Tiger Tail for PMR446...

[Lightspeed]

A simple, inexpensive and effective way to improve the performance of your PMR hand held radio is to add a counterpoise or "tiger tail".

You can make this from any grade of INSULATED stranded wire, cut to 160mm in length and crimped and soldered to a negative battery connection / or any metals screws holding the radio together, that also make electrical contact with the negative electrical terminal. We find thin black PVC insulated wire is perfect as it is unobtrusive and durable.

Always try to reinforce the soldered connection with heat shrink tubing or tape to resist flex. Also taping off the free end of the tiger tail is also recommended.

The “tiger tail” prevents RF ( Radio Frequency energy) from coupling with your body. It does this by acting as the second half of a center-fed dipole, the other half if the dipole being the fixed antenna. This ensuring that most of the ½ watt of RF energy that your little radio generates will now get transmitted, rather than warming body tissue!!!

In marginal conditions extending the counterpoise horizontally, pointing it to steer the radiation pattern where you need it, produces a dramatically stronger signal than just letting it "droop."

There’s a pun about drooping tiger tails in here somewhere….but I’m damned if I can find it :-)… for sure one of our number will join up the dots an make gag of it..

[The Local Ned]

So - doesn't this turn it into a basic di-pole or a type of directional antenna depending on the way the tiger tail is used ?

[NorthernRaider]

Cool info for PMRs, is there a simply fix like this to improve the reception on my world band radio reciever?

[Lightspeed]

(1 July 2012, 19:19)The Local Ned Wrote: So - doesn't this turn it into a basic di-pole or a type of directional antenna depending on the way the tiger tail is used ?

Yep. the tail makes a better second half of the dipole and apparently by angling it a little can make a slightly directional field pattern