I have a license whose ink is still wet and a shiny Yaesu HT with that new ham smell. I can see my 2m repeater from my window - maybe a couple of miles away - but I have to be in that window to hear anything. I assume actually mashing PTT and saying anything will just sound like static.

That window is attached to an HOA-governed apartment, so outdoor antenna no va. What I’ve read so far is that my rubber duck might not be terrible by rubber duck standards, but that an N9TAX Slim Jim might be a good deal better, even inside the window. But that’s 2m. I also like to listen to aircraft, just below 2m. Will an antenna tuned for 2m make it easier or harder to hear TRACON?