A stubby antenna turns an unwieldy HT into something genuinely pocketable. At $3-7 per multi-pack, it's a cheap upgrade. I field-tested three sub-3" UHF Amazon antennas. All performed surprisingly well, but one was clearly superior.
The Contenders
| Antenna | Length | Bands | Pack | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baofeng Stubby | 1.77" | UHF | 4 | ~$7 |
| ABBREE AR-805S | 1.96" | VHF/UHF | 2 | ~$7 |
| Airiton Stubby | 2.28" | UHF | 4 | ~$7 |
The Test
I tested all three by transmitting into the Bellevue 600 repeater from the alleyway north of Beercade 2 in Omaha—roughly 7 miles from the repeater site. Line-of-sight was heavily obstructed by buildings, trees, and terrain.
My test rig was my TIDRADIO TD-H3 GMRS Radio (Amazon) running at 5W. Signal quality was assessed via consensus with operators answering radio checks. (If that was you, reach out for credit—I failed to log callsigns!)
I confirmed these results across multiple sessions, using different TD-H3s and multiple antennas from each pack.
A Note on Antennas and Your Mileage
Caveat: with handhelds, your body and the radio are part of the antenna system. An antenna that shines on one HT might be mediocre on another. Because measuring these tiny antennas with a VNA is tricky and often misleading, real-world field tests are more useful here. These results reflect my specific setup and conditions.
At these prices, buy a couple packs and test them yourself.
Results
The results reversed my expectations. I expected the popular ABBREE AR-805S to win. But in practice, the Airiton and Baofeng clearly outperformed it.
3rd Place: ABBREE AR-805S
The 1.96" AR-805S claims dual-band VHF/UHF coverage. On GMRS (UHF), it consistently performed worst for both TX and RX.
Aesthetics are subjective, but its glossy black plastic and huge blue branding look cheap and toy-like. Compared to the other two, it's undeniably ugly.
However:
- It's available in a hi-vis orange colorway.
- It's the only one claiming VHF coverage (untested here).
- It did work—hitting a 7-mile obstructed repeater from an HT.
2nd Place: Baofeng Stubby
At just 1.77 inches, this is the shortest antenna tested.
RX performance is good. TX signal reports were solidly in the middle. If you're reasonably close to your intended recipient, it's just as good as my top pick, but it was beaten on TX range in this test scenario.
One nitpick: On the TD-H3, its plastic housing extends too far down, gripping the brass washer on the radio's SMA connector. Unscrewing the antenna often unscrews the washer along with it.
1st Place: Airiton Stubby
At 2.28 inches and finger-thick with a matte black housing, the Airiton delivered the best overall TX/RX performance by a noticeable margin. The extra half-inch over the Baofeng is barely noticeable. Stick one on a Baofeng UV-5G Mini GMRS Radio (Amazon) or TIDRADIO TD-H3 GMRS Radio (Amazon) for a highly pocketable setup.
For the absolute shortest profile, get the 1.77" Baofeng. But for the best balance of size, performance, and build quality, the 2.28" Airiton is my favorite.