,

      This is just a property of nitinol… It’s the other half of what makes them super elastic. It does not damage the antenna and it will still work when limp but it can be a bit annoying :/

      Richard

      1. Do you know about what temperature it begins to go limp? It gets cold where I live.

        Are your antennas marine grade? I’m considering replacing the SMA-M rubber duck on a Standard-Horizon HX870 with a trimmed Signal Stick, but don’t want salt water to get in.

        1. It’s more of a range; I haven’t done extensive testing but a good rule of thumb probably around 40 degrees F it starts to lose rigidity (that’s a bit of a guess) and the colder it gets the more it transitions into a form where you can sorta shape it how you want. Once it gets back above 40-50 degrees it’ll return right back to the original shape.

          We have not taken any particular steps to make the antenna watertight; I have no idea how much effect salt water would have. If you buy one and it gets ruined by salt water you can use the warranty to get it replaced (and let us see what happens).

          1. Thanks for the reply. I was more concerned with the watertightness of the SMA connection to the radio compared to the stock rubber duck antenna. I think I’ll get one regardless to use at camp.

  46. How can we contact you to get the XML and JSON files for the questions? You mentioned that they are available upon request but no place to request them.

    1. Email support@hamstudy.org and I’ll help you out!

  47. Hello,
    Given the antena light weight and durability, do you make longer antennas? 1/2 wave length of 2 m & 70 cm?

    1. The wire wouldn’t hold up under its own weight at that length… And also we don’t have the capacity to build the loading coil needed for a design like that. Sorry :/

      We are looking into some possibilities for a mobile design though

  48. Got my superstick and I like it. Will tell the radio club about it at next meeting and on the air!! Thank you

    1. Glad the signal stick is working well for you =] 73!

  49. I see a few comments asking for public safety, industrial and marine uses for the antennas. I understand you do not want to custom tune to order. However instead of voiding the warranty (and I don’t understand why just trimming the antenna whip would) just include a cut chart and cap for the end user to set for their frequency range. I know there are plenty of wild land fire fighters, SAR, USCG and others who would be interested in a full length VHF whip.

    1. The reason that it voids the warranty is simple — we can often reuse the wire from antennas which have been returned, but when you cut the wire that makes it impossible. Granted, there are ways that it can happen on accident and we absolutely warranty those, but if you return an antenna which has been cut there is nothing I can do to make it useful again. The wire is actually one of the more expensive parts of the antenna (if you price nitinol wire you’ll understand why).

      I’ll consider making a chart, it’s an interesting idea; however, adding that option would add yet another complexity to our shipping process and another place where I could make mistakes when shipping and I’m already questioning at times if it’s worth doing the spacers, since I tend to forget to include it in at least a couple of orders per month already :-) (yes, I’m working on improving my process to help with that).

      At the end of the day it comes back to this: I don’t make and sell antennas because I want to make and sell antennas, I do it so that we have funds to support development of the HamStudy.org system and support the community in other ways (repeaters, sponsoring events, etc). If managing the antennas gets in the way of adding features to hamstudy.org then it’s defeating my main goal… hence why the layout of this website is so dated =]

      Hope that helps clear things up!

  50. Can you deliver to the Philippines?

    1. We ship using USPS, so anywhere that USPS can ship we can ship. The shopping cart will automatically calculate shipping, but if I remember correctly shipping to the Philippines is something close to $13.50USD. (double check the cart to be sure)

  51. Received my signal stick a couple of weeks ago. I placed it on a gd77 with the community code plug/firmware. Today I programmed in AO 91 and 92 Fm satellites. Just using the signal stick on the ht I worked one person on AO 92 and 2 people on AO 91. Pretty impressive.

  52. I’ve had the version 2 signal stick on my Yaesu HT for about 2 months and I’ve found all you read about it true. Better receive and transmit than stock and other 8 inch rubber ducks. Perfect balance of flex, without being too floppy. Doesn’t cause HT to fall over from being top heavy. Durable. I got the BNC version so I can quick disconnect and swap my mobile mag mount when in the car without tedious unscrewing. I like knowing it has a lifetime warranty, probably never need it though.

  53. I have many antennas. Diamond, Comet, Nagoya, all the usual suspects. The Super-Elastic SignalStick is the best antenna that I have used on 2m/70cm HT’s. I’m using it for analog, D-Star, Fusion, DMR, even P25. SWR is excellent. Performance is incredible. Full quieting on repeaters that even my Diamonds had some noise on before. Great job! I’d love to see a Triband version (2m/1.25m/70cm).

