[Mobile-Portable] Mobile antenna tuner questions

[MELVYN EVANS]

--- Art Clemons <n8blk at aol.com> wrote:

> Phil Atchley:
> 
> > 3.  I'm considering using an Icom AH-4 autotuner
> with a whip antenna mounted HIGH on the inside wall
> of the pickup bed.  YES, I realize they may be less
> efficient than a quality screwdriver, but the price
> meets my budget AND I have enough trouble "keeping
> it between the whitelines" without having to watch
> an SWR meter while tuning! 
> 
> 
> If the only reason you're not buying a screwdriver
> antenna is the high
> price, let me note that it's possible to build your
> own.  Don Johnson's
> books are available on CD ($24.95)from worldradio
> http://www.wr6wr.com/
>  then search for W6AAQ as the quickest means of
> finding it.  I've built
> screwdriver antennas for under $75 (under $50 if you
> can find cheap
> aluminum drainage pipe) using the info from the two
> books on the CD
> (albeit I have physical original copies), and let me
> note that
> screwdrivers can be gotten close to their final mark
> just by peaking the
> received noise without looking at a meter.
> There are also advertised tuning aids for
> screwdrivers in QST and CQ
> which seem to work.
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC,
> mobile-portable-owner at mailman.qth.net
> 

Hello,   

In answer to your question, you would be better off
buying used Hustler mobile antenna's, they work as
well as any. It is essential that mobile antenna's are
self resonant at the chosen frequency,using a
stainless steel whip and a tuner would be an induced
resonancy, and would be a very poor antenna on every
band. Even the best mobile antenna's are so
inefficient that a 100 watts from the rig means that
on 20 metres only about 30 watts or less is being
radiated, and on 80 metres it amounts to about 1 watt
! 

G0GQK