[Mobile-Portable] Iron Horse 40m Ground?

[Jay Eimer]

It saves the tip of the antenna (and maybe the fender/bumper or wherever
it's mounted) from the torque when the tip hits an overhead obstruction.

I have an 8' whip on my Ranger, mounted on an angle bracket to the inside of
a stake hole.  Let me tell you, that thing hits EVERYTHING.  But with a
solid, one piece stainless steel whip, I just call it my "tree trimmer" and
keep going.

That Iron Horse on Bill's Jeep extends a good three feet above the roof.
With the resin shaft (not sure what kind of resin?  Fiberglass?) that makes
up the coil/bottom 1/2, I'd be leery of it breaking below the stinger if the
stinger hit anything substantial at any kind of speed (tree limb @ 25mph in
a residential neighborhood is an every day occurrence).

If the antenna has enough flex to handle that, I'd leave the spring off.
But it's not my antenna.  Bill paid for it, and he wants a spring.  Wed.
night I'll be back over there to try it without the spring, and if that
fixes it, I'll pick one up at RS or the truck stop.  (I'd do it tomorrow,
but it's "club night").

Jay

-----Original Message-----
From: mobile-portable-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:mobile-portable-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Art Clemons
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 12:52
To: Mobile-Portable Reflector
Subject: Re: [Mobile-Portable] Iron Horse 40m Ground?


> I have no idea how old this spring might be.  Bill is 80+ years old and
has
> been a ham for over 50.  When he got this antenna, he said he needed a
> spring for it, and I scrounged in his garage and found that one on the
work
> bench.  It's galvanized (not chromed like the ones I see at truck stops
and
> Radio Shack), so I'm betting it's been around a while.  It's also
obviously
> been used (on another vehicle) at some point in the past.
>
> I think I'll just pick up a new spring and swap them out.

I personally don't know why anyone bothers with springs on Amateur
antennas, especially HF antennas.  They all too often seem to cause RF
and electrical discontinuities as folks drive along.  You have to also
consider that an eighth of an inch change in the length of an HF antenna
on 40 meters can be quite a change and the spring probably will
allow/cause that much movement as you drive along.

If you hit something hard enough to bend the spring, you've likely
damaged your antenna anyway.  Frankly I'm waiting to hear just what a
spring does for an antenna that makes one worth using.
----
Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC, mobile-portable-owner at mailman.qth.net