Nagoya NA-701G (GMRS) vs Nagoya NA-771 (SMA-Female)

The NA-771 is the clear winner for most users. Both are budget whips with honest construction, but they're designed for different purposes and the NA-771's versatility matters more.

The critical difference is electrical length per band. The NA-701G is optimized narrowly for GMRS at quarter wave, delivering realistic performance that matches its score. However, its claimed 2.15 dBi gain is overstated by about 2.6 dB; the antenna actually performs around -0.4 dBi. The NA-771 takes a different approach, working as an electrically short antenna on VHF (realistic -1.0 dBi) but reaching 5/8 wavelength on UHF (realistic 2.9 dBi). Its claimed 3 dBi gain reflects genuine performance on the UHF side. The ten-point score gap reflects this real-world advantage.

Buy the NA-701G only if you operate exclusively on GMRS and want the smallest package. Buy the NA-771 if you use VHF, UHF, or both, since you gain meaningful UHF performance for just two dollars more and flexibility across bands.

For typical amateur radio use, the NA-771 deserves your money. It's honest engineering, not marketing.