The Smiley Antenna Co. used to be the Tuned Antenna Co. it was started by a Ham operator who wanted an antenna that did not have a "ground plane" as a person holding a radio you are not grounded. He also wanted an antenna with less SWR. Along with a friend Donald Smiley who was technically minded and understood antennas, they developed a simulated radio. They put this radio on a wooden pole to eliminate a "ground". This simulator was hand made and copyrighted. There was a lot more to be done, with the simulator they had to make an antenna that could be hand tuned. Signal generators and power supply equipment was needed along with a good frequency counter. With the electronic equipment it allowed an antenna to be tuned to any frequency that is required. Each antenna is tuned without a ground plane which gives it no radials. It also allows us to control the SWR. No antenna goes out of the Smiley Antenna Co. with more that 1:3 SWR. This allows the radio to perform to its' fullest watt.
Twenty years ago Bill Smashey and Don Smiley bought out the Tuned Antenna Co. between Don and Bill this perfected a company that specialized in tuning antennas that were made out of the finest material. Coils are made out of steel; these are made special for us by a company in San Diego. The coils are copper plated causing radiating elements to maximize power to communicate unlike un-plated elements that have a high resistiveness to RF energy and causes dielectric losses. These coils are dipped in a synthetic rubber to provide a weather seal, as well as a dielectric constant and mechanical web effect between the coils of the spring preventing any distortion of the coil. When heated to the outer covering of PVC or TA exclusive MPQ2000 special space age covering, this PVC is baked on to provide the most rugged yet flexible HT antenna available today.
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The Tuned antenna bases are all flow soldered assuring excelled electrical connection, plus double protection at point of maximum stress. The Smiley Antenna has universal bases that fit most radios; the bases are nickel plated brass, not steel preventing dissimilar metal oxidation or rust. Our Antenna can be fitted to over 10 different connectors, such as BNC, TNC, and SMA. Smiley Antenna Co. we manufacturer our own bases.
Now the antennas is ready to be tuned to center frequency for example 2 meter is tuned at 146.250 allowing 5 MHz either direction. With less than 1:3 SWR you are now able to obtain a 3 to 6 db gain, a 3 db gain gives twice the distance and so on. The gain of the antenna is not judged against repeaters. We do field test, also our equipment allows us to see the gain against antenna's that come with the factory radio, all our tests are against the antenna that comes with the radio. When a new antenna is designed like our 2 meter 1/2 wave flexible antenna, we gave the antenna to a ham operator and he drove off over 20 miles and our antenna worked wonderful and it is matched 1:1 SWR. Our dual band that is a telescopic works better than a rubber duck dual band because you are going from one frequency to another and only a telescopic can work those areas. So not all antennas can be a rubber duck.
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One day Bill's grandson was playing with his R/C car and he kept breaking the telescopic antenna, by pulling it up and down. Bill went into the factory and he took the telescope measured it and took our coil and with some math and our electronic equipment was able to match the telescope. Tuning the coils to 72 MHz he came up with a perfect match to the telescope. Now he was ready to mass produce. The coils were made long enough to tune and copper plate like our other coils, dipped in the same synthetic rubber to provide a weather seal. The PVC comes in colors so we became fancy and now provide Black, Red, Blue, Yellow and Pink antennas. Our antennas works as well as the telescopic antenna in most cases. They have used our antennas on planes, robots, helicopters, and boats. However through field testing we no longer recommend it for Pistol Grip R/C car transmitters.
Using the system you have a flexible antenna that gives you a good signal and no more pulling up the telescope, you have less accidents. We have sold over 3000 antennas with not one problem.
The Smiley Antenna Co manufactures antennas for our emergency service, border patrol, as well as beacon antennas for boats, planes, etc... We designed an antenna that is now sending back signals on the Saturn space probe. We are very proud of our product and hope you are too.
Smiley Antenna was incorporated in 1984.
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