[VHFcontesting] Rover Tech: Mounting - Will this work?

[Nate Duehr]

On Jul 14, 2007, at 6:06 AM, JT Croteau wrote:

> On 7/14/07, Nate Duehr <nate at natetech.com> wrote:
>> I'm sitting here trying to figure out how 6" of mast sticking up
>> above the center of a yagi or loop is going to push anything out of
>> the way?  The antenna is going to stick out feet in front of the  
>> mast.
>
> Not when the loop is pointing backwards.

That's how my top 6m loop is, and it still sticks out a couple of  
inches in front of the mast, exposing the most vulnerable place on  
the antenna (the connection from the RF connector across to the other  
side of the loop).  In my experience, that is the first thing hit by  
anything low-hanging like small branches.  I've folded it down to  
pick out leaves two or three times now.

The mast does nothing to keep that area of the antenna from getting  
hit by anything.

I was actually interested in what the original poster meant by  
extending the mast above the antennas keeping them from being hit by  
branches.  In my rover setup, it doesn't work.   The top of my mast  
is 12' high total, and the 6m loop on top is about 2" down.

I've had zero problems other than in my very own neighborhood where  
the neighbors and city don't keep the trees trimmed up.  No big deal,  
just drive down the center of the street in the neighborhood, and all  
is well.  Lowest bridge I've seen was 12' 9" on a back-road.  (Yeah,  
I still flinched and slowed down.  GRIN...)

--
Nate Duehr, WY0X
nate at natetech.com