    1. We’d love to do a triband version, but due to engineering constraints it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. Sorry :-/

      Richard

  54. Hello,

    I bought this antenna 1 week ago. I am using with my Yaesu vx8-dr. Perfect fit. I love it.

    Thank you

  55. I am getting my ham license (and an HT) but I also have joined my local CERT organization which uses only GMRS to communicate to our local net controller who relays messages via UHF/VHF ham frequencies to local authorities. CERT members all have BTech GRMS-V1 radios with the newer BaoFeng V-85 antenna.

    Since we are only using 462 & 467 MHz for CERT, I was wondering if the Signal Stick for 220 mHz might be a better choice. I presume it is shorter than the 2m/70cm dual band Signal Stick.

    I don’t know how long the 220 MHz SS is but whether you designed it to be 1/4, 1/2 or 5/8 of the 220 MHz wavelength, it would be just about 1/2, 1 or 1 1/4 of the ~465 MHz GMRS wavelengths. If the 220 SS works as well or better as the 2m/70cm SS for GMRS frequencies and it is 13 inches long instead of 17 inches, the 4 inch shorter antenna might be less awkward during emergency activities.

    Or, would I better off cutting down a standard SS to some length to make it a single band antenna for 465 MHz?

    Or, am I a clueless noob? ; )

    1. 1/2 wave or 5/8 wave antennas require a coil to match properly; our 220 whips are 1/4 wave, so they will not work well on 440 at all. You could cut it down if you wanted, but I can’t guarantee how well it would work. Email us for more detailed questions

  56. I dont know much about antennas, but i came across your antenna and i believe it will work great on my dog tracking collar reciever. Will this work for 151 ~ 154 MHz MURS band frequencies?
    Thanks
    Brent

    1. It is not tuned for the MURS frequencies and so will not work as well as it works in the Amateur Radio 2m band, but it should work decently well. Cutting about an inch off of the end of the antenna would probably make it work a little bit better, but that would void the warranty, so keep that in mind =]

      If you plan to do that let us know in the order notes and we’ll include a spare tip.

  57. Have a Baofeng BF-F8HP I would like to use with your Signal Staff Collapsible OSJ. Do you carry the adapters/cable in order to connect to your antenna?

    1. I would recommend using a SMA-F to BNC adapter from us when you order the OSJ and then get whatever type of coax you want from ebay or amazon or showmecables or somewhere that is PL-259 to BNC. I would recommend either RG-8X (my preference) or LMR-240 (nicer, but less resilient if you’re moving around a lot). If it’s a longer run you might want to look at something bigger like LMR400 or RG-213, maybe use a pigtail to connect to the handheld.

  58. I recently purchased a super elastic signal stick, seems like an awesome product.. I was wondering if Im using specifically for GMRS frequencies. Would it improve performance if tuned / trimmed to another length than the length it comes. Also, I think I want to order another one & possibly a second for a friend. If tuning for GMRS only frequencies is optimal, is getting them from you at that length an option ? I realize from another response you made to a similar question that this would void the warranty. thanks

    1. To be honest I’m not really sure. The calculations for the 440 side (3/4 wavelength) get a little more nebulous / inconsistent. My best guess is that cutting about 1″ off of the end *might* help but I can’t say that with any certainty.

      I do have some tuned to GMRS length — about 5″ — but not a lot of them. Email me before ordering to see if I have any, for now I’ve been having people order a 220 with notes to swap it to a 440.

      Richard

  59. kd7bbc, did I understand correctly that the total length of the 220 mono band antenna optimized to GMRS length is five inches in total length. ?
    Thanks

  60. kd7bbc, also saw in antenna description that you used a “tiger tail” to stabilize SWR.
    Is there any benefit to using a “tiger tail” with either stock super elastic signal stick (2m/70cm) specifically on GMRS frequencies , or with the 220 optimized to GMRS frequencies, used only for gmrs frerquencies ? If so what length or lengths. thanks, & sorry still trying to learn all this stuff.

  61. I am new user and still have a lot to learn. I just recently installed a Signal Stick on my Baofeng BF-F8HP. Last night I noticed that I couldn’t receive from a local repeater unless I held the radio at a 45 degree angle. Is this normal? BTW – I have two Signal Sticks and both did the same thing on the same radio. Thanks

    1. Unfortunately, that is *very* likely to be a problem with your radio :-( There is an issue with some Baofeng radios which basically occurs when you have a strong signal on a different frequency which “deafens” the receiver on the frequency you are listening on. The problem is that when you put a better antenna on the radio it doesn’t just hear the signal you want better, other signals become stronger as well. When you tilt it 45 degrees you put it slightly out of polarization with the verically-polarized signals which attenuates the incoming signals and allows the radio to “hear” again.

      Basically, some baofengs have really poor filtering in them :-(

      Since I’m well aware that it sounds like I’m trying to blame someone else for my antenna’s issues, here are some references:

      1. Thanks for the explanation. Now it makes sense. I appreciate the quality of your antenna.

    2. Depending on where your radio and antenna are, they could simply be immersed in a radio field that’s been mis-shapen by their surroundings. If you’re inside your house, for example, near metallic objects such as your refrigerator or stove or furnace, the radio fields received by your antenna could easily be refracted by multiple signal paths reaching it. And since the Signal Stick is able to collect more of those signals more effectively, combined with the low-quality receiver filtering that your radio might have, it’s very possible to realize the effect you’re experiencing. You might try to see whether your radio reception improves when you step outside, away from your house. Also, be sure your battery is fully charged, since insufficient power can also affect receiver performance.

      1. I was inside and upstairs. I am going to give it a try outside during the next net. Thanks

  62. kd7bbc, commenting on your post from april 20th.
    Did I understand correctly that the total length of the 220 mono band antenna , (swapped to 440) optimized for GMRS length is five inches in total length. ?

    1. It’s not a 220 monoband antenna at that point — I just don’t have 440 listed yet — but yes, the 440 monoband antenna is around 5-6″ long. it’s a quarter wave antenna, and a quarter wavelength at 450Mhz is about 6.5″. Note that there is some fudge factor involved due to the antenna design =]

      1. ok,thanks

  63. I get the impression the recent 2m/440 FM satellite repeaters are popular. You can hit them with a handheld and talk coast-to-coast. The hitch is that the typical whip antenna is marginal. Most of the directional antennas being sold for satellite use are bulky. You might look into creating one with your flexible wire that will fit into a backpack—perhaps one of the log periodic designs that are broadband and 1/4 for w and 3/4 wave for 440, so no duplexer is needed. Even a few DBs of gain should make hitting the satellite easier and they’d also be handy for hitting distant ground repeaters.

  64. I’m on a few online groups and always praise your signal stick when people ask for recommendations. . I love mine. A gentleman from Turkey wants to know if you would ship to him if he bought one? Thx, Adam

    1. We do ship internationally with USPS but note that most international shipments are going crazy slow right now.
      Richard

  65. I just got the Super-Elastic and it works great on my HT. I was wondering what is the power rating of the antenna? Can I use my portable/mobile rig with it?

    1. You aren’t going to hurt the antenna but note that signal sticks are not designed to be mounted in ways other than on an HT; most of the time if you’re asking that question you should really be looking for an antenna better suited to stationary operation.

      1. I hope this reaches you
        What model shall we say do you sell for the PICOAPRS handheld?
        TNX
        POB/K8LEN

        1. I’m not real familiar with the PicoAPRS, but if I’m reading things correctly it’s a VHF (144-148mhz) transceiver; as such you’d need the dual band signal stick as it’s the only one which covers that frequency range. Looks like you need a SMA-M connector on the antenna, but look at the pics to be sure it fits.

  66. Hi BBC,

    I was recommended to your product though a ham Telegram group. I have this unusual build idea of lashing an antenna to a backpack and using a moble radio instead of an HT. I do SAR and RACES ground team business, and sometimes trekking way off the path gets out of range of the local repeater. The answer is (probably) more Tx power out of the radio. So I’m building a comm-kit that looks a lot like an army PRC manpack with the antenna sticking up overhead. The issues I’m running into is that it needs to flexible enough to bend back when I walk under a tree or bush, but stiff enough to go back straight.

    Would your dual band antenna be a suitable answer for 10-25 watts of Tx power? Maybe even 50w if I remote-distance the backback?

