On Mar 26, 5:24 pm, "Lushy" wrote:
I have a old 2 piece hollow 11 ft surf rod in the shed and need a mobile antenna and a sand flag on my Jeep Wrangler. I thought I would be able to do both with the fishing rod.
Question 1. How much minimum wire would I need to load it up on all Hf Freqs (I have a tuner).
Question 2. Could I bottom load it with a coil?
It would be connected to the tuner with RG 58 coax (about 10 ft).
Lushy
VK3HDL

--
This life is not a rehearsal it is the real thing!


How would you mount, insulate a surf rod? Seems it would be
easier to just scrounge up an old glass whip antenna, and modify
it. It will fit the usual threads for antenna mounts.
I have a couple of those that I have built, and both work all
bands. But mine are center loaded, not base loaded.
I strip all the original winding from the glass whip, and then
wind a new larger coil bugcatcher style.
The one I usually use is a 6 ft glass whip, which was originally a
20 meter hamstick. The coil which is appx 3 inches diameter,
and wound on a light plastic tube is just below the tip at the
5+ foot level. I then clamp a 5 ft stinger whip to the top of the
glass whip. The antenna is 11 ft tall total, and exactly center
fed. I also can use a 3 ft hustler mast at the base and the
antenna is 14 ft, and the coil at 8 ft+. I only do that parked.
I change bands the same way you would a bugcatcher by
tapping the coil, and I can also go higher in freq by using a
shorter stinger.
My original all band antenna was basically the same, but it's
total length is 10 ft, and was built on a 5 ft firestick CB antenna.
It's coil is 2.5 feet above the base. I still use it if I want the
coil
lower for tree purposes, etc..
Using a tuner to load a mobile whip is about the last way you
want to go. On most lower bands, max current will be at the
tuner coil. No bueno.. A base load would be better, but a
center load gives much better current distribution and efficiency.
Thats why my newer antenna has the coil higher, and also
is why I often add the lower mast when parked. That extra
3 ft below the coil really gives the efficiency a good boost
when on the lower bands. My coil is at the level some other
antennas tips would be.. In most cases, my antenna will
thrash those.. I've done it a few times on "park and compare"
tests.. I once compared against a usual hustler setup on 75m.
I almost felt sorry for the owner, who is a friend of mine. :/
That hustler was a dummy load on a stick...
MK