Looking for a high gain vertical tri-band VHF/UHF base antenna? You have a Technician Class ham radio / amateur radio license and now you want a base antenna that covers three (3) key bands including:
– 2 meters (VHF) 144-148MHz
– 1.25 meters (220 band) 222-225MHz
– 70cm (UHF) 420-450 MHz
and you want as much gain as you can get so you can reach distant repeaters? Get that antenna as high as you possibly can! In the VHF/UHF world where radio signals mostly travel by straight line (aka “line of sight”) having a higher antenna is key.
Here is the order of importance if you want to have really good performance (maximize distance) on VHF/UHF:
- Height = Get your antenna as high as possible
I use a base tripod and extension mast poles. - Antenna Gain (and low loss coax cabling)
I use MPD-240 for short runs (including jumpers) and LMR-400 for longer runs. Don’t waste (lose) power by using cheaper cabling. UHF is especially lossy. If you lose 3dB in cabling, you just cut your output power in half.
An antenna that has 6dBi gain will double your range.
This is the most cost effective boost you can get (cheaper than increasing power with a higher power radio or amplifier)! - Increase Power
To effectively “double your range” (for ground-wave) you need a 6db increase:
(6db increase is the starting power x4)
– Start: 4 Watts = Need 16 Watts to go twice as far
– Start: 10 Watts = Need 40 Watts to go twice as far
Here is the actual tri-band VHF-UHF base antenna that I use and it has reached some repeaters that are nearly 40-50+ miles away:
Tri-Band VHF/UHF Base Antenna:
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna for 2m 1.25m 70cm
2 meters (VHF) 144-148MHz 6.5dBi gain
1.25 meters (220 band) 222-225MHz 7.8dBi gain
70 centimeters (UHF) 420-450MHz 9.0dBi gain
10 feet tall
See Graphs Below – Actual VSWR readings using:
NanoVNA Vector Network Analyzer:
These graphs below are actual readings taken using my VNA.
Notes: (How to read these graphs)
Lower SWR is better.
Anything under 1.5 is great.
Anything under 2.0 is usable (for transmit).
Anything above 3.0 and you should not transmit.
(Receive may still work fine for scanner applications)
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 2 Meter Ham Band 144-148MHz
This antenna performs well for the 2 meter band 144-148Mhz range and has 6.0dBi gain.
SWR: 2 Meter VHF Ham Band
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 1.25 Meter Ham Band 222-225MHz
Excellent for the 1.25 meter 220 band and has 7.8dBi gain.
SWR: 1.25 Meter 220MHz Ham Band
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 70 Centimeter Ham Band UHF 420-450MHz
Very good for 70cm UHF and has 9.0dBi gain.
SWR: 70 Centimeter UHF Ham Band
What about other frequencies and bands?
How would this antenna work on frequencies that are not specifically listed as part of the tri-band(s) as designed and stated by the manufacturer?
We ran our VNA antenna analyzer and generated some additional SWR graphs (below) on a few other ranges, let’s take a look:
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 1.8-29.7MHz
No! Do not use this antenna for HF!
This is a VHF-UHF antenna and not good for HF.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 50-54MHz 6 Meter Ham Band
No! Do not use this antenna for 6 Meters!
This is a VHF-UHF antenna and not good for 6 Meters.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 100-200MHz VHF Sweep
This antenna works well (as stated by the manufacturer) on the 2 Meter Ham Band 144-148MHz portion and with a high gain of 6.5dBi.
If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 200-300MHz VHF Sweep
This antenna works well (as stated by the manufacturer) on the 1.25 Meter 220 Ham Band 222-225MHz portion and with a high gain of 7.8dBi. If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 300-400MHz VHF Sweep
We ran this sweep for the sake of completeness. If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 400-500MHz VHF Sweep
This antenna works well (as stated by the manufacturer) on the 70 Centimeter UHF Ham Band 420-430MHz portion and with a high gain of 9dBi. If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 462-467MHz GMRS Band Sweep
We ran this sweep for the sake of completeness. This antenna could be used in a pinch if you had nothing else for GMRS, but a purpose built GMRS antenna would serve you better. If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 978MHz ADSB Band Sweep
We ran this sweep for the sake of completeness. This antenna could be used in a pinch if you had nothing else for ADSB, but at a 2.0 SWR and gain towards the horizon (not optimal for ADSB). If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
Comet CX-333 Tri-Band VHF UHF Base Antenna
SWR: 1090MHz ADSB Band Sweep
We ran this sweep for the sake of completeness. This antenna could be used in a pinch if you had nothing else for ADSB and gain towards the horizon (not optimal for ADSB). If you are looking for a broad band antenna, you would be better served using a discone instead.
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