Abbree AR-152 Folding Tactical Antenna vs Nagoya NA-701G (GMRS)

The AR-152 is the clear winner for handheld radio use. The single most important differentiator is electrical length: the AR-152 operates at half wavelength on VHF, which needs no ground plane and performs respectably on a handheld. The NA-701G is severely compromised at 0.22 wavelengths, far below the minimum effective length for any antenna.

Both manufacturers overstate gain substantially. The AR-152 claims 5 dBi but its length supports only 2.6 dBi. The NA-701G claims 2.15 dBi despite measuring closer to negative 0.4 dBi. These claims should not influence your decision; electrical length is what matters.

The AR-152 dominates VHF performance and remains useful on UHF despite its multi-wavelength electrical length at 435 MHz. The NA-701G exists primarily for GMRS simplex, where its short length is a liability rather than an asset.

Buy the AR-152 if you operate VHF or dual-band handheld radios. Buy the NA-701G only if you exclusively use GMRS and accept its limited performance as a necessary trade-off for size. For almost everyone else, the AR-152 offers far better value and capability at half the price.