Third of five parts
For all the complex electronics inside a two-way radio, arguably the most important component is the antenna, which transmits and captures radio waves.
Portable radios come from the factory with an antenna that has been tuned precisely to meet the needs of the radio it’s attached to. So why would you need an accessory antenna? A couple scenarios spring to mind:
Broken and scratched — To operate at peak efficiency, an antenna needs to remain in the shape it was built in. Dent, scratches and breaks can foul up an antenna and might cause it to fail altogether. If your radio is operations-critical, you should have a backup antenna just in case. Without a working antenna, your radio ceases to be a radio.
Transmission range issues — A longer antenna can extend the range of your radio. Of
course,