Need advice for groundcrew vehicle antenna for 123.5

I have a Roadtrek (small Chevy van converted to a mini-motorhome) which has
a fiberglass upper roof.

Wanting to set up good ground to air communications ability on 123.5 and
123.3 with a Tait mobile radio in the vehicle. The problem is establishing
a ground plane with the fiberglass roof.

Other than a magnetic mount antenna on the metal hood....any suggestions?

Wouldn't mind a fiberglass whip type set-up if the performance gains
justified it, but I would like it to be functional while driving....also
don't know how to establish the ground plane.

Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

J4

On Oct 22, 4:25*pm, "John Bojack" wrote:
I have a Roadtrek (small Chevy van converted to a mini-motorhome) which has
a fiberglass upper roof.

Wanting to set up good ground to air communications ability on 123.5 and
123.3 with a Tait mobile radio in the vehicle. * The problem is establishing
a ground plane with the fiberglass roof.

Other than a magnetic mount antenna on the metal hood....any suggestions?

Wouldn't mind a fiberglass whip type set-up if the performance gains
justified it, but I would like it to be functional while driving....also
don't know how to establish the ground plane.

Appreciate any advice. *Thanks!

J4

I'll just point out that 5/8 wavelength whip antennas do not need a
ground plane. 1/4 wave ones definitely do. You may well do better with
a 5/8 one for lots of reasons. Your need there will be a secure mount
location to the longer whip.

Darryl

Darryl,

I disagree with you on this one. A 5/8 DOES require a ground plane. However, a 1/2 wave length doesn't.

Respectfully,

Wayne
Ham radio W7ADK
http://www.soaridaho.com/


"Darryl Ramm" wrote in message ...
On Oct 22, 4:25 pm, "John Bojack" wrote:

I'll just point out that 5/8 wavelength whip antennas do not need a
ground plane. 1/4 wave ones definitely do. You may well do better with
a 5/8 one for lots of reasons. Your need there will be a secure mount
location to the longer whip.

Darryl

Hi John,

I sell a nice 5/8 wave antenna that includes 4 radial rods at the base which
act as the ground plane. You can see details he
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/larsen.htm#Larsen-BS-5-8

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"John Bojack" wrote in message
...
I have a Roadtrek (small Chevy van converted to a mini-motorhome) which has
a fiberglass upper roof.

Wanting to set up good ground to air communications ability on 123.5 and
123.3 with a Tait mobile radio in the vehicle. The problem is
establishing a ground plane with the fiberglass roof.

Other than a magnetic mount antenna on the metal hood....any suggestions?

Wouldn't mind a fiberglass whip type set-up if the performance gains
justified it, but I would like it to be functional while driving....also
don't know how to establish the ground plane.

Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

J4

Wayne

Doh what a silly slip, thanks for catching that. But you can get
base 5/8 antennas that include the round plane stubs like Paul
mentioned here.

Darryl
(I won't embarrass myself with my expired amateur callsign).

On Oct 22, 5:29*pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:
Darryl,

I disagree with you on this one. *A 5/8 DOES require a ground plane. *However, a 1/2 wave length doesn't.

Respectfully,

Wayne
Ham radio W7ADKhttp://www.