[TenTec] Re: Mobile ant.
rohre
rohre@arlut.utexas.edu
23 Apr 1999 15:03:51 -0500
Duane and the group,
I too, have had plastic lower body of car and no bumper thwart normal mobile
mountings. However, Hal Henegar, W5MDL came up with a good screwdriver mount
for his minivan. He fabricated a custom curved bracket to go up under the
fender well, and attach to the frame or unibody. It comes out horizontal at
the top of the well, as a platform sticking out to the side of the car, but ho
more than the rear view mirror, and this platform mounts the base of a bug
catcher, or in his case, a screwdriver antenna he makes.
The same idea could be done with a trailer hitch mounted to the rear of my
car, but I had the rear ending experience on a van with mount out the bumper.
Thus, I settled on a deck mount with a heavy duty Comet or similar Japanese
brand trunk lid mount base for an Outbacker. I take the Outbacker off when
not desiring to mobile and highway drive, and when parking in unsecured areas.
The bayonet twist lock adapter is a good thing to have for such.
I heartily suggest the addition to the antenna ground side at base of quarter
wave hook up wire "radials" strung under/thru the car frame. Even some 1/8
radials would be better than the doubtful RF quality car bodies of today.
73, Stuart K5KVH
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/tentecfaq.htm
Submissions: tentec@contesting.com
Administrative requests: tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-tentec@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm