TL;DR

Standard Signal Strand™ lengths for Signal Stick™ antennas:

• Dual-Band Signal Stick™: ~18.5" for 2m/70cm ham bands, ~16.5" for GMRS/MURS
• 440 Monoband: ~6.25" for 70cm band, ~5.25" for GMRS
• 220 Monoband: ~12.5" for 1.25m band

Dual-Band Signal Stick™ Lengths

For the dual-band Signal Stick, choose your length based on your primary use:

• Amateur Radio Bands

  • 144-148 MHz (2m) and 440 MHz (70cm): ~18.5"
  • This length is optimized for both bands simultaneously

• GMRS and MURS

  • 151-154 MHz (MURS) and 462-467 MHz (GMRS): ~16.5"
  • Optimized for both services’ frequency ranges
  • This actually adjusts the ideal frequency of the Signal Stick™ up to the GMRS and MURS bands

Monoband Signal Stick™ Lengths

If you’re using a monoband Signal Stick™, you can optimize specifically for your band:

• 440 MHz Monoband

  • Amateur Radio (70cm band): ~6.25"
  • GMRS (462-467 MHz): ~5.25"

• 220 MHz Monoband

  • 222-225 MHz (1.25m band): ~12.5"

Using Other Antennas?

While these lengths are optimized for Signal Stick™ antennas, they may improve performance with other antennas as well. However, due to variations in antenna design and characteristics, you might need to experiment to find the optimal length for non-Signal Stick™ antennas.

Tips for Best Results

• Cut slightly longer than needed at first - you can always trim more
• Ensure clean connections at the spade terminal
• Keep the wire straight when possible
• Avoid coiling excess wire

In Summary

Choose your Signal Strand™ length based on your:

1. Antenna type (Dual-Band vs Monoband)
2. Primary operating band or service
3. Whether you need multi-band optimization

The pre-cut Signal Strand™ (~18.5") is optimized for dual-band ham radio use, but can be trimmed for other applications.