Rubber duck — What It Means in Ham Radio

Rubber duck — The stock antenna on a handheld.

The stubby flexible antenna your HT came with. It works, but it is the weakest part of your station — a better antenna is the cheapest meaningful upgrade in the hobby.

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Related words

  • Tuner — Matches your antenna to your radio.
  • Yagi — A directional beam antenna.
  • Transceiver — A transmitter and receiver in one box.
  • PTT — Push To Talk.
  • HT — Handy Talkie. A handheld radio.
  • SDR — Software Defined Radio.
  • Vertical — An antenna that stands straight up.
  • Feedline — The cable from radio to antenna.