[Mobile-Portable] Screwdrivers and whips

[K0DAN]

The K0BG site is like a Handbook for HF mobile operations. Whether or not
you believe an efficient HF mobile station can be built on-the-cheap, you
are sure to find some good tips and practical info of various
installations here.

My own experience is that the ~108" whip with auto tuner is relatively
stealthy (as stealthy as a 108" whip can be), but , even when installed high
up, has poor radiation efficiency on freq's below about 14 Mhz. The tuner
will make the transmitter happy but a lot of energy is being lost into the
ground and vehicle chassis, and not going into the ether where it belongs.

Of course you can make contacts at 40M and 80M (even 160?!?) with a whip,
but the reality is a tuned antenna with an excellent vehicle ground
distribution (and no noise) will give you 3-6 dB or more radiation
efficiency.

As with all things, your mileage may vary.

http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=12686

73
de k0dan