2m antenna for a wide range of frequencies??

[Spikepretorius]

In the Safrican rescue scene I need to be able to use the amateur frequencies (145.xxx) as well as commercial frequencies (152.xxx) and occasionally (seldom) even marine (156.xxx)

All of this programmed into one 2m commercial radio.(Icom F110)

What are my antenna options to try work over such a wide range with a reasonable SWR?
Fit a 1/4 wave no-gain antenna and hope for the best?
Is there such a thing as a simple cheap 2m antenna tuner?
Any bright, practical, low $$$ ideas please.

 

[AKRover]

I think a discone design might be able to give you a reasonable swr in that frequency range. Diamond makes a nice one but it might look a little strange mounted on the roof of a vehicle.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Standard issue 1/4λ whips should easily give you at least 10% bandwidth at 2:1 SWR.

You are only looking for about 11MHz of bandwidth, so tune it for minimum SWR at 150MHz and you'll be looking at about 7%. On a drilled NMO mount with a good ground plane you should hit 1.2:1 or better at the tuned center and probably be around 1.5:1 over most of the frequencies you mention.

Check with the commercial manufacturers, Larsen, etc. You will most likely have to stick with a monoband whip to get the bandwidth, though.

Edit to add: Check out a Larsen NMOWB150B.

MODEL FREQUENCY (MHz)
NMOWB150B 135 - 174
SPECIFICATIONS
GAIN 0 dBd / 2.1dBi no ground plane
2.5 dBd / 4.6 dBi with ground plane
TYPE Wideband 1/2 wave
VSWR (see bandwidth) 1.5:1 or less
BANDWIDTH @ 1.5 15% w/ or w/o ground plane
BANDWIDTH @ 2.0 23% w/ or w/o ground plane
POWER RATING 100 Watts
COLOR Black
WHIP W490.125 B, .125 tapered
COAX Order separately
MAX HEIGHT 51 3/4”Black NMO VHF wide
band coil and field
tunable black whip,
144 - 174 MHz.

http://www.larsen-antennas.com/docfiles/ASB9/Mobile/VHF136to174MHz.pdf

 

[SunTzuNephew]

I managed quite well using 2 meter radios and a Larsen 5/8 wave NMO antenna, on Civil Air Patrol transmit freqs (below 2 meter) and SAR freqs (155.16 and up).

The antenna was nominally resonant at around 148 or so.

 

[Fish]

I believe that's the Larsen I have. It's worked well for me.

 

[BigJim]

A half wave

is generally to be considered the most broad banded of an antenna for VHF work.

 

[gary in ohio]

I believe that's the Larsen I have. It's worked well for me.

YOu have to be carefull when looking at antennas. Some will say can work over 136-174, but can only work over 4-8mhz at a time. Know the freq range and the bandwidth.

 

[SunTzuNephew]

I used to run Larsen 5/8 wave NMO antennas cut for 148 Mhz by chart, and got < 2:1 SWR from 143 to 158 Mhz, and less than 3:1 at 172Mhz.... Getting that SWR I never bothered to tweak the antenna further.

YMMV.