New General License Ham needing antenna info

[Greg Smith]

We travel in our Monaco Diplomat and I want to take the Kenwood 570 with us for HF. While the wife is shopping I want to get on 20 and 40 meters, participate in nets and enjoy DX. I am wanting ideas on antennas. I have ordered a 40 foot fiberglass pole to experiment with and have looked at the Tarheel setups, but I do not intend to use the radio in motion. Since RV parks are not ideal for setting up a wire dipole I am thinking the 40 pole may be the best option. I would like to hear what others are doing.

[electricflyer]

Check out an Eagle One antenna. Steve is a great guy, made and sold these for a number of years. I have one I use for portable use like field day and when camping. I use the tripod since I don't have a ladder to mount to. It is a collapsible 31' vertical. He has the brackets for mounting to a ladder. I believe it is resonate on 40M and 15M but will require a tuner and a balun (I use a LDG 4:1) if desired for other freq. You can call Steve and get the information. He is now handicapped as a result of back surgery but is still able to travel with his MH and comes to a few Hamfests in the East. He comes quite often to Hamfests in the Atlanta area. Here is his web page, check it out. What he has is pretty much what you are interested in.
http://w8afx.com

[N3LYT]

Tarheel recommends a ground mount with radials. With out at least a counter poise I don't think it will work well at 40' I have a screwdriver antenna maybe up 7-8' but the roof of my camper is aluminum and well grounded to every thing including the antenna base. One thing I would worry about in a camp ground is some one touching a ground mount while you are transmitting.

[W9WLS]

As Marv pointed out above, the "Eagle One" on a ground mounted tri-pod (staked to the ground of course) is a good "quick & dirty" , add a tuner and your good to go.
If your worried about "stupid people" , add some "CAUTION TAPE" on fiberglass rod's around it but most will leave it alone.
The "Tarheel" on a ten foot mast off the rear bumper is also pretty good.
Ground radials are always a good idea as is a ground rod when possible.

Otherwise, take a look around the forum here and pick what will work best for you or is adaptable to your situation, there's a lot of good information here .

73.

[electricflyer]

Campgrounds aren't that populated that there should be great concern about someone touching the antenna at the moment you are transmitting. Most may be curious about what it would be but not likely to touch it. I forgot to mention that with the Eagle One a couple radials laid out on the ground would enhance reception.

[JNeeleyW6ZKH]

Week after next, Turkey week, on my boondocking trip down into the Mojave Desert, along with the Buddipole and am dragging along my copied version of the Comet CHA-250b, which is a Jetstream version of an all-band vertical with no radials. I picked it up at a swapmeet last year and never have tried it out, so will mount it on a pole and run it up along side the ladder rack of the 5'er, with the coil assembly above the roof and see what it does. I am not expecting much really, but what the heck, give me something to do instead of doing nothing or cooking. I will take some pix of it while down there and tag them onto here.

[NN5I]

Most may be curious about what it would be but not likely to touch it.

I think you will find that Flyer is right. My experience is that other campers won't enter your space uninvited, ever, for any reason. They typically are very respectful, though friendly, and you can safely leave things out overnight on the picnic table.

The only time anyone ever came into my space was when the guy in the next space knocked discreetly on my door to tell me it was raining and my car windows were open. Oh, yes, and once when the headlights were on. Campers watch out for each other, but they mind their own business.

[N3LYT]

Had a friend whose vanity tag said "RFBurns" He was also know to run a kilo watt mobile.

[Radio]

Campgrounds aren't that populated that there should be great concern about someone touching the antenna at the moment you are transmitting.

No it's not likely, but I have though about designing a decent warning sign in Word or GIMP (like photoshop) and then taking it to be laminated to make it waterproof. Then put some holes in it with a hole puncher and ty-wrap it to the mast.

:radio:

[NN5I]

... I have thought about designing a decent warning sign in Word ...

Why make it decent? More people will look at it if it isn't.

[N3LYT]

I think you will find that Flyer is right. My experience is that other campers won't enter your space uninvited, ever, for any reason. They typically are very respectful, though friendly, and you can safely leave things out overnight on the picnic table.

The only time anyone ever came into my space was when the guy in the next space knocked discreetly on my door to tell me it was raining and my car windows were open. Oh, yes, and once when the headlights were on. Campers watch out for each other, but they mind their own business.

True but kids are curious and adults too ground level stuff is too handy at least in mine line of thinking and if you are inside on the radio you have no ideal that they are there. I would feel pretty bad if I shocked the stuffing out of some one.

[NN5I]

I would feel pretty bad if I shocked the stuffing out of some one.

Naah, that'll teach'em to leave your antennas alone. Serve'em right.

More seriously, you have a point -- children are a concern, though I have found that even the children who show up in RV parks are well behaved and respectful of other people's rights. Don't want to give RF burns to any kids, especially nice ones. I'd rather throw all the radios in the dumpster than endanger a kid.

[N3LYT]

Yeah and it kind of puts people off that thought ham radio looked like a lot of fun.

[electricflyer]

Last year I had my Eagle One out in a open area for field day and put a sign on it saying, "Do not Touch, Can Cause RF Burns". The only thing about that is it is like putting a sign up saying "Do Not Touch - Wet Paint". It makes some people even more curious enough to want to find out what happens. Without anything to draw attention to the antenna they will just walk on by.

[Thuff]

I use a buddipole with a flagpole buddy to hold the Mast. Depending on the band I can use a dipole or a vertical. This works QRP for me.