ABBREE AR-805S Stubby (SMA-Female) vs Nagoya NA-701 (SMA-Female)

The Nagoya NA-701 is the clear winner for most users. The single most important differentiator is electrical length on UHF: the NA-701 reaches nearly a quarter wavelength at 435 MHz, delivering realistic performance around 0.8 dBi, while the AR-805S falls far short at just 0.07 wavelengths with a realistic -4.9 dBi. That's a 5+ dB gap that translates directly to practical range and reception quality. The AR-805S also oversells its capabilities, claiming 3 dBi when its 50 mm length simply cannot deliver that on any band. The Nagoya's claimed 2.15 dBi is actually supported by its design. On VHF both antennas struggle as electrically short stubs, but the Nagoya's longer element still provides a modest advantage. The AR-805S makes sense only as a throwaway spare or pocket antenna where size matters more than performance and price is the only concern. The NA-701 should be the default choice for anyone who actually wants functional communications on their handheld. At 18.98 dollars versus 6.97, the Nagoya costs under three times as much while delivering substantially better real-world capability, particularly on UHF where most FM repeaters operate.