Thanks for putting it in context.
I suppose the other possibility is that I don’t know how to test the antenna correctly, or that it only works well when attached to the radio. I have an old hang-gliding radio and I just tested the rubber duck antenna from that, and it also came in with a SWR of 20. I tried holding the connector in my hand (I understand handheld radios use the pilot as a groundplane) but it didn’t seem to make any difference.
Yes, you do have to have the other half of the antenna too (with a handheld, you are the counterpoise). I usually mount a connector on a baking sheet to use for testing/tuning VHF/UHF whips.
Well, it seems that I have now solved half the problem. I bought a Yaesu 850 and I am told that my readability is 5 even at 10km. The old radio stopped transmitting completely so what I suspect is that the output stage was failing gradually over the past few years.
Reception remains poor, I think because of noise from the mags.
