UT-72

Amazon clumps all these Nagoya reviews together, in spite of covering different products. I happen to own a couple of them. This first bit is in regard to the RB-50 NMO magnet mount: This thing is enormous. The 5" magnet really wants to stay in place. I use it with a half-wave VHF radiator that has a thick loading coil at the base, and it works beautifully, The bottom of the magnet has a heavy rubber rig around the lip, and a felt-like pad in the center to protect your car's finish. Honestly, I'd prefer an all-rubber coating, since I leave it on my car in all weather. I'll see how it holds up. I park indoors, so I'm not too worried about the felt. The mount includes a threaded rain cap, but if you're concerned with moisture, why not remove the entire mount and toss it in the car? The attached cable is slightly longer than the UT-72's, but not long enough to be annoyingly lossy. I find the extra couple of feet useful. The following is in regards to the UT-72 antenna: I own two of these antennas. The original was intended to live atop my Subaru Crosstrek, but I had such a positive experience initially testing it with my base rig, that I opted to leave it there and order another for the car. My home station is based in a small office, in a rental apartment with no balcony. My antenna options are thus _very_ limited; use a UT-72 and some DIY Yagis for VHF and UHF ops, and a random-wire/balun/choke for HF and shortwave listening. Everything is set up indoors. With some luck, I'll eventually work out a safe and discreet means of getting the random-wire out a window. I digress. The UT-72 requires a good ground plane, as mag mounts do. The more conductive surface area underneath the base, the lower SWR and better performance you'll get. My indoor unit is stuck to a large window A/C (of course my landlord has the compressors mounted entirely in our apartments, leaving nothing outside to work with), and my mobile unit is centered behind the sunroof. If you just need a temporary hack, sticking the magnet to an overturned cookie sheet is better than nothing. Mounted as intended, the SWR lives up to vendor claims. I'd be happy to take measurements for a particular frequency/frequencies and post photos of my meter. You can reach me at the address in my profile. In terms of workmanship, this is a rugged antenna. The base is huge—there's no way it's going anywhere at highway speed—and coated with a heavy layer of protective rubber. The thick coil at the base does double-duty, improving broadband coverage and acting as a protective spring. I take every precaution driving places with a low overhead clearance, but I'm confident in the UT-72s ability to flex upon bumping into things, without sustaining damage. The included cable is long enough to run back through my tailgate and up to my mobile rig, and the SO-239 to SMA-F adapter is a nice bonus that facilitates connection to the majority of HTs. If you're shopping for a magmount, I highly recommend this antenna. 73

Used this to connect to a Quansheng handheld. I used it to reach a local repeater with the antenna sitting on a table on my porch and was able to hit a 2 m repeater about 6 miles away. I had tried a number of other whip antennas on the unit and the report back was the signal was strong however the mic volume was still low. It is the radio and not the antenna. Bonus I was able to pick up a linked repeater on 70 cm that was 50 miles away. This will end up on my car however it performed well even without a ground plane. The adapter is a bonus as eventually I will use this with a regular mobile unit. The price point is excellent and proves you can get in ham radio without breaking the bank.

I used this to get better reception for my Baofeng UV-5R5 in my Toyota 4Runner. It's great for receive, and ok for transmit too. Repeater operation: I was able to hit couple repeaters about 10-15 miles away, and my contacts both said my audio signal sounded good enough. However I don't know how well the antenna is able to handle propagation issues. Simplex Operation: I only had about 3-5w of Tx power with the little Baofeng HT so every time I tried calling a CQ on 146.52 I got nothing, but also heard nothing either. However with larger antenna I use (Comet CA 2x4SR), I pull in all kinds of 2 Meter simplex chatter regularly, that I never heard ever using the UT-72. Construction: The mag-mount is strong. Granted it doesn't have to hold up a lot of weight though. I was doing 80-90 down the highway and it stayed up there fine! The antenna screws onto the magnet, and should probably be tightened down with a pair of pliers. There is a hex portion below the coil so you can get a good grip with pliers. Be careful if you do this because the antenna's paint will easily chip off, and shavings of metal will fall off too. In conclusion, I think you get what you pay for. It's good for it's price, and will do simple tasks. But I would ultimately upgrade your antenna to something else in the future. Overall, I've been very satisfied with the UT-72!

