On Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:19:48 -0400, Scott in Baltimore wrote:

MeatSack wrote:
I got some good suggestions for a mobile amp, thanks to all who
answered in honest help.

The next puzzle piece is a wide-band mobile antenna. I'm primarily
interested in operating in the freeband region. Coverage of the upper
end of the 11m band would be desirable too. I don't want a giant 9 foot
whip screwed to the bumper or one of those mobile monsters that have a
loading coil made out of coiled copper water pipe stuck on the roof
either. I was thinking about something along the lines of a 4 foot
firestick. I would assume it would handle the 500 watt amp OK. What
about two antennas, each one tuned to cover a part of the range with
some overlap, and a coax switch under the dash to switch between them
if one won't work? Anybody use a setup like this?

MeatSack...---...
Skywarn-NTS


If you're a ham as your "NTS" would indicate,

Not really but I do know a few. I may get my Tech ticket at some point.

What keeps me from getting a license is having to put up with nut cases
like Steveo. I didn't care for the comments I hear about him from the
guys in the radio club. The last thing I need is having the drunkard
showing up at my house causing trouble in front of the wife and kids. You
get a sample of his crap here where he "goes off" offering to meet people
for a fist fight, and he's admitted as much here, showing up at people's
homes. Who needs that kind of **** transpiring on their front yard?

then you would know that a
loaded antenna has a higher Q and therefore a lower bandwidth than a
quarter wave whip. I use a KW-7 FireStik for 10 & 11 meters. Yes, it's
seven feet tall, but I talk where ever I hear on both bands.

Thanks for your opinion. I was looking for something shorter. The tall
antenna would scrape the garage door up when I pull in. Also parking decks
are a problem too. A few hams I know warned me about life with a big
antenna on the truck. That's why I was thinking about something smaller
even if it means a bit of a compromise in performance.


MeatSack...---...
Skywarn-NTS