NOTE: HYS did not pay me to promote this item. I bought these antennas with my own money and was happy to finally find a 8" BNC HT antenna

For the longest time I’ve been searching for the ultimate BNC HT antenna. I want good 2m performance, OK 70cm performance, and if I can get less than 3:1 on the GMRS band, bonus.

The Nagoya NA-701 has been that antenna for me. It isn’t as good as the venerable NA-771, but is good enough for my purposes. What really appeals to me is its size. The 701 is less than 8" long, whereas a NA-771 is almost twice as long at 15".

As good as the NA-701 at meeting my needs, it has a few cons that I had learned to live with up till now.

First is the fact that the NA-701 only comes in SMA-F and SMA-M on Amazon. The BNC version can be found elsewhere, but I can never find it in stock.

So my HTs have adapters on adapters. For instance on my Tidradio H3, I have SMA-F to BNC-F screwed into the radio, then a BNC-M to SMA-F screwed into a NA-701 SMA-M antenna. It is super silly when a NA-701 SMA-F antenna exists. More importantly, the Nagoya NA-701 is nearly $20 each. That is nearly the price of a cheap HT like the Tidradio H3. A $30 radio with a $20 antenna makes it a $50 radio. The $56 two pack would become an $96 purchase with two NA-701s. The stock shorty antenna that came with my H3 looks like a NA-701 but its SWR on 2m is more that 5:1. It is trash and that’s is where I put it.

I was really happy to find that HYS makes a 701 clone with BNC, and it is much cheaper than the authentic NA-701. Could it be too good to be true? Well, not according to the NanoVNA. The curve is nearly identical. The blue line is an authentic NA-701 SMA M with a BNC adapter, and the brown line is the HYS-701.

There is not much of a size difference between the NA-701 and the HYS-701. The HYS-701 is maybe a 1/4" longer than the SMA NA-701s.

When comparing a NA-701 with a BNC adapter, the HYS-701 BNC is 1/2" shorter. The height difference is more noticeable when looking at the radios standing up. You’ll also notice how beefier the HYS-701 is compared to the NA-701. The radiator is thicker and stiffer. The base is much larger. The HYS honestly looks out of place on the diminutive H3.

I’ll have to admit that the NA-701 looks and feels nicer on the H3. If I wasn’t removing the antenna constantly to store it in my purse, I’d prefer the NA-701 on the H3. I just worry that daily antenna removals will cause the SMA connector to wear out, so I’ll live with the chonky HYS. Despite looking larger, the HYS-701 isn’t much heavier that the NA-701. The HYS-701 is 27g whereas the NA-701 is 23g. The NA-701 with the BNC adapter is 35g. We are talking the difference of a few paperclips in weight, so basically negligible.

Overall, I’m a fan of this antenna. It is BNC which I like, and it is only $8, so heck. It is hard to pass up. If you want to buy this antenna, use my Amazon associate link, and I’ll earn some commission on the sale. I’m so happy to have finally found an affordable 8" BNC HT antenna. It has been my white whale for so long.