Tiger Tails…
Do they work?… Yes they do… but ONLY IF you take the time to tune them.
Some VHF portables, particularly the Baofengs, are now approaching 10 watts output. A tuned ‘Tiger Tail’ when used on a VHF portable… it’s possible you could approach mobile communications quality when using a simple aftermarket 15″ Nagoya, or similar antenna. And remember, there are no feedline losses associated with a portable radio. The difference can be significant; with a tiger tail more than doubling your antenna’s radiation efficiency.
Most hams don’t have the fancy equipment ‘tecnnog’ has in the video below, but by carefully trimming or snipping, a tiger tail 1/8 of an inch at a time, all the while watching a simple field strength meter, you could get pretty close to perfect.
Richard
VA7AA/XE1