[Mobile-Portable] Re:Antennas/mounts - Diamond K-400, Outbacker Perth Plus

[Gary Pearce KN4AQ]

At 07:25 AM 6/8/2003 -0400, Don Flenner wrote:
>Greetings All,
>
>I have not had a rig in a car for many many years. I will be installing a
>multi-band/multi-mode rig in the family vehicle which is a Buick LeSabre so
>would like to keep the installation fairly low profile. The plan is to mount
>the antenna on the truck lip. I am interested in operating primarily on 20
>meters through 10 meters. What are ya'll using as for as antennas and
>mounts? Pro and Cons.....
>
>Don, W4YCH


The Diamond K-400 mount will hold a fairly substantial antenna.  It's a 
trunk-lip mount, secured by four set-screws under the lip.  (Dcrape off the 
paint where the screws tighten - that's your ground.  And no-ox it to keep 
the bare metal from corroding).  The K-400 comes in pieces - the lip mount, 
and then your choice of connectors for the antenna: 3/8" stud, UHF or 
NMO.  A short piece of thin coax (RG-172 or something like that - much 
smaller than RG-58) gets you through the trunk weather-seal.  Then you use 
a double-female coax adapter to whatever coax takes you into the 
vehicle.  If your radio is trunk-mounted and remoted, the short piece of 
coax is long enough to reach the radio.  About $70 with the mount and 
antenna connector.

I have the Outbacker Perth Plus on my K-400.  Reasonable performance on 
40-10.  And "they say they can hear me" on 75 (about 20 khz bandwidth there 
before you get out and change the length of the whip).  It's no 
screwdriver, but I make lots of contacts, including plenty of 
DX.  Hamsticks are cheaper, unless you buy one for every band.  Then it's 
about a wash.  About $300, if I recall right.  By the way, the full Perth 
is a little longer, but seems to stress the K-400, while the shorter Perth 
Plus doesn't.

73,
Gary KN4AQ
kn4aq@arrl.net