    73
    KKYRVH

    1. Hi Chris,

      Most of the time if you’re portable you are going to get far more from a better antenna than from increasing your transmit power — keep in mind that the difference between 25W and 50W is 3dB, which is about what you get with going from a rubber duck to a signal stick on VHF — also about what you’ll usually get from just raising your antenna up by 10 feet or so. While the signal stick will not be damaged even by 50-100 watts or more you’d probably be better off looking more at better antennas rather than just increasing your power. Particularly I’d look at telescoping 1/2 wave or 5/8 wave antennas (smiley antennas has some good ones) or maybe even a roll-up jpole that you could suspend from a tree when you really need to get out.

      That said, you can definitely use the signal stick in a configuration like you’re describing, but keep in mind that the length of the feed line will change the SWR by quite a bit; you probably want it about 38″ long but it’s hard to say and SWR meters don’t work well for testing it as the meter changes the antenna system and thus the SWR :-/

      Good luck!

  67. Thought you might like to hear a happy success from the morning: Using a Yaesu FT-65 and a Signal Stick, I called simplex on 146.52 from the top of Mount Evans, Colorado, at about 14,100 feet. Made a contact almost 70 miles away, and for both of us, the signal was clear and strong.

    I bring the HT because the 14-mile road is closed to cars this summer (I ride a bicycle to the top), and it’s a pretty remote area with zero cell-phone coverage and limited emergency services. I like knowing that I can get on the HT if something goes sideways for me or other cyclists.

  68. Do you make a smaller version of the Signal Stick with a BNC connector? I am looking for an 8″ or so antenna.

    Thank you,
    Maxwell

  69. What is the current wait time for an SMA-F signal stick? I am very interested in trying one. I have only heard good things!

  70. Can you make a super-elastic for the Wouxun KG-805G, GMRS radio?

    1. I’m not familiar with that radio and don’t know which connector it needs, but our 440 monoband antenna should work reasonably well on it as long as you pay attention to the pictures and get the right connector. I am assuming of course that it uses some type of SMA connector for the antenna like other Wouxun radios — but I don’t know which it would be.

  71. Have had a signal stick on my FT3DR for about 4 months and have been very happy with it. Have done my own unscientific tests against several other antennas and subjectively reception on both ends of a 2m band discussion are superior with the signal stick. I’d like to take this antenna to another level. Is it possible to insert a 24 inch’ish section of coax between the HT antenna connector and the antenna so the radio can be carried on a pack shoulder strap while the antenna is secured to the pack itself? If so, is such cable available from signal stuff or elsewhere?
    Regards,
    JR

  72. Just got my signal stick delivered and immediately went to test it against the stock antenna on UV-5R’s.
    Was hoping/expecting to get some extra range with the signal sticks, but no luck there. In fact, the stock antennas seem to perform a bit better for range.

    It doesn’t seem like the Baofeng “cross-talk” issue should play a role here.
    Any thoughts or suggestions on what may be happening?

    Thanks

  73. Hi, I ordered a signal stick with the BNC connector. I have a couple of Baofeng UV5R radios and have several of the SMA female to BNC female adaptors. I have several other antennas and I want to convert them to BNC but I can’t find the BNC part that goes on the antenna. I’m a noob, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Daniel

  74. Hello.
    I am looking to buy a Yaesu FT-3D next week. What antenna would be compatible with this radio?

    Thank you,
    Charlie

    1. The FT-3D needs an SMA-M connector — if you look on the product page you can find a list of radios known to work with that connector.

  75. I ordered the vehicle mounted signal stick, excuse the n00b question but now what? How do I go about mounting it and taking it down to an sma connector? Also was it supposed to have one of these nifty tips like the signal stick because it is missing if it did.

    Love the HT signal stick, works awesome. Better than my diamond antenna in my Yaesu

    1. You have a few options. You can purchase a magnetic or lip NMO mount. Mag mounts are self explanatory, they attach to the vehicle with a magnet. Lip mounts attach to the edge of a trunk lid or something like that. These will have a built in cable with a connector on the end, usually UHF or SMA. From there you’d just need the appropriate adapter for whatever it comes with.

      If you’re willing to drill a hole for a permanent install you can buy an NMO mount that will go through the vehicle. Just search “NMO” mount on amazon and you’ll see all of these options.

      If you can return the favor, I’m curious how elastic the mobile antenna is. It’s new and hard to find info on it. Does it flop around easily like the handheld antennas do, or is it more stiff?

