A few hints from the pro’s on how to get the best coverage from your portable radio.
- Hints for better radio coverage Tips to improve radio coverage with your handheld:·
Hold the radio vertical, with antenna straight up and not bent.
·Don't speak directly into the mic, hold it off to the side about 2 inches. When you speak directly into the mic you hear wind noise from your breath.
· Hold it as high as possible. ·
Avoid obstacles between you and who you want to talk to. The radio wave pattern off the antenna is generally straight out the sides, there is not much energy transmitted out vertically, mostly horizontal. The worst possible case for poor transmissions would be someone using their radio in a chest harness and talking down to the radio while transmitting. You are losing power by not having the antenna vertical, your body is absorbing some of the radio waves, and you are adding background noise to your transmission by speaking into the mic from too far away.
