[SixClub] SixClub Digest, Vol 62, Issue 13

[Dave Walton]

Many Hams running HF in their mobiles often run frequencies they normally
run at home, and keep in touch with their circle of friends. Hamsticks work
great on a very narrow portion of the Band they are tuned for, as do
Hustlers, and many others. Of course a Texas Bugcatcher will operate over a
much wider portion of the band it's setup on mainly due to a much higher Q
than Hamsticks. Various Screwdriver type antennas are even more so, and work
over a Far Wider Range, and are far faster & easier to tune on most
bands. Hamstick types tuned to your favorite frequencies on each band will
work just fine, are infinately less expensive, and don't look like a
telephone pole on the back of your vehicle <grin>. I've used lots of
different types of antennas mobile, and they all had their pros & cons of
operating. A great book on Mobile Operation, if you can find a copy is Don
Johnson W6AAQ's 40 Years of HF Mobileering Antennas, Installations, Tuners,
A Compendium published in 1988. By the way Don Johnson IS the originator of
the Screwdriver type Mobile Antenna. If you are lucky enough to find Don's
book you will be amazed by it's contents cover to cover in easy to absorb
style. Just my two cents, as 22 DB surprised me a lot here.

Yours in the Hobby,

Dave - W7CAR