Labeling mobile antennas?
 

I operate mobile with a number of Hamstick antennas - fiberglass rods
~1/2" (1.3cm) diameter with stainless steel whips at the end. A
separate antenna is necessary for each band.

The antennas come with paper tags at the bottom indicating which band
they're for. These are surprisingly durable, but they aren't perfect.
The 20 meter antenna has lost its tag - luckily right now I know that
the untagged antenna is 20 but if another one loses its tag I'll be down
to comparing lengths of loading coils...

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper
of a car.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Use a minidrill with an engraving bit on it and engrave "20M" into the
side of the stainless base??

Larry VE7EA

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

I have to break down the antenna to fit in my trunk. I mark the whip with
colored vinyl tape at the point it adjusts into the mast, and put a piece of
the same colored tape on the mast. Red=40, Blue=30, Yellow=20. I use
Hustlers for 75/80 since the Hamstick doesn't cover 80, and the 75 meter
resonator carries red tape so I can quickly tell it from 80.

...

"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...
I operate mobile with a number of Hamstick antennas - fiberglass rods ~1/2"
(1.3cm) diameter with stainless steel whips at the end. A separate antenna
is necessary for each band.

The antennas come with paper tags at the bottom indicating which band
they're for. These are surprisingly durable, but they aren't perfect. The
20 meter antenna has lost its tag - luckily right now I know that the
untagged antenna is 20 but if another one loses its tag I'll be down to
comparing lengths of loading coils...

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper of
a car.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:52:47 GMT, Doug Smith W9WI wrote:

I operate mobile with a number of Hamstick antennas - fiberglass rods
~1/2" (1.3cm) diameter with stainless steel whips at the end. A
separate antenna is necessary for each band.

The antennas come with paper tags at the bottom indicating which band
they're for. These are surprisingly durable, but they aren't perfect.
The 20 meter antenna has lost its tag - luckily right now I know that
the untagged antenna is 20 but if another one loses its tag I'll be down
to comparing lengths of loading coils...

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper
of a car.

Heatshrink tubing. Either colour coded, or clear with a printed/coded label
inside.

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

In article ,
Doug Smith W9WI wrote:

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper
of a car.

How about labelling the antenna or base with a self-adhesive label
(e.g Brother P-Touch), and then covering it with some clear
heat-shrink tubing?

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Dave Platt wrote:
How about labelling the antenna or base with a self-adhesive label
(e.g Brother P-Touch), and then covering it with some clear
heat-shrink tubing?

I've learned the hard way that P-Touch labels can't tolerate exposure to
sunlight.

I like the colored tape idea.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Paint or nail polish with the resistor color code:

GRY/BLK = 80
PUR/GRN = 75
YEL/BLK = 40
ORN/BLK = 30
RED/BLK = 20
BRN/GRN = 15
BRN/BLK = 10

Since the hamsticks themselves are black, you could omit black as the
second color unless you want to paint a white background first. I'd
paint a circle clear around it like a resistor so you can read it
without rotating the antenna.

And yes, there is green nail polish. :-)

Bill, W6WRT


------------ ORIGINAL MESSAGE ------------

On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:52:47 GMT, Doug Smith W9WI
wrote:

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper
of a car.

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Bill Turner wrote:
Paint or nail polish with the resistor color code:

GRY/BLK = 80
PUR/GRN = 75
YEL/BLK = 40
ORN/BLK = 30
RED/BLK = 20
BRN/GRN = 15
BRN/BLK = 10

Since the hamsticks themselves are black, you could omit black as the
second color unless you want to paint a white background first. I'd
paint a circle clear around it like a resistor so you can read it
without rotating the antenna.

And yes, there is green nail polish. :-)

I'm single & live in a small town. Buying green nail polish may not be
a good ideagrin.

Would nail polish stand exposure to the elements?

--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...

I'm single & live in a small town. Buying green nail polish may not be a
good ideagrin.