I got this to test out my new (to me) mobile radio that I will be using as a base station. I needed an antenna with a PL-259 connector to attach to the radio's UHF SO-239 connector so this fit the bill. I had to get it fast so I could meet the seller and test out the radio, so of course Amazon Prime was one of the best ways to go. Eventually I want to go with a bigger and better antenna for my base station but till then this will do. And when I do replace it I will use this antenna as it is intended as a mobile antenna (and if the occasion arises in the mean time). A huge benefit (and value) to buying this antenna is that it comes with a PL-259 connector to SMA (female) adapter which will give you the ability to use this with a HT handheld radio such as a Baofeng UV-5R. Note: the 10 inch adapter cable is of a much smaller and flexible braid, this is to not put undue stress and pressure on the HT's antenna mount. Also by buying it from BaoFeng Tech you know this is an authentic Nagoya. (I believe that this UT-72 is a BaoFeng Tech exclusive Nagoya antenna.) I see no reason to buy the UT-308UV over this antenna. The 308 might be longer but the 72 has a "super coil". The "super coil" also has the added benefit of acting as an added spring in case of clearance issues. Since the 72 includes the SMA adapter it can fit a wider range of radios. The 72 also has a longer coax, a higher max power, a higher decibel gain, and a supposed lower SWR value. Both are about the same price as of writing this ($1 difference). There are other cheaper mobile antennas out there. But not that much cheaper, do not include the adapter (~5-7 $ value) and a lot of them are fakes. TIP: To use this successfully as a base station antenna when not attached to a car as a you will need a "ground plane" for it to work right. Pretty much you need something metal to act as the bottom section of the antenna. A fridge, a filing cabinet, a cookie sheet, or what I am doing is using a pizza pan. It does not have to be a ferrous metal but if it is you have the added benefit that the magnetic base will stick to it. So far the pizza pan is working great. The construction, materials and build quality are all top notch.

Amazing antenna! I'm using it with a Baofeng BF-F8HP Pro and other stations report strong signal. I have no problems hitting VHF and UHF repeaters within range. Very solid base with really nice rubber foot to protect paint.

I have several of the Nagoya HT whips already, and so when I needed another mobile antenna, and noting the Tram 1185 is no longer being made, it seemed sensible to get a UT-72. Other reviewers with fancy test gear are suggesting that maybe there's a slight improvement with the UT-308, but I decided I preferred the slightly shorter length of the UT-72, but will probably get a UT-308 as well to see if I can discern any difference, side by side. The UT-72 arrived as described, although I note on the small slip of paper included with it, they are claiming 80W rather than 75W power rating. Does that really make any difference at all? I very much doubt it. The antenna seems well manufactured and finished with no sharp edges or concerns, and a good rubberized base that simultaneously makes a good magnetic connection to a vehicle roof while not proving impossible to pry off again subsequently. It is a nice touch to include a BNC to SMA-F pigtail. It works well. Better than the Tram 1185? Not yet sure. And therein lies madness, anyway. Most of these mobile antennas are going to end up with similar performance, and if you're at the point of needing to chase down the last 0.5 dB of signal strength, then you're probably at the point where you need to rethink your rig and antenna design in general. Sorry, I know it is heresy to say that, but there you have it! :) All in all, a good antenna you'll not go wrong with. David - NZ9G

