Installing gain antenna on the walkie-talkie can greatly increase the communication space and distance of the walkie-talkie. In addition to the output power, the intensity of radio wave radiation is closely related to the performance of the antenna used in the system. Antenna gain can increase the strength of the radio waves in the communication direction, which is equivalent to increasing the transmission power.

Generally speaking,  antenna gain with longer physical length of the walkie-talkie is higher than that of the short antenna of the same technology. The antenna of handheld radio often needs to consider the overall portability and appearance coordination in addition to its own gain. For some dual-band and multi-band radio，the design of it needs to take into account the various frequency bands, so often only some gain can be sacrificed.

What kind of antenna to choose for your machine?

For users who prioritize ultra-portability, they can choose a short antenna. Although the gain is not very good, it improves the overall portability of the walkie-talkie. 

For users who prioritize transmission performance, they can choose a long antenna. Although it will affect the portability and appearance ratio of the walkie-talkie, it greatly improves the transceiver efficiency of the walkie-talkie. Using an efficient antenna can sometimes achieve a communication effect equivalent to doubling the output power of a walkie-talkie. Therefore, many veteran HAMs will add two or three antennas to their beloved walkie-talkies.