I have a pair of Motorola T6 (link) which I want to increase the range by replacing the antenna. The problem is that I do not know what sort of antenna is used in the device.
I want to do a nice and tidy job and then need to know the exact size and type of the antenna. Any ideas?
You can do a bodge job, but as far as I’m aware, you are going to have to remove the plastic housing, remove the shortened quarter wave wire antenna inside. Fit a socket, probably either a BNC or SMA type. This probably involves a small metal or plastic housing, and some remedial work with plasticard, and araldite! You then need to mask, rub down and prepare for spraying. It’s likely the match to the new external aerial will be a bit iffy, so you’ll probably need to trim the new antenna to get the best match, then tidy that up. A straight quarter wave will give you a tiny bit of range improvement, and attaching an aerial with gain might give a little more. Let’s say you 1000m, which is doubtful, perhaps more like 100m in practical applications. You might get 10 or 20m more, with maybe even 10% with the gain aerial. Downsides are that the better the aerial, the more the operator has to try to keep them aligned. With the distance maxed out with both aerials vertical, just rotating one a few degrees will see the signal vanish. Worse still, unless your modification is really strong, the antenna to radio joint will be weak and probably snap off with the longer antenna lengths of beer radios.
The aerials themselves are quite expensive (especially as the radios are pocket money prices, with pocket money performance).
I’d suggest this is wasting money, and of course by modifying them, they’re also rendered illegal to use on that band. If you want to work illegally, then you can buy a chinese radio that will give better range for the same kind of money.
When you factor in the fact that the aerial and connectors, plus the modifications will probably cost more than the radio, is there any point to this?
They are short range, cheap devices, and range is never going to be much more than you have already.
I figure the radio’s advertised range is on the “hopeful” side.
You have one half watt out with a radio in a range that is “line of sight” frequency to begin with…the radios you have and the service they are used in are not intended to have much of a range to begin with. The are basically a mobile wireless intercom for family use on camp outs and picnics…
leave them as is and look for a radio service that is designed to do what you want… get the proper licensing and radios for that use.