I came across this new antenna, the TWAYRDIO RH 660S, mentioned in this Ham Radio Crash Course video. I have previously been recommending the TWAYRDIO TH770 antenna via this post. The RH 660S is a newer dual-band 2m/70cm telescoping antenna from the same company.
For Summits On The Air (SOTA), I generally take along such an antenna. The performance of any half-wave antenna on a handheld radio is always much better than the standard rubber duck. Although a 3-element Yagi antenna provides even better performance, it has to be pointed in the right direction. Sometimes, we will set up the RH 660 or TH 770 on a small vertical pole (actually a camera monopod with a homebrew BNC attachment). This allows us to monitor and work the band with an omnidirectional antenna without having to hold or point the Yagi. Much more convenient while sitting on a summit eating lunch.
A key advantage to an omnidirectional antenna is that it is always pointed in the right direction.
The RH660 is available with the three standard connectors: BNC, SMA Male and SMA female. Make sure you pick the right one that matches your radio.
On our most recent SOTA activation, I did a quick comparison between the old TH 770 and the new RH 660 on 2 meters. The RH 660 seemed to perform ever so slightly better, but that was probably within the measurement error of the test. It certainly was not worse than the TH 770. I only did the comparison test on 2 meters, as that is the GO TO band for VHF SOTA. However, the antenna seemed to work OK on 70cm as well.
The packaging on the antenna indicates 3.0 dBi gain on 144 MHz and 5.0 dBi gain on 430 MHz. Do I believe those numbers? Not really, but they are probably close. (An ideal halfwave radiator has a gain of 2.2 dBi.) Note that the newer antenna does not have the magic tuning lump in the middle of the radiating element, which simplifies the mechanical design. This is the main advantage of the new antenna: no lump in the middle, resulting in a slimmer and sturdier design.
Summary
I am pleased with this new design, and I now recommend it as a good compact antenna for portable use. As with all telescoping 2m half-wave antennas, it is long and should be handled with care. Otherwise, you can poke someone’s eye out, break it in two, or snap the connector off your HT.
The RH660 antenna is available at Amazon for ~$17. At this price, why wouldn’t you have one in your backpack or Go Bag?
73 Bob K0NR
I would suggest the antenna be mounted ,as in the photo, on a tripod or mast. The SMA or BNC connector makes it tempting to mount it directly on a HT. This stresses the HT”s antenna jack, and could break the “fragile” connection to the HT’s circuit board. Gordon West, wb6noa
This is a great antenna! I’ve been using it on my activations as well. Thanks for the blog – it is very helpful for us newer SOTA activators!
73,
Matt
KG0AT
Thanks for the review and recommendation. I have one on order.
May I also offer a recommendation for a tripod mount? There is an inexpensive ~$15 foldable work light stand available at Harbor Freight. It is light and collapsible to 27″. It should be easy to modify the lamp bracket for a bulkhead mount and coax cable. I’ll use it for POTA, but the important feature is that the extended height (56″) gets the tip of the antenna above your eyeball level! It comes in a box, but should fit in a folding camp chair bag. I’ll let you know.
Link: https://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-work-light-tripod-70085.html. Comments?
73 Greg
KD0GRG
Hi Greg,
Thanks for the comment.
The tripod looks useful but for a typical SOTA activation, I’d say it’s a little heavy (~4 lbs). Good for short hikes, POTA, portable operating in general, etc.
Bob