HF in the mobile ??? or just 10 meters???

[glsmith1544]

Mobile mounts

Brackets and mounts for mobile antennas?
The best source I know:
Breedlove Mounts

Everything, and I mean everything you need for mounting antennas on a mobile.

I have to give a BIG "second" to Old Buzzard on this, I don't believe there are any stronger or higher quality mounts available!! His stake pocket mounts might be of interest to avoid drilling holes.

Geoff S.

 

[n4pgw]

I use the Opec Multi-band mobile antenna. It requires manually moving a wire to pre-set tap points, but it is inexpensive (<$100) and actually has performed very well giving me over 60 countries since I have been using it. (I am not an avid dxer.)

80 meters mobile sucks with any antenna less than a really good screwdriver. The best was mentioned earlier, the Bug Catcher!

However, I do know a few tricks. The Opec antenna is tuned for one little spectum of 100kcs. However, if you use the jumper in only the top holes, you can move the spectrum up 100-200 kcs!

Also, when operating mobile on 75 between Augusta and Atlanta, GA, I would follow a big-rig box truck. My signal would be reflected off the truck and shoot back to either Augusta or Atlanta (depending on which one I was going away from) and my signal would increase significantly. At that time I was using the Hustler and 75 meter coil.

The Opec antenna's weakness is where the coil is over the base. If you turn the coil to screw on the base, you will most lilkely destroy the antenna. However, I have been careful to use a pair of pliers opened wide to carefully tighten the antenna from the base.

Also, you have to make sure your SO-239 connector does not dig all the way into the bottom of the antenna. It will short the center and shield of the coax if you do.

My two Opec antennas do not include the WARC bands, but newer ones do. I have used them for over 4 years with little problem from them. One did lose the set screws and I had to replace them with screws from Lowes, but I use that antenna for portable use so being able to adjust the antenna lengths is easier with screws than set-screws so i consider it an upgrade

My Opec is mounted in the rear on the driver's side but it still hits lots of trees and over-head covers at fast-food restaurants. I deliver pizzas all day so it gets lots of abuse.

Today, I cleaned up the connections with contact cleaner and tightened the set-screws as general maintenance. I have only done that one other time previously. I admit it was in dire need of it, but it has been working very well ever since I got it.

The farthest I believe I have talked with it was Australia this summer on 15 meters. I usually operate on 40 or 20 meters, and rarely I use it on 75 but I have checked into a few nets with it running only 100 watts. I don't run 75 much at home either, it is just me.

I hope someone finds this interesting and useful.
Buck

 

[W5LZ]

Just a hint about the screwdriver type antennas. They are all larger than whatever you may have dealt with before so count on having to have a large mounting bracket well secured to something. That typically means inside the bed of a pickup, so count on loosing a little of the usable room in that bed. If a 'head-ache' rack is really bolted down good, you could probably get away with using it for a mounting point. That "really bolted down good" means exactly that! All screwdriver antennas built up a lot of 'momentum' and 'torque' when a vehicle is moving, and they can definitely put a strain on the mount! Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it again later. Ask me how I found that out the hard way... or don't, it's embarrassing.
Really follow the manufacturer's instructions about powering a screwdriver antenna, and all the rest of their information. It save a lot of time and aggravation. A bucket of torroids seems to always come in handy to have too. You may not need them but then again, you might. And one 'hint' that is handy is that if you can see that coil from the mirror, marking spots on the side where the coil cover moves for the different bands is a very nice thing to do. Saves a lot of adjusting to start with.
That doesn't cover everything by a long shot, but it ought'a get you started.
- 'Doc