[Avolare]

I'm tired of replacing my dipole antennae every few hours. Does anyone have suggestions for an alternative? I have a slider harness and the radio is located on my right shoulder blade.
Would a rubber duckie work laying flat?

How about glove recommendations. The nitrile type is too cold, the rubberized knit gloves are too grippy (I can't seem to withdrawn my hand from a pocket with the glove still on), ....

Thanks

[Fletcher]

Check the Oz report classifides their harness mount antenna work great
Ironclad Boxhandler gloves have been my choice for many years

[Andrew Vanis]

[jj colorado]

For gloves I like Windstopper bicycling gloves. Not too much or too little grip.

Rubber ducky antennas work but are very poor in range and clarity. For handheld operation there are some thin very flexible antennas (Comet SMA-24) that work well and probably wouldn't get in the way much in a harness. I can put a raido in a side pocket with one of those and not have any interference. They have nice gain and allow you to walk around with your radio after landing out.

The quarter wave dipoles many people use are ok but not great as they need a ground plane to work properly (you don't have that in a HG) and also need a balancing coil to keep the signal from reflecting back down the shield (haven't see any with that either). If you are into antenna design you can do much better with a 1/2 wave antenna with some ferrites to act as the balancing coil. No ground plane required, much better gain. Can be stuffed in the boot/side of the harness. It has so much more gain the horizontal orientation doesn't matter.

[wmstroud]

The dipole antennae is the way to go. Try Davis Straubs setup on ozreport. I get out over 75 miles with mine and have put 250 hrs on it. My harness too is a slider (Covert). A rubber ducky sucks.
As for gloves, if you will listen I've got the perfect set up. I use a pair of Nike batting gloves, paper thin leather, very sticky and low profile. Over that I install a pair of Pogies (kiyak oar mittens) over my basetube for a wind break. Absolutely perfect. Very low cost. I've used this setup on flights lasting over 5 hrs. Pic below. Pogies run about $20.00 per pair and Nikes are about $12.00.

[Paul H]

I've talked air-to-air with other pilots over 100 miles away with a simple 1/4 wave dipole and only pushing 1/2 watt. They are cheap and easy to make and last quite a while if you take care in mounting them in your harness.

[jjcote]

I don't remember when I put the 1/4-wave antenna in my harness, but it was probably 2008. I made it out of a piece of coax that was being discarded at the office. No ground plane. Ever since, I've had the radio set at the lowest transmit power level, and everybody can hear me clearly. (Whether I can understand them depends of what their radio/antenna/mike setup is.) I've given away a few others (because we were tossing a bunch of coax), and at least one pilot raved about how much better it was than the rubber duckie.

I also carry a flexible whip antenna in my harness that I can pop on if I'm on the ground and want to continue using the radio as a handheld.

[otterflogger]

good to know

[leonvanseeters]

I use chloroprene/neoprene gloves with artificial nubuck with many small rubber sports on the handpalm for excellent but light grip, from autozone.
slighly elastic/aerodyamic/
If expect to go high,(above 3500/4000 m I were tih knitted runner gloves under them

[leonvanseeters]

How about glove recommendations. The nitrile type is too cold, the rubberized knit gloves are too grippy (I can't seem to withdrawn my hand from a pocket with the glove still on), ....

In 10 years I ve used about a dozen most for mountain biking and motorcross (rather pricey)
However the best/ my latest are from Autozone. Chloroprene/neoprene back side wich is a bit elastic, a bit warmer then most mountainbike/motorcross gloves, windproof but breathable. Palm made of artificial nubuck with many small rubber spots for good light grip but not to grippy. After some time grip diminishes a bit. Around $10 if I remember well.
If It looks I go will reacht 4000m or more, I use thin knitted runnergloves under them.
Also I use a neoprene cycle sprint jacket from decathlon, wich I find much better than any other speedsleves, because itīs the only one wich is wind proof (but it breathes well), easy to open/ close during flight, very durable.

[Drachenflieger]

Paddler's gloves

[Wonder Boy]