2m · 70cm

Bands

150 W

Rated

Frequency	140-160 MHz / 435-465 MHz (wideband TX); SWR <=1.5:1 within 144-148 / 440-450 MHz, <=2:1 across the full spread
Gain	3.8 (2m) / 6.2 (70cm) dBi (manufacturer figures in dBi)
TX power	150 W (150 W rating per the manufacturer (some marketplace listings claim 200 W - trust the maker))
Modes	FM, SSB, CW, digital
Length	102 cm
Weight	350 g (12.3 oz)
Connector	PL-259 with fold-over hinge (NMO version: CA-2X4SRNMO)

Connectors

feedpoint

PL-259, fold-over base; CA-2X4SRNMO variant for NMO mounts

Estimated (unverified): introduction year (2000s)

The wideband one: transmit-rated across 140-160 and 435-465 MHz, not just the ham segments - which is why it is the default whip for hams who also run GMRS or public-service frequencies SWR 1.5:1 or better inside 144-148 / 440-450 MHz, 2:1 or better across the whole spread 3.8 dBi (2 m) / 6.2 dBi (70 cm) - it actually out-gains classic narrowband rivals of similar length on both bands Fold-over hinge included for parking garages; black finish 150 W maximum power PL-259 base standard; CA-2X4SRNMO is the same antenna for NMO mounts 40 in / 102 cm tall - short enough to survive daily-driver life

Strengths

One whip that legally and electrically covers more than ham bands: the wide 140-160 / 435-465 MHz transmit rating makes it the standard recommendation for operators mixing amateur with GMRS or public-service work. Despite the bandwidth, it gives up nothing to the classic narrowband whips its size - it out-gains them on both bands - and the fold-over hinge saves it from parking garages.

Weaknesses

Taller high-gain whips still outtalk it - physics rewards length - and purpose-tuned narrowband antennas hold a sharper match in the ham segments. The 150 W rating rules out high-power mobile amplifiers, and some marketplace listings overstate the rating - go by the manufacturer's figure.

Verdict

The utility infielder of dual-band mobile whips: not the most gain, but the widest useful coverage, which is exactly why public-service volunteers and GMRS-license households keep buying it. If you only ever transmit 144-148 and 440-450, a higher-gain whip serves better.

Most dual-band mobile whips are built to be resonant in two narrow slices of spectrum and merely tolerable everywhere else. The Comet CA-2X4SR is built backwards from a different requirement: stay under 2:1 SWR across 140-160 MHz and 435-465 MHz (twenty megahertz of VHF and thirty of UHF) so one antenna can serve a ham radio, a GMRS rig, and a public-service or MURS monitor without anyone touching an analyzer. Inside the amateur segments it tightens to 1.5:1 or better.

The surprise is that the bandwidth costs nothing in gain. At 3.8 dBi on two meters and 6.2 dBi on seventy centimeters from a 40-inch whip, the CA-2X4SR actually out-points the classic narrowband whip in its size class (the Diamond NR770 family runs about 2.15-3.0 and 5.5 dBi depending on whose sheet you read) so the usual broadband-versus-gain trade does not apply here; what the purpose-tuned rival keeps is a sharper match inside the ham segments, and what taller high-gain whips keep is, as always, more decibels for more inches. The 150-watt rating covers any mobile rig short of an amplifier, and the fold-over hinge at the base is the feature owners mention most, because parking garages eat rigid whips.

It ships with a PL-259 base, and the same antenna sells as the CA-2X4SRNMO for NMO mounts, worth knowing, because the NMO version is what the public-safety crowd actually installs. One buyer's note: marketplace listings sometimes quote 200 watts; the manufacturer says 150, and the manufacturer wins.