OK I tried the cheap way out with ham type sticks and It was a good $60 experiment. One did not work at all (open circuit) and I can say Jetstream was right on top of it and send me another one post hast it did tune, about 1 kc wide. Another one now has become intermittent as it flexes on bumps etc. and the 40 meter one won’t tune at all the auto tuner will tune it but it has never shown me a good swr with the AT100 Bird. So I bought a Lil Tarheel. I’m impressed, the tuning is very sharp just a touch and it will go from 5:1 to 1.5 I think I’m going to use push buttons instead of the rocker switch that came with it. The bands right now aren’t’ much maybe in a few days I’ll be able to give a better report after I make a few contacts. I intend to use this on both the truck and the camper and have the camper all set up I’m headed to Canada the end of the month that will be a good work out for it. Listen for N3LYT from the Gaspe QC!
Ted: Pretty sure you will like the "TARHEEL" , I use the "Ameritron" memory box(mfj has one also) and has never failed.
One thing to keep in mind, mounting position is everything (as with any antenna) and you can have "DEAD SPOTS", especially when pulling a camper.
All depends on where you mount the antenna.
Yeah I guess every thing other then a tower is a compromise. I have it mounted on the very rear corner of the pickup bed on a aluminum angle bolted to the bed frame work. One issue I had was the plastic bed! I had some #4 copper wire left over from a grounding project that is woven under the bed as a counter poise love the plastic bed but it's not very conductive. A memory box maybe in the future would be a good bit easier, my ham addiction is supported by a part time job and I work on an as needed basis so I have to pray for some thing to break.
antenna experiment
Linear Mode
