In article , 'Doc wrote:

Jeff,
Try using the AC as a mounting point for a horizontal
bar running out far enough to mount an antenna on, such
as some type of 'base'(?) antenna.

I've tried to figure out a way to do exactly that. I'd love to get a
"stand off" far enough away so I could put on a simple quarter wave
ground plane, but it'd take a more mechanically clever person than I to
engineer such a thing off this AC box. Not only to do that, but to do
it so the maintainance guys here don't get upset with a modification to
the apartment's property.

All antennas have to be tuned and/or impedance matched.
Any antenna near obstructions will have undesirable
characteristics compared to the same antenna in the 'clear'.
I think what you're seeing is fairly 'normal' for your
situation. Good luck...


But the difference between the smaller and larger magmounts is what
puzzles me. Shouldn't both mounts give similar SWR readings?
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J. Rogers KB1HOL
KB1HOLatARRLdotNET