  76. I just purchased a WOUXUN KGUV9DMATE. Which of your antennas will fit it?

  77. Excellent antennas!

    We have used the dual band antennas on our ht’s for years and they work great! Have made SOTA simplex contacts in excess of 50 miles with S-5-7 reports.

    Just yesterday, I received antennas four signal sticks in the 70cm band (They arrived in just two days!)

    Immediately hooked one up and made a contact with a friend through a repeater more than 30 miles away, through the bulk of my house with the ht set at 1/2 watt!

    I continue to be impressed with SignalStuff antennas.

    73,

    Ryan NN7M

  78. Can I get a couple of your Super-elastic Signal Stick: SMA female for my Wouxun KG-805G radios that are GMRS only? Do you make them for GMRS?

  79. Just got my Signal Stick today and wanted to say thank you. My FT2D is alive again!
    Amazing antenna.
    N7AWM

  80. I just bought a few of your HT and 1 mobile antenna for 2M/70CM. Curious if you make mobile antennas for GMRS as well or if I buy another Super-Elastic Signal Stalk, if I can tune/trim it for GMRS. I’m pretty new to all this. Thx

    1. You could trim it down to match GMRS if you wanted to, yes. I don’t have any precalculated amounts, but it’d probably be around an inch maybe a bit more. Note that if you do that and go too far the warranty doesn’t cover that =]

  81. Hey Guys!
    I just wanted to let you know that the Super Elastic Signal Stick has been the single best thing to happen to my BaoFeng UV5R since the battery!
    I also want to thank you for the HamStudy app, it’s been amazingly helpful for my daughter and I to study with, even when I’m not home, due to the ‘share progress/mentor’ feature.
    In closing, I’d like to tell you about the T-bone rollover crash I was in yesterday.
    Your antenna suffered barely a scrape of the coating! Honestly, I did worse to it when it got closed in the door!
    Anyway, great products, keep it up, I tell everyone I can about you.

  82. I just ordered my second signal stick. These are fantastic antennas. Thank you so much for keeping this going. It’s a great cause and you obviously use a lot of personal time for this. Your replies are all humble and courteous. Well done.

    The antenna is lightweight on the radio yet very durable. Best of all it performs well. I prefer it to the SMA-24 and the NA-771 and the tape measure folding antennas.
    I did a very non-scientific antenna shootout from a fringe area on our repeater almost as a joke, but the Signal Stick won by a long shot. I now refer to it as the “Sizzle Stik” and we make jokes about the signal blowing the front end on the repeater because it’s so strong. It’s just a great addition to any HT. Buy with confidence and help support a good cause.
    73,
    Fred
    W4US

  83. So happy to be able to get great products and support HamStudy. I just went from zero to extra in one sitting this past Saturday and I definitely could not have done it without HamStudy. The examiners even asked me how I studied because I aced the tech and only missed two on the extra. I wasn’t paying attention when they were grading my general so I don’t know how many I missed.

    I just got my signal stick and immediately ordered another to make it my standard antenna for two different radios Thank you for supporting a good cause.

  84. Love the antennas! Do you make one tuned for GMRS?

    1. In my experience the antennas we have (both the dual band and the 440 monoband) work pretty well on GMRS. Technically you could cut about 1/2″ off to make it tuned just a bit better, but I’d be honestly shocked if you could tell any difference given that you can make just as much difference in resonance simply by moving it to a different position relative to your body…

      HT antennas are a bit weird that way, they’re much less “precise” than people want to think — and many get scared and/or don’t believe me when I tell them that. Those who have more experience tend to agree though ;-) Do your own research if you doubt me.

  85. I ordered my Signal Stick last week in preparation of taking my Technician’s exam yesterday. Along with using the ARRL License Manual and HamStudy.org I managed to get 34/35 (I actually had that one right and changed it!). Anyway, thanks very much for putting the HamStudy site up, it was a huge help!! I’m happy to support the great cause by purchasing what I’ve read is an awesome antennae. I’ll be back on HamStudy.org later this week to prepare for my General. 73 KF0GHC

  86. I ordered my antenna ST-SMA-M for my Yaesu vx6 and the pointy pin thing inside the connection seems too short. I cannot transmit. Have I ordered the wrong antenna?

  87. 9/27/21 Trying to order 2 antennas and your site will not let me add to cart , It keeps instructing me to select options that I have selected . Any ideas as to what is going on ? Thanks Danny

  88. Saw a great video by K8MRD today, that was very informative and instructive. Based on his review was the final bit of information I needed to buy with confidence, knowing that I was getting a high quality item.

