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Message |
    
Sodapop
Intermediate Member
Username: Sodapop
Post Number: 227
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 4:49 pm: | 
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Well my Yaesu ft840 has arrived! And so far I like it. But I need an antenna. My outdoor antenna is on the other side of the house. And I can't move it till the snow is gone. 2 or 3 months from now. So I want something I can use to get my by. I may not shoot skip, but talk local, and listen. I found a SATURN BASE CB ANTENNA. Which covers 26-28Mhz. Will take 500 watts, and is only 39 inches tall. Not to mention it needs no ground. Sounds good, but will it work? Anyone got a better idea? Any help would be great, thanks!
BTW - email direct if you have something better! |
Racer X (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 8:42 pm: |
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Dude - I'd run coax the whole way through my house before I'd use one of those antennas. Can you run the coax around outside to the other side of the house temporarily?
This made me think of the temporary antennas I've used in the past:
I've got a simple copper wire dipole in my attic that I use when there are thunderstorms in my area. It works pretty well locally. I set it up as a temporary antenna and wound up keeping it.
Before I made the dipole I used a wilson 1000 mag mount stuck to an old radio case. For a ground plane I used 18' sheets of aluminum foil between the antenna and the radio and crossed at 90 degrees. That worked okay until I made the dipole.
Between the copper wire dipole and the Wilson 1000 mag mount and foil I got the bright idea to make a dipole entirely from heavy duty aluminum foil. It was VERY wide banded and worked pretty well, but I kept tearing it whenever I had to do anything in my attic.
I made a coax dipole by stripping off 9' of outer insulation, folded the braid back over the coax and used a snap on ferrite bead to stop the feedline from radiating. I hung the tip as high as I could and It worked okay.
At my parent's house I once used an aluminum folding table with a mag mount Wilson 1000 as a temporary base antenna when I wanted to sit on the patio and play radio out there. Rather than buy coax and run it to my base antenna I just used my "loaner antenna" stuck to the aluminum folding table with the big washer that Wilson ships with the mag mounts. Stretched it out as far away from the radio as I could. Worked okay locally - about as good as my mobile did when using the Wilson 1000.
Another time at my parents house I put the mag mount from my mobile on top of the laundry line pole. It was a nice sturdy pole about 3" in diameter and about 8' long that's used with one of those retracting clothes lines. The last 18" stuck in the ground where my Dad poured a concrete footer with a hole so the pole could be removed for mowing or whatever. It worked okay, but the match wasn't exactly perfect. I could have used some wire or foil to make the ground plane better, but it seemed to do the job at the time.
I've even used a mag mount stuck right on the radio with the coax entirely coiled up. I never checked the match as I was just copying the mail and didn't want to transmit while sitting right at the radio. It worked okay for reception though. |
Sodapop
Intermediate Member
Username: Sodapop
Post Number: 229
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2005 - 9:31 pm: |
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Dude, are you like the king of temp setups or what! Some crazy ideas, but it makes the brain think. Thing is, I do NOT want to smoke my Yaesu.....but I am getting some good ideas here and in the email! |
Hotwire
Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 58
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 12:44 pm: |
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When I test a radio I use a "back of the set" antenna. Wimpy but works. Another tried and true method....... 102 inch SS whip, one old car or a large metal object, run coax through window, talk all over!!!!! This works,I used to live in a town house. I used a big metal picnic table as my ground plane. |
Hotwire
Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 59
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 12:46 pm: |
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Ever hear of th Bandit indoor base antenna? I bet it works good but I also hear you get bleedover probs.....bummer |
Jon666
Intermediate Member
Username: Jon666
Post Number: 329
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 5:23 pm: |
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i have 2 saturn ant.
they dont work very good
they are in the closet.
i paid 25.00 each for junk
live and learn |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 998
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 5:59 pm: |
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The wire dipole strung up indoors works very well in a building without metallic, stone, or stucco walls. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 136
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2005 - 7:07 pm: |
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Actually in some cases, a wire antenna even works well inside a metal building. Strung a atravelling wave style antenna inside a metal shed during a trade show. Ran a IC-706 into and worked 70 countries during the 2 day show - most on 10m. This was in 1996.
Sometimes you don't know until you try it. |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1001
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 12:00 pm: |
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A traveling wave antenna is a different story. The magnetic field will penetrate the walls of the building. However, unless you have 100 feet of space for the traveling wave antenna (it pretty much has to be in a straight line), then forget it. |
Supertech1
Junior Member
Username: Supertech1
Post Number: 23
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 14, 2005 - 10:14 pm: |
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just use an antenna matcher
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AEdeathcharger336 (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:10 am: |
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http://members.rogers.com/va3sf/jpole.htm
check out this design. it has the advantages of A. being bottom-fed, B. mast mountable, C. shows a DC short and is really easy to ground, and D. 5/8~
the only problem is with 1/2" pipe it would probably be narrowband. you could experiment and use 1" pipe. it is worth a try throwing this up into a tree or making a small tripod in your yard. |
Supertech1
Junior Member
Username: Supertech1
Post Number: 27
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 12:48 am: |
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I like that j-pole calculator.
I must try this for a hill top slapper.
Looks easier to put together than a ground plane. |
Cbblackbeard
Intermediate Member
Username: Cbblackbeard
Post Number: 163
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 2:08 pm: |
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Have you considered a discone antenna? I use one out on the patio mounted to a 1' steel mast about 7' tall. It transmits well on the HAM bands and is a great scanner antenna to. I think I paid $30 for it. |
Terry
Junior Member
Username: Terry
Post Number: 10
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 8:37 pm: |
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You can always run a coax to a 102" whip mounted on your vehicle. That's what I do. I live in a neighborhood that has restrictions against antennas.
Not pretty - but functional! |
Hotwire
Intermediate Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 111
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Monday, February 21, 2005 - 10:18 am: |
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Hey Terry! Did you ever tackle your noise problem with your Midland?
Kenny |
