Nagoya NA-320A (Tri-Band) vs Nagoya NA-771 (SMA-Female)

The NA-320A is the better choice for most users. Both antennas cost the same and use the same connector, but the NA-320A's tri-band design makes it genuinely versatile where the NA-771 is compromised.

The critical difference is VHF performance. The NA-320A reaches quarter-wave electrical length on 146 MHz, delivering realistic -0.4 dBi. The NA-771 falls short at 0.19 wavelengths, producing -1.0 dBi on the same band. For handheld radios that depend on antenna efficiency, this 0.6 dB gap matters. Both antennas perform identically on UHF at 2.9 dBi, but the NA-320A adds competent 1.25m coverage that the NA-771 lacks entirely.

The NA-320A's claimed 3.5 dBi gain is slightly optimistic but realistically supported by its electrical length across bands. The NA-771's 3 dBi claim is reasonable for UHF but masks its VHF weakness.

Buy the NA-320A if you use VHF, UHF, or both. Buy the NA-771 only if you operate exclusively on UHF and need a shorter whip. The NA-320A's broader capability and better VHF performance make it the stronger general-purpose antenna at identical pricing.