Any suggestions for an average sized antenna for GMRS handheld that will improve distance and sound quality over stock antenna? I’ve heard Nagoya, Smiley and Signal Stick brands mentioned often. Wouldn’t want the Nagoya 771g as looks too long to be impractical for hiking etc.
Any feedback appreciated
Also same for Ham amateur radio on 2m and 70cm band range. Just passed my Exam so waiting on my official call sign and will be buying a Wouxun or possibly Yaesu or Icon 
The ones on the radios are always the best for the length. Some as you say are too long, some put too much strain on the socket and really the shortened quarter waves win for another reason. They are more resistant to losses from polarisation. Often you can move the radio away from vertical up to 45 degrees without much loss of performancre, but withe the antennas that are based on small amounts of gain designs - they need to be kept more vertical.
Sound quality has nothing to do with antennas, unless you are talking about picking out a really weak signal from the noise - once you get ba solid noise free signal, what you transmit and receive, qiality wise, is 100% the radio.
It’s my experience that the 9db gain in the ⅝ 
of the Smiley extended antenna beats even the 2nd best, Diamond rubber antenna. Which is only ½ which is what the Smiley is partially collapsed. Both are way better than the one that comes with the radio, mine is the Wouxun KG-UV9GX.
I’m going to make a stab in the dark here - look at this spec, and then look at the science. The two simply don’t match. 9dB gain - even 9dBi is simply ludicrous as a claim. What do we have? A simple telescopic single but of metal. A pretty poor groundplane (as in, a hand and body) and it has bags of gain? It cannot be super efficient - the science simply prohibits it doing what is claimed. It has a coil at the bottom - OK, but they seem to elect to consider it a 5/8 matching coil at one point, then seem to pretend it’s not there for another claim. Put the ■■■■ thing on an analyser and I would bet real money it’s resonant all over the place but as a radiator, somehow I doubt it’s claims. After all, if it had 9dB(of any kind) gain, we’d have them up as base stations, as this is more than any real tested designs I’ve seen. It’s just PT Barnum stuff.
TRI BAND 2 METER / 220 / 440 flexible base loaded telescopic antenna is the standard for field use whether in the countryside or city. This super efficient VHF / UHF antenna provides a OMNI directional 3 to 9 db gain depending on position and is usable in 4 positions. (1/4 wave 2 Meter Fully extended) - (5/8 wave 440 2 sections down) (1/4 wave 440 fully collapsed) (1/4 wave 220 4 sections down) tuned coil/spring & available with any TA Base. This flex coil matching network provides at band center low SWR as well as a ± 5 MHz band center. Antenna tuned at 440 MHz being the band center, the antenna will perform the same between 435 - 445 MHz. Length Telescope 4.5" down and 16.5" up.
Price: $27.00
Screw the science, I’m going going off the fact of the matter from the experience of using them all. I have the Smiley SuperStick and the Diamond SRH77CA: Diamond Antenna Dual Band HT Antenna (2m/70cm)
And have used them both, I can say from experience that I get many more fars using the Smiley than the Diamond and both are better than my stock Wouxun KG-UV9GX antenna. I don’t don’t give a ■■■■ about your science!
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In which case, I have to mention that the one I bought on a whim went into the bin as the most useless replacement for an antenna ever. I’m pleased your works very well and hope the snake oil doesn’t stain too badly. I also discovered with the one I had that you could go from something that received to something that was a wet piece of string when you pushed the thing shut just an extra half inch. The tuning is not remotely broad band and anybody buying one needs to know that there are always two opinions. Your’s is a valid as mine. I think they’re dreadful, you love it. That’s cool with me.
I placed an order for the 5/8th GMRS and the Ham 146 mhz 5/8th Smiley Slim antenna and will be comparing them to the stock antenna. Stay tuned (no pun intended)
I purchased the 19" dual band signal stick which is 3/4 wave on 70cm and its greatly improved the receive capabilities of my radio, but is obnoxiously long. I can be rolled up for storage/transport, but its annoying to have on my belt or even in the cupholder of my car (it hits the roof).
I recently bought the 6" 70cm only signal stick which is 1/4 wave and it is much, much more convinent, maybe has slightly reduced receive capabilities compared to the 3/4 wave monster.
I’ve also considered the Smiley telescoping antennas as being best of both worlds since it can be collapsed during transport, so I am curious about your reports.
Where I live there is almost no activity on 2M (except random APRS beacons) but 70cm is busy.
