antenna with a tent
 

Hi everyone,
as I understand half-wave vertical dont need much of a ground
but it would be nice to have one. And my question: while camping
using a tent that is made from aluminium-coated nylon, could one
use tents inner coating as a counterpoise to half-wave vertical.
Im sure for 1/4 wave this coating would have much too big resistance,
but for 1/2 wave where feedpoint voltages are high it should be ok?
When working from insaid the tent, rig ground connected to tent's
aluminium coating , is it electrically same situation if you were
buried under ground? Is there any performance differences expected
when rig ground is connected to insaid or outsaid of that aluminium
screen. I found this rather confusing..
Any comments?

Andrus

Andrus,
The aluminum coating on your tent ~may~ work as (at
least 'part' of) a ground system, depending on how large
your tent is and how well connections are made. It
would depend on the frequency of use (Mhz) naturally.
How well it works also depends on several other factors,
such as 'shape', just how thick the coating is (if it's
very thin, such as with 'mylar', you may have a brief
flash and no more coating! LOL).
The size (or length) of the antenna really doesn't
make a lot of difference as far as the 'groundplane'
is concerned, what would work for a 1/4 wave should
work just as well for a 1/2 wave. If your use is in the
VHF/UHF ranges, 'maybe'. If it's for HF, there are
better ways of doing it...
'Doc

yes, aluminium coatin ofa a tent is probably no-good, I just wondered
could one transmit from insaid the closed sphere when other half
of antenna still gets out from there.
Andrus





"'Doc" wrote in message ...
Andrus,
The aluminum coating on your tent ~may~ work as (at
least 'part' of) a ground system, depending on how large
your tent is and how well connections are made. It
would depend on the frequency of use (Mhz) naturally.
How well it works also depends on several other factors,
such as 'shape', just how thick the coating is (if it's
very thin, such as with 'mylar', you may have a brief
flash and no more coating! LOL).
The size (or length) of the antenna really doesn't
make a lot of difference as far as the 'groundplane'
is concerned, what would work for a 1/4 wave should
work just as well for a 1/2 wave. If your use is in the
VHF/UHF ranges, 'maybe'. If it's for HF, there are
better ways of doing it...
'Doc

Andrus,
Could you transmit from 'inside' the antenna? Sure, it's
done on ships all the time.
'Doc