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Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 12:01 am: | 
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Anyone have any ideas on portable cb base antenna? I am going on vacation and want to take my base cb along, but I dont want to be stuck with a mobile antenna> the antenna must be able to fit under the seats of a 99 Caravan and be easy up and down.
I can build it I just need ideas
Thanks |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 9:18 am: |
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a kite with 102 inchs of wire.... kidding But realy ive used on 10 meters a old midland 4 foot no ground needed base ant that was 48in long you might look around for something like that look on e-bay |
Hook948
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 9:58 am: |
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How about hauling it on top of the van? If that's not out of the question, Take along a I-Max 2000. I keep one in the back of my Ford Ranger along with two 8ft sections of slip together antenna mast.You will have to come up with a way to mount it. I just screw the ant. together,slip it over the mast, tighten it up and raise it and stick the mast in one of the holes in the bed of the truck. Works for me. |
bullet/151 southern Indiana
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 11:52 am: |
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cool idea hook, i like the sound of that alot..
easier than making a home brew and sounds even easier to install than what i was going to mention. |
USA194
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 12:15 pm: |
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Antennadude-
Take what Hook suggested, then add the following idea(It works, I built one)
A 18"x18" piece of 1/4" sheet steel
A 9" piece of heavy wall 1 1/2" steel square tubing
Place the square tubing, standing on end, centered up along the edge of the 18" side of the steel plate, about 1/2" in from the edge. Weld it down securely.
Now you have something that will sit transport nicely, lying in the back of the Caravan(you can put other stuff on top of it for travel.
When you get to where you are going, unload the contraption, lay it on the ground and drive one van tire up on it. Stick your antenna mast in the upright square tubing and you have a slick self-supporting antenna mount that requires no holes drilled. The weight of the van will hold the plate down just fine. I've used this with up to 30 ft. of TV mast, with stacked 2m yagis on it.
If you want to be really slick, and are handy with design, you can even build it with a hinge so you can put the mast and antenna in, then push it up and lock it down. |
Hook948
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 1:07 pm: |
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Or...You could always do something like this http://www.n7qvc.com/amateur_radio/portable_antenna_tower.htm
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Phineas
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 1:57 pm: |
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I wonder if CBers are alergic to wire antennas like a Dipole? Probably the easiest antenna to make in the whole world. I have a Dipole for CB, and with it just 12 feet off the ground, it put a lot of verticals to shame, with no ground needed.
You can have any colapsable pole, pipe, hang from some trees, etc....
All you need is 2 wires 9 feet long. Solder one to the shiled of your coax, and the other to the center conductor. Or just get 50 feet of coax, strip it back 9 feet then seperate the shield and the center conductor. Just make sure the 2 conductors are isolated from each other. Find a place to hang it. Instant antenna with a perfect match. You can roll it up, and it will fit in your glove compartment.
Phineas |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 3:06 pm: |
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Phineas,
I was going to make a dipole for 11 meters just to experiment for myself. I have the knowledge but wanted to know if you actually used a balun (as in commercial bought) or something homemade as the center isolator? |
Phineas
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 4:04 pm: |
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Alsworld
You can use a 1:1 Balun, but you dont need one. The insulation on the center conductor of your coax is all you need. If you choose to make an isolator, you can use almost anything. a short piece of PVC, plexiglass, fiberglass, wood, etc, will all work.
Phineas |
Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 5:52 pm: |
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I have a dipole but does not give me the radiation pattern I want. Cant put anything on top of the van(no rack). I have an old Big Stick that I think might work. I think i have an idea to use it. What I am going to do is mount a short piece of mast pipe to a flange that is screwed to a 4x4 piece of plywood. When i get to where i am going I will mount the antenna on the mast using to van driven up on the wood to hold it.
Now for the question what length of coax. ??? |
Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 5:54 pm: |
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OH sorry the thing has to be cheap!!!! |
Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 5:56 pm: |
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USA194,
Great Idea i think i will go that way with some mods to your idea |
Buck
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 6:23 pm: |
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Ive got plans to make a base antenna out of 2 10' pieces of copper tubing,a short piece of pvc, and some 10awg for radials...it would be 10'if you took it apart but it works really well and can be used anywhere. the copper pushes into the ground and the radials act as guy wires being fastened to tent stakes. I use this as a permenant base antenna....I would like to find a way to make the radials out of copper and mount it on my mast but im not too sure how long it would last that high in the air |
DeadlyEyes
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 6:43 pm: |
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The telescopic paint pole vertical antenna is a good one....
Go to Wal Mart and get one of those aluminum 2 piece telescopic paint poles. stick a small piece of scrap PVC pipe on the bottom of the larger half. About 4 inches long will do (to just lift it off the ground. Mesure out 102 inches on the paing pole. Use two pipe clamps and a short piece of wire to jump the two halves together across the plastic locking section. Attach the center conductor to the bottom of the pole and a 102 piece of any kind of wire to the shielding. Use some twine to tie or support the paint pole in a vertical position. Adjust the length of the paint pole if need be for best match and mark the intersection using a mark a lot.
You are good to go. You can tie the paint pole to the side of a porch or use the twine as guy lines to support it as it stands on its little pvc stand just above the ground. |
Buck
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 8:24 pm: |
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You can make the antenna i described for about $12 ...everything can be bought at menards.....preforms like a $60 or $70 antenna....Really surprised me |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 9:39 pm: |
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Gosh, wonderful ideas from all! I initialy was thinking about the ultimate cheap omni, the Antron 99 somehow mounted (for sturdiness) to the van using antenna poles (Home Depot has 5 ft'rs). USA194's idea is excellent. All would fit in your van. I was afraid the IMAX 2000 (a 5/8 wave & 24 ft roughly) was too long possibly. If you have an old Army bigstick, try it out using a length of coax you can afford. SWR should be your biggest worry. If it works, go on the road and have a blast.
Phineas, thank you. I appreciate the answer.
Alsworld |
Hook948
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 10:07 pm: |
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Antennadude, As far as coax...Just use what you need to get from radio to antenna. If the antenna is tuned right,the coax length won't matter |
Antennadude
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 10:34 pm: |
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Cool thats what i thought About 18feet will work. I have that laying around. Big Stick and away I go . Pdc 600lp and I should be able to do my thing. Man i wish i had a base amp!!!!! |
USA194
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 11:26 pm: |
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Antennadude-
It's an old idea, but here's a commercial version of it- http://www.willburt.com/willburt/mastHurryUpTelescoping.asp
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