This makes huge sense - 1/4 wave VHF functioning as 3/4 wave on UHF - sensible angles of radiation and also pretty immune in changes of verticalness until approaching 45 degrees. The weird and unpredictabe side-lobes in other designs make performance so variable. You drive around - usuing your cup holder as an example and when a side lobe and take-off angle are in the right direction they appear to be great antennas. You start to go up or down hill, or turn a corner and performance plummets. The antennas the radios come with tend to offer OK performance - in a pocket, laying on a ledge, jammed in a shirt pocket etc. Held perfectly vertically, away from everything just isn’t real life.
This makes huge sense - 1/4 wave VHF functioning as 3/4 wave on UHF - sensible angles of radiation and also pretty immune in changes of verticalness until approaching 45 degrees. The weird and unpredictabe side-lobes in other designs make performance so variable. You drive around - usuing your cup holder as an example and when a side lobe and take-off angle are in the right direction they appear to be great antennas. You start to go up or down hill, or turn a corner and performance plummets. The antennas the radios come with tend to offer OK performance - in a pocket, laying on a ledge, jammed in a shirt pocket etc. Held perfectly vertically, away from everything just isn’t real life.
So, I’m going to give you the best advice that has not been given here so far. Buy whichever antenna you like that is available from amazon. If you don’t like it, return. Free return shipping. Just make sure it says “Free Returns” under the price and they will take it back no matter what the reason. I pass 10 UPS Stores every day so it’s no issue for me to play the return game. An antenna that works for me in my region may not work well for you. Try many any keep what you like. You will pretty much end up like all of us and have a drawer full of antennas at some point anyway.
Since my ONLY reference is from the use I’ve been constantly giving my Wouxun KG-UV9GX since day 1, it’s been on constantly round the clock with few exceptions due to dead batteries while sleeping, I have tried a multitude of other antennas, especially those “recommended” mobile antennas, and even the “best” of those, the Larsen B4505CN can’t beat the Smiley Signal Stick that I have, then again I don’t abuse my equipment either. It folds down nicely when I’m wearing it on my belt, when traveling around in the vehicle, it’s either collapsed just 2, or I’ve hooked it up to the Laird on the roof. At home it’s primarily fully extended, especially indoors or when I’m talking 45 miles to the repeater on the mountain behind a couple from me, as I’ve learned recently. Even the one 15 miles away at about 15° off that one is also behind a couple of mountains from me. Both of which I not only receive very well on, I also transmit on as well.
Albeit recently I have been experiencing a lot of interference, I chalk it up to lack of power and atmospheric conditions of late. Otherwise I have to say, I have much better communications with the Smiley Stick sold by a non-competitor (since they don’t carry them or even an equivalent here,) and the reason I feel that people here are so much against them, (along with that they’re destructive with their equipment, most likely on purpose. Normally people don’t attempt to close their equipment beyond it’s abilities.) The antenna doesn’t have the give of a “rubber duck” but, it’s all solid cylindrical metal, not a wire encased in rubber detracting from it’s functionality, (rubber also can attract static which is killer on electronics and interferes with signals.) It does however bend near the base at it’s flex joint. It’s a 1 direction bend back and forth but, it works ok, it’s not spring bendy.
Outside of that, I have no “technical” or “scientific” results as there’s no way to accurately test them outside of several hundred dollar scientific equipment in a lab scenario which I’m not about to set up, so I have no results to compare to. I also won’t say it’s any let alone ⅝ or even ¼, just that it’s a greater improvement over the cheapo “rubber ducks” that I’ve tried with my “radio”, (note not plural.) I’m not saying that it’s for everyone, or that anyone else will have my results, as always, YMWV. Everyone will have different experiences with whatever they use, I’m just saying don’t discount them because someone else said they’re junk. They say the same thing about Baofeng Tech too…
Find somebody to talk to. Driver further away and try again. When you lose them, swap antennas. Then get closer and swap again. Work out which works, and where - and if you live in a hilly area keep a note of how high you are. Learn to judge the sound of the background noise. It’s important the other end use their radio in the same place and same orientation, and don’t move. One antenna will be better. The best non-radio version is when people talk about their small 4cylinder car that does 50mpg comparing it with the v8 in their 4WD. They might tell you it does 45mpg, but then you find that they got this figure travelling in a straight line, on a gentle slop for 50 miles, with the wind behind them. This site is owned by a firm who sell radio products. Odd how they don’t sell this brilliant antenna? If it works for you, I’m really pleased. What did Mr Scott say “ye canna change the laws of physics Captain”
Got my KG-UV9px and 2M Smiley antenna
With my UV5R and stock antenna hitting a repeater about 12 miles away bad audio, lots crackling and only hear every few words
Uv9px with smiley was clear as day
Although test was on different days and weather. Need to do a side by side test and also with stock uv9px antenna