On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:23:16 GMT, Tom Horne
wrote:

I am a RACES / ARES member who is trying to actually prepare for
deployment with the ability to carry on effective communications from
anywhere. I'm here in the antenna forum to get advice on a portable
antenna system. I'm not here to join anyones particular theoretical
antenna behavior cult. If you have real world experience with a
portable multi band antenna system that actually worked for you please
share that experience with me.

Ive seen a couple of folded dipole antennas advertised that appear to
have some sort of fifty ohm dummy load at the center of the fold. Do
those things do more then provide a heat source for fleeing birds?

There are several compact vertical and horizontal antennas being sold
complete with stands or tripods are any of them worth their freight?

The so called spiderweb beams look interesting can anyone offer real
world experience on those?

I'm honestly looking for advice that is based on experience rather than
a particular theory of what should work. I want to know what does work
from real world users.
There are a multitude of answers for this question.

I know my solution will annoy the purists, but I offer it anyway...
I would recommend using the SGC-237 tuner (not cheap)! If it cannot
load what ever antenna you can get up or improvise it probably cannot
be done. With this device, a ground and 28 feet of vertical wire you
can work to 160 meters. Of course the better the ground, the better
the performance. A quarter wave on frequency might work better, but
whatever you have will work.

If the conditions permit a more elaborate antenna, the SGC-237 will
make the matching an non issue.

I am aware that a pi-network and skilled operator can out perform the
tuner but the tuner takes the problem out of the field and into the
planning stage.

John Ferrell W8CCW
"Life is easier if you learn to
plow around the stumps"