Looking at upgrading my mobile antenna setup and trying to decide between a 1/4 wave and 5/8 wave VHF antenna. Currently running a basic mag mount 1/4 wave on my daily driver. I do a mix of highway driving and city/suburban repeater work.

From what I've read, the longer antenna should give better DX performance but wondering if there are tradeoffs for local repeater access. Anyone have real-world experience comparing these two antenna types in mobile applications?

Great question! A 1/4 wave VHF/UHF has a relatively high angle of radiation, making it easier to reach radio communication sites located in higher places, like repeaters. So they're more useful in mountainous and metropolitan areas with tall buildings. If you're mainly hitting repeaters, stick with what you have.

A 5/8 wave antenna radiates and receives more energy toward the horizon and can have up to a 2-3dB gain over a 1/4 wave. They're best used in the flatlands and suburban areas. For highway simplex and longer distance work, the 5/8 wave is hard to beat. Depends on your operating style really.

I run both depending on the application. For ARES work where we need to hit distant repeaters from low terrain, the 5/8 wave definitely helps. But around town with good repeater coverage, the 1/4 wave works just fine and is less likely to get whacked by low branches or drive-throughs!