I've been using nail polish to mark the polarity of toriod coils. The
problem is, other than red/pink, most of the colors aren't very opaque.
Even though blue and fluorescent green look starkly diferent in the bottle,
if you paint them on something dark they are pretty hard to tell from clear.
Having the brush in the bottle is terribly convenient, though. Why don't
they make model enamel with the brush in the cap? Or nail polish that looks
like model paint?

Oh yeah, and nail polish has an amazing range of price. I have a few
bottles of the cheap stuff I got years ago. Might be more opaque if I could
get my head around ten bucks for a half-ounce of paint.

...

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

How's about getting an electric engraver. Sears has them. That would
permanently mark them and is 100% guaranteed to be weather proof and
probably good up to at least Mach 12 or so :)

Scott
N0EDV

Doug Smith W9WI wrote:
I operate mobile with a number of Hamstick antennas - fiberglass rods
~1/2" (1.3cm) diameter with stainless steel whips at the end. A
separate antenna is necessary for each band.

The antennas come with paper tags at the bottom indicating which band
they're for. These are surprisingly durable, but they aren't perfect.
The 20 meter antenna has lost its tag - luckily right now I know that
the untagged antenna is 20 but if another one loses its tag I'll be down
to comparing lengths of loading coils...

What methods can folks suggest for labeling these antennas? Remember
that, while in use, it'll be exposed to the elements on the rear bumper
of a car.

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .

probably good up to at least Mach 12 or so :)

Funny, I don't recall having you as a passenger lately ...

...

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Everybody these days drives Mach 12, don't they? They seem to on the
Interstate around Minneapolis! ;)

Scott
N0EDV


xpyttl wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .


probably good up to at least Mach 12 or so :)


Funny, I don't recall having you as a passenger lately ...

..

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

xpyttl wrote:
Hustlers for 75/80 since the Hamstick doesn't cover 80, and the 75 meter

Yeah, this was an unpleasant surprise last night. I'd bought the 75m
antenna months ago & figured it was marketed as "75" because they didn't
think anybody would want to work mobile in the CW band. Finally got
around to trying it in a Wendy's parking lot in Cadiz, Ky. - and found
with the stinger all the way out it wouldn't resonate any lower than 3650.

Yet the cutting guide packed with the antenna provides length settings
for the entire 80m band.

Yes, I *was* parked far away from any light poles/buildings/semis/other
detuning objects...

(and despite the 9:1 SWR I was able to make three QSOs on 3560 as far
away as Pennsylvania...)

--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

What is it about cities?

Here in MI, the Interstares move along quite nicely out away from the cities
(well, except Friday night when everyone in the state goes "up north"), but
get near Detroit or Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo and you better have your jet
pack..

...

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .
Everybody these days drives Mach 12, don't they? They seem to on the
Interstate around Minneapolis! ;)

Scott
N0EDV


xpyttl wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .


probably good up to at least Mach 12 or so :)


Funny, I don't recall having you as a passenger lately ...

..

Labeling mobile antennas?
 

Amen brother! Not only do they have to go faster, but they HAVE to be
in FRONT of you, no matter what!. I've been passed like I'm a dirty rag
going in reverse and once they pass, then they get in front of me and
slow down to exactly the same speed I am going when they pass me. That
always makes a bunch of sense to me! Worse yet is when they pass you in
town on a two lane road, get back into the lane in FRONT of you (again),
go 2 blocks and then put on their LEFT blinker and now we BOTH have to
wait for opposing traffic. I suspect THIS is the reason the concealed
weapon laws have a hard time getting passed into law ('cause that sucker
would be dead now) ;)

Scott


xpyttl wrote:
What is it about cities?

Here in MI, the Interstares move along quite nicely out away from the cities
(well, except Friday night when everyone in the state goes "up north"), but
get near Detroit or Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo and you better have your jet
pack..

..

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .

Everybody these days drives Mach 12, don't they? They seem to on the
Interstate around Minneapolis! ;)

Scott
N0EDV


xpyttl wrote:


"Scott" wrote in message
t...



probably good up to at least Mach 12 or so :)


Funny, I don't recall having you as a passenger lately ...

..