Well, HF setup is CLOSE to done...still rigging up a speaker for my go-box that sits in the back of the Jeep, and want to pick up a battery booster as well so I can get 13.8 volts without the engine running.

Did an HF test yesterday by clipping an 18' wire on the end of my Jeep mounted 102" whip, and got contact with CX (Uruguay) on 17m. Just under 7000 miles from my location.

Ready to try some HF from the Jeep...let's pick a time/frequency and see what we can hear!

Grant
VA6GCT

 

Good idea!!!....How did you run the wire after you clipped it on the whip.....straight up or horizontal...???

Oh and btw....17m is my favorite band.

 

Funny thing is, I was just dickin around so there was nothing special about the setup....I was not taking any particular care or trying for optimum propagation or anything. I just clipped on one of my extension wires - in this case the wire was around 18' long - (depending on how much space I have, I choose shorter/longer wires), and put a weight on the loose end of the wire and tossed it onto a branch in a tree next to my driveway. So, the antenna (base is mounted around 4' high on the back of the Jeep) went vertical for about 102", and then about 18' mostly horizontal to the branch...a low inverted L would be the closest definition. Antenna wire was horizontal East/West.

The ICOM AH-4 antenna coupler I have in the Jeep does NOT like to see 1/2 wave resonant lengths of antenna on any frequency you might be tuning up, so I cut my clip-on wires to match total lengths (feed wire + whip + extra wire) that are "safe" lengths at almost all frequencies used in the spectrums. Some AH-4 users have drawn up reference tables with the "safe" lengths to use.

For NVIS, I just plan to put a metal clip permanently on the end of the whip. For MOBILE NVIS I can pull the antenna over horizontally and tie it to the door handle when driving. When parked/stationary, I can pull the whip over horizontally away from the Jeep, and tie it off to a weight on the ground or stake it down or something, and then clip on a longer wire (70+ feet) for better NVIS signal. Still have some testing to do...but so far, so good.

Grant

 

The truth be known, if you have an idea you just throw it out there and see how she flies. When it comes to antennas there are just too many variables. For the most part people "can" make one look good on paper, but until it's up you just never know. One person can have great luck with one at one location and another guy can have the same thing and it won't play for shit at his qth. The type of ground (meaning the soil itself) and topography play a HUGE factor. So if you have an idea, go for it and see how it pans out. All you can do is learn...