What mobile antenna for 10-12

[Onthecoast]

What mobile antenna for 10-20

I have a screwdriver antenna that works very well on 6-80, but I would like to use something like a whip or fiberglass antenna that can take a pounding when off-road and be replaced on the cheap when the time comes. I can run the screwdriver when I am back on pavement and looking to run the lower bands. I was thinking that a fiberglass cb antenna might work well for 10-12 with a tuner. I am planning on using a tuner regardless. I'm hoping that something like a 20 meter would give me good coverage in the 10-20 range, but I am not good enough to calculate what SWR would be out of band. I've read somewhere that for this application, they had good luck running a 17m ham stick and it would tune up without outrageous pre-tune SWR's, but I haven't crunched the numbers. The prices are definitely right on those and I won't cry if it breaks on a branch or something.

 

[w9cll]

10 meter hamstick would work, its the tuner that probably wont take the punishment.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I suggest a stainless steel 102 whip and remote auto-tuner. The whip will take anything you can beat it with and a good auto-tuner (LDG, SGC,maybe Yaesu ) will tune it great on 10/12m and even down to 20m. Been there done that.

 

[Onthecoast]

I was thinking I would go with the whip but wanted o see if anyone thought any other options would work. I have the LDG tuner already.

 

[mr_fx]

102 whip and tuner, might even get away with running 15m too

 

[w9cll]

I keep forgeting about the 102, yeah that would be best

 

[n0zna]

yep,whip and tuner...have a whip on the Dakota and tuner,works with my 6mtr and my 12mtr converted cobra 132 23 channel...evernow and then throw the 2950dx

 

[W5LZ]

I think the 'biggy' would be how much mechanical punishment any particular antenna will take. A typical 102" whip will absorb more abuse than most fiberglass antennas, so I'd go with that steel antenna before a fiberglass one.
It's a good idea to think about the mount taking punishment too, cuz it will. If a mount will hold a typical screwdriver antenna it will probably hold a whip too, them screwdriver antennas aren't 'small'. Some screwdriver mounts will require some 'adapting' to hold a typical 102" whip, that can get interesting! Ought'a work though.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[Onthecoast]

The 102 whip is definitely something I considered especially due to the fact I don't think it would be too lossy in the 10-20 meter range. I also just realized that the title of the thread is wrong. I was looking for an antenna for 10-20 not 10-12. The only problem with the 102" is that the extra length could be a problem even when off road due to branches and whatnot

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Only a problem if you don't like hearing "TWANG!!" all the time.

 

[Onthecoast]

In the meantime I will probably just use one of the fiberglass CB antennas that I have and only have 10-12 coverage. I've tried these and noticed that noise level was WAY higher with the fiberglass antennas than with the screwdriver all tuned to the same band. The noise level on AM went from S1 to S6 going from the screwdriver to the fiberglass whips. Any idea what this might indicate? The fiberglass whips are a 3' Francis and a 4' Firestik

 

[davegrantsr]

......i change vehicles like i change.....socks.....every 12 or 18 months. anyway, rather then spend $600+ to set up a screwdriver, i have jetstreams (hamstick-types) for 6m, 20m & 40m, along with my pedator for 10-12. i just strap them to the roof rack of my XJ &.....yea, time consuming, but just pull over & swap them depending on band conditions. the predator works on 10 & 11, no tuner, 1.1:1 on 27.4 & <1.5:1 on 28.5. on 24.96 it's a hair under 3:1, no tuner, no ragchewing & an auxiliary fan on the heat sink, & my 706mk2g takes the beating like a champ. it cuts back to about 20-30 watts, but i make 90% of the contacts i attempt.
everything is used with a triple mag mount, knocks down hitting a lowhanging object, but with duct tape, holds just fine at highway speeds.....i will NOT acknowledge 'drill the hole hole comments. so don't'

 

[TonyV225]

I just use a tuner with my Wilson 5000, It all depends how efficiant you want to be or run. I had made my own adapter for my wilson 1000 and 5000 to mount to my quad mag mount and for one reason or another it brought the SWR down better than what I could get with the original Wilson mount.

I use a Workman hamstick for 75 - 80 Meters (with a tuner) and just got a Hustler 80 Meter Resonator antenna with the longer mobile mount and will try this out aswell. I know it will tune 75 - 80 metrs (with a tuner) aswell.

 

[kk6gun]

A buddy of mine is using what i believe is a larson mount. Main vertical antenna could be 10 meter ham stick, the other ham sticks mount to a multi-position plate that holds them at a 45 degree angle, he had i believe 40 and 75 meters in the other positions and says the performance is acceptable.

While i cant transmit in the low bands yet, i have a yaesu atas 120 that works reasonably on its own and pretty well with an ldg auto tuner. This experience was playing with it on field day with a club call (so i get to use the lower bands once a year...its fun enough).

The Ham Sticks are the cheapest way to go in my opinion. If you dont mind being stuck on one band untill you can unscrew and change to the next whip, they are nice performers.