    Now just the wait for it to arrive

  89. Saw a great video by K8MRD today, that was very informative and instructive. Based on his review was the final bit of information I needed to buy with confidence, knowing that I was getting a high quality item.

    Now just the wait for it to arrive

  90. I am new to amateur radio. Currently I have two HT Resource road radios (TYT-UV88 Programmed with Channels 150.08 to 160.62). I also use one of these as a mobile unit with an exterior magnetic mount antennae.
    I am looking at purchasing a dual band HT ham radio and/or a mobile (eg. FTM 6000R) in the near future once I have my license.
    What do you suggest to equip myself and improve my current radios? I especially like the Collapsible OSJ as a home station.
    Thanks.

  91. will these work for business bands or will you be making some in the near future. i have a pink radio the wife uses for off-road and want to get a pink antenna to match.

  92. Sir, Your antenna is an huge improvement over the stock one on the Uv-5r5. 25 degrees here in the northeast and YES your wire does go limp. No regrets on my purchase and would buy more if the limp wire issue was resolved. Thank you for your product and your support to our community. Best Regards, Jim Stout

  93. Hi,
    Are you going to attend the Orlando Hamcation event in February?

    Are you going to have a distributor at Orlando Hamcation?

  94. Could you cut an antenna for 122 mhz (aviation band) with a BNC connector ? Radio is an Icom IC-A22

  95. About the 3d Printed Spacer for FT-60R (1pc).
    I have an FT-60 (no “R”).
    Would my radio need the spacer to work correctly?

  96. Hi:
    You mentioned you needed a way to cover the BNC connector. I wonder if you bought a rubberized plastic cap that is a tiny bit bigger then the connector so it doesn’t interfere with the connector and put a hole in the center, run it down the antenna to the connector. Next try to see if you can coat with epoxy. I’m not sure if it will work but just an idea.

  97. Looking to buy a signal stick for a Retevis RT6 2way radio. I noted on your website you mentioned you were trying to source a different wire that wasn’t as temperature sensitive as the original wire. When do you expect to have the improved antennas available?

  98. Super honest dude! I ordered one Signal Stick. After I submitted my order, I realized that I had meant to order 2. I ordered the second antenna and explained in the notes that I had meant to order 2. From here, I wrote it off to “my mistake.” I get a reply from Richard acknowledging my concern AND correcting the pricing. Excellent level of service! When I received my antennas within 5 days, my reception on my Baofeng GT-5R went through the roof. This man is trustworthy and makes a superior home grown product!

  99. Writing from AltusMetrum, a Colorado-based small business making and selling electronics for amateur rocketry. Our stuff uses the 70cm band, and we’re looking to order a bunch of antennas to sell with our launch gear. We use the lower part of the band, around 435MHz, so we’re wondering if you’d be up for making about 50 in a slightly longer length to work better at that frequency? We’d want them in purple to fit our “corporate colors”.

  100. How do I get the app. I can’t find it on my phone. I really want it on my PC.

  101. I have one of your collapsible j-pole antennas and I am wondering if I were to spray paint it if that would affect the signal. I am looking t use it for a law enforcement/military use.

    1. Hey Anthony,
      The answer is that it depends on what you use. If your paint has any metal it in or conductive material then it can mess with signals. There is no easy way to tell if a paint has metal or conductive material in it.

    2. Hey Anthony,
      The answer is that it depends on what you use. If your paint has any metal it in or conductive material then it can mess with signals. There is no easy way to tell if a paint has metal or conductive material in it.

    3. Hey Anthony,
      The answer is that it depends on what you use. If your paint has any metal it in or conductive material then it can mess with signals. There is no easy way to tell if a paint has metal or conductive material in it.

    4. Instead of paint, what about plasti-dip?
      https://plastidip.com/our-products/plasti-dip/
      Just a thought

      1. A long time ago before I used 3d-printed parts I used to make the tips using a ball of hot glue and then plasti-dipped them. it works well, but it’s kinda expensive if you don’t use it for anything else — and it’ll go bad within a few months sitting on a shelf.