I compared Nagoya UT-72, Tram 1185, and Tram 11861. These are the best priced and high performance dual band antenna for HAM radio in the 70cm and 2M ranges. Nagoya UT-72 has the best SWR, Tram 1185 second, and Tram 11861 third (although this was the most expensive unit). Listed below is a table of testing SWR and power testing based on frequencies of two separate UT-72 and Tram 1185 for comparison. This should be helpful for those experience HAM radio operator to make a decision on which mobile antenna to use. Note: all three types of antenna needs metal base grounding for the following performance. ANTENNA FREQUENCY % FORWARD POWER SWR Nagoya UT-72-1 420.000 96.44% 1.46 Nagoya UT-72-1 435.000 99.97% 1.03 Nagoya UT-72-1 442.000 99.97% 1.03 Nagoya UT-72-1 447.000 99.86% 1.07 Nagoya UT-72-1 450.000 99.96% 1.04 Nagoya UT-72-1 144.000 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-1 146.200 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-1 146.800 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-1 148.000 99.94% 1.04 Nagoya UT-72-1 462.640 99.48% 1.15 Nagoya UT-72-1 467.640 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-2 420.000 91.39% 1.83 Nagoya UT-72-2 435.000 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-2 442.000 99.94% 1.04 Nagoya UT-72-2 447.000 99.13% 1.20 Nagoya UT-72-2 450.000 99.80% 1.09 Nagoya UT-72-2 144.000 90.18% 1.91 Nagoya UT-72-2 146.200 98.44% 1.28 Nagoya UT-72-2 146.800 97.88% 1.34 Nagoya UT-72-2 148.000 99.99% 1.02 Nagoya UT-72-2 462.640 99.99% 1.00 Nagoya UT-72-2 467.640 99.97% 1.03 Tram 1185 420.000 85.10% 2.25 Tram 1185 435.000 99.99% 1.00 Tram 1185 442.000 99.16% 1.20 Tram 1185 447.000 98.80% 1.24 Tram 1185 450.000 99.70% 1.11 Tram 1185 144.000 89.77% 1.94 Tram 1185 146.200 96.19% 1.48 Tram 1185 146.800 99.54% 1.14 Tram 1185 148.000 99.99% 1.02 Tram 1185 462.640 99.99% 1.00 Tram 1185 467.640 99.99% 1.00

For the money, the Nagoya UT-72 is an adequate 1/4-wave dual-band antenna, and performs as well as other antennas in this class. SWR on both VHF and UHF were acceptable, and range was as expected. Where the antenna failed was in the attachment of the rubber seal/protective layer on the bottom. Upon removing the antenna from the roof of my truck for the first time, and after only a couple of months, the rubber separated from the base in two places. Nagoya used some sort of hardening adhesive which did not bond well to the antenna base, and when flexed, also cracked and fell off of the rubber. I called their customer service number and was told they would gladly repair the antenna, I simply had to ship it back to them for warranty service.... at my cost. No. I get it. Having the customer pay for return shipment probably avoids a lot of fraudulent claims, but when I could provide proof in the way of pictures??? OK, then, how about this: Have the customer pay the return shipping, then reimburse them if the product is actually defective. Don;t worry, I won't hold my breath. I have since repaired the antenna base using E6000, a flexible adhesive of the type Nagoya should have used in the first place. A Comet CA-2x4SRNMO antenna now resides as a semi-permanent fixture atop my truck, so the UV-72 will be relegated to the go-bag or stored in the back of my wife's Jeep for use in emergency scenarios. I'm sure it will hold up fine under those conditions. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) I can tell you, too, that it's likely the last Nagoya product I'll ever buy. EDIT: I'll add that the magnet on this antenna is suitably strong, and holds very well. In conjunction with the spring, it's able to bend over with only about 4" of clearance, and not be knocked loose.

Buena recepción, pequeña pero muy potente.

I have 3 of these on different vehicles. Highly recommend them.

The magnetic base has stuck really well and feels secure. The antenna itself works well, but it isn’t particularly well suited to the Australian UHF CB frequencies I wanted to use it for. Still a decent antenna for the right frequencies.

If you looking for a great antenna for your car, loook no further. Outstandingly good reception, especially for airband and will easily withstand legal road speeds without moving. Tested up to 120mph on private road with no issues. Connected to my TD-H3 handheld radio it performs brilliantly.

plugged into the retevis ra9, picks up excellent. Neat and discreet on the roof, obviously not a cb antenna but pmr and 2m/70cm top job