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Tuning 1/4 wave on Bike
- Thread starter C2
- Start date
My 2m reference antenna is a dipole using a panel mount BNC connector, similar to how you've illustrated, but I soldered the two 12 ga. house wire elements perpendicular to the center pin. Because the center pin can rotate in its dielectric, I can "fold" mine up and stick it in my back pocket. I shaped the end of one element as a hook so I can hang it. Good for ME!
I can make an antenna. Someone suggested I just bolt my reference dipole to the bike. That's only slightly better than having a full ground plane antenna hanging out there somewhere. How would it be mounted? It looks too silly anyway. I could live with a simple whip sticking up somewhere, but start building a bird cage and I'm not going there...
After seeing my random some 16" long piece of wire hooked to a piece of coax just laying on the bench tune up to 160 MHz. I just give up in disgust. That's not the result I get on the bike or the metal shelving. Depends what you stick it against, so it's all over the place. RF eludes me. I'd have better luck trying to control where lightning flows.
I can make an antenna. Someone suggested I just bolt my reference dipole to the bike. That's only slightly better than having a full ground plane antenna hanging out there somewhere. How would it be mounted? It looks too silly anyway. I could live with a simple whip sticking up somewhere, but start building a bird cage and I'm not going there...
After seeing my random some 16" long piece of wire hooked to a piece of coax just laying on the bench tune up to 160 MHz. I just give up in disgust. That's not the result I get on the bike or the metal shelving. Depends what you stick it against, so it's all over the place. RF eludes me. I'd have better luck trying to control where lightning flows.
Now I want to make the same thing and stick it on my bike to prove that it can be done, lol. Honestly I can't explain what you're seeing - there must be something simple that is off. What about the mount itself? I once had a mobile NMO mount that had a similar issue as yours - upon disassembly I found that the center pin on from the bottom coax connector wasn't making contact with the antenna element.
I built one of those for 2 metres, works like a charm and the cost was zero.
Thaaaaats pretty much it . . .
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