I found the nagoya website. I want to purchase the NA-761 & NA-766
Check out the prices on ebay, too. There are plenty of them there:
New Nagoya NA-766 BNC 144/430Mhz 2.15dB 10W Telescopic Antenna HT/Scanner | eBay
I've experimented with using a counterpoise wire on my HTs and find that while they do work well, and improve the receive a good deal in marginal conditions, they're annoying and tend to get caught on things, so I don't generally use them. For the most part, I use my HTs to reach local repeaters, or to cross band through my truck, so range isn't a really big issue for me.That amounts to a 1/4 wave on 2 meters which should definitely work better than a typical rubberduck! Add a 'rat tail' to it and it should be even better.
- 'Doc
I see my radios as tools, and I don't generally decorate tools (rumors of a party dress and earrings for my favorite 24oz framing hammer, with that perfectly shaped handle that fits my grip oh so nicely, are simply not true - not true I say - notnotnotNOT! ) but I wonder if you may have been enjoying those shocks a little too much?Oh! But those 'rat tails' can be used for decoration too. Different colors, sizes, really fuzzy, that sort of thing. Or make it really long so that it drags behind you! Really make people wonder if you've got some sort of 'magical' antenna. I've also found that if I touch the bare end of one of those 'rat tails' when transmitting I get a small shock. Now that can really come in handy with certain people!
- 'Doc
... who, me? (ouch) Naw, I don't really (ouch) like getting (ouch) shocked. But I think (ouch) other people really get a charge (ouch) from it...