        1. I just figured plasti-dip might be a way to go for the op because their web-site states that it’s a rubber coating, so it doesn’t sound like there would be any any metallic material in it as opposed to using paint

          73

  102. Question regarding signal stick storage. Should I store it unfolded or is it fine to keep it wrapped in a loop? (sorry for the multi replies up above, apparently hitting the post comment button multiple times when nothing happens is not the correct thing to do.)

  103. Please make a tri-band (2m,1.25m,70cm) version of the signal stick. Please!

    1. I’d love to but I don’t have a workable design. If you know someone who can help put them in touch with me =]

  104. Richard
    Do you carry the GMRS antenna. I need to get one that will work.

    I have 4 of your 2 m antenna and none that I have work on 440mhz
    I have one on DMR radio and it works great
    can you tell me what I am doing wrong

    1. Our 2m antennas work fine on 440 and should work adequately well on GMRS. Our 440 monoband antennas should also work acceptably on GMRS — many have reported they work fine for them.

      Email us directly (support at signalstuff dot com) if you have more specific questions.

      1. Have you tested the swr to confirm this? The reason I ask is I’m considering one myself.

        1. Please see the FAQ for an explanation on why you can’t fully accurately test SWR on an HT antenna, but when testing on the BNC magmount as well as some other mount types that I’ve used the SWR is fine for both MURS and GMRS (< 1.75:1 across the whole area). That said, the actual SWR you'd see if your radio had a meter built in would vary by what most would consider to be a ridiculous amount on almost any HT antenna depending on many many factors, like how you hold it, what is near by, etc etc etc. Anything you do to measure SWR on this type of antenna will actually change the SWR. Try it and see; we didn't design it for that purpose, but many have reported good results. (despite common myth, bad SWR will not damage this type of radio, so you can test it safely)

  105. Hello there,

    Any chance of shipment or any representatives in Europe ?
    (Super-elastic Signal Stick)

    Thanks.

    Best regards,

    Antonio Cochicho
    (CT7ARF)

    1. We have no resellers anywhere but we do ship to nearly anywhere in the world — the shopping cart can calculate your shipping price. I recommend using either GlobalPost or else UPS as USPS for international tends to be really slow and often is not great at tracking updates.

  106. Is there a way to contact about custom orders or something? If I order another signal stick for my other HT, I would love to have just the white tip glow in the dark, while the rest remains black. The current one I have is the black, but noticed the tip is white. It would be a perfect candidate for an additional option. – KC1RIW

    1. We don’t do custom orders, but in your case the tip is already glow in the dark, not white. We recently(ish) changed to using injection molded tips because they look nicer and are better protection and the new tips are opaque instead of translucent, but they still are glow in the dark. Note that glow in the dark means they need to be “charged” with light (UV is the most effective, so sunlight works great) before going into a dark room in order to glow.

  107. Great Performer! Instant receive boost on my Yaesu FT5DR over stock and Diamond aftermarket antennas.
    Thank you!

  108. Got my signal sticks in the mail today, two days early via USPS. So lite simple and bendy. Couldn’t resist the glow in the dark version. Got the $20 mag mount too, which I wasnt sure I wanted…popped it on the truck roof, twisted the signalstick off the HT and onto the magmount and off I went…glad I got it. Thanks for the great products!

  109. Can the wire be cut to tune for 155mHz, and then reattach the tip?

    1. In my testing it works fine at 155Mhz as-is — I don’t recommend cutting it, it’s just as likely to make it worse as better.

  110. I am just absolutely in love with your antenna products on both my mobile and HT rigs.
    Really impressive stuff folks.

  111. Richard, I have an Alinco DJ-G7 that besides two meters and 70 centimeters does 23 centimeters. Do you know what the SWR would be with one of your 2/70 dual band antenna at 1.24 to 1.3 GHz? I have several Signal Stick antennas, great product. 73, George N2YTA

    1. I haven’t the slightest clue =]

  112. The antenna in this story sure looks familiar!
    https://youtu.be/EDwKfqExDz4?t=105

  113. Any possibility of making a 33cm (915MHz) version with all the interest in Meshtastic?

    1. I wouldn’t say anything is impossible but it’s unlikely at this time — the signal stick uses a quarter wave design which isn’t likely to work well across the range of frequencies that would be needed

  114. Hi, is it possible to custom order a signal stick with the white plastic cap in the connector section and a yellow antenna section?

    1. In general we don’t do custom orders, sorry! Some slight exceptions could be made but only in large quantities, e.g. 50 or more is probably the minimum for most customizations.

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