I'd like to start by giving a general description of the antennas I use, the things I've learned about them, and the problems I've encountered.
2-Meter HT: I haven't found anything yet for portable use that works better than my Anli telescoping antenna. I reach out and touch places with it that I could never have imagined on a rubber-duck. If anyone knows of a better HT antenna, I'd sure like to be let in on it! I am using my new Yaesu VX-7R.
2-Meter Mobile: I've tried quite a few antennas for 2-Meter mobile use, but my Larsens seem to work the best and last the longest. I recently switched my IC-706MKIIG over to a 5/8-wave 2M Larsen from a 1/4-wave version, and while the results were not as miraculous as I had been led to expect, it is still MUCH better than the 1/4-wave was. I am now using the 1/4-wave Larsen with my IC-2100H.
HF Mobile: I'm still working out the bugs as far as antennas go with my IC-706MKIIG. I started out with Hamsticks (15/20/40/75), but I'm not overly happy with their performance. On some of the lower frequencies, the usable SWR range is far to narrow to be truly useful. I have also tried a Van Gorden 20M dipole as a portable antenna for short-term use. While the jury is still out on that one, it's fair to say that when I get it working right, this should be a great antenna. So far I do not have an antenna tuner, nor have I made room for a screwdriver antenna. I am trying to stay away from those at least for now, for simplicity's sake.
The Van Gorden is my first HF dipole, and my first wire dipole, and it has been a learning experience in itself. A couple of things I picked up on during its initial installation:
1) It is possible to install a dipole too close to the ground. My SWR went way down when I raised the antenna just an extra foot.
2) Cut off the loose ends, or wrap them tightly around the antenna-end of the wire! Even though they are wrapped a couple of times around the antenna, they still throw off your SWR by effectively lengthening the antenna. Due to this, I kept shortening my antenna ends trying to get my SWR down, and when I finally cut off the loose ends, my antenna was too short and I had to start over.
The Slinky Dipole:
Wow, what a pain. After a month of tweaking, I can finally hit one whole repeater, and barely that. The dipole resides approximately 8-feet off the ground, yet I still can't get my SWR under 2:1, and it is extremely narrow-banded, even for a dipole.
I am using two mini slinkys, stretched between two trees on nylon cord, bungee corded to the trees. I have tried different frequencies and different heights above ground, yet good SWR's still elude me. I plan to construct a Cactus J-Pole and a 2-meter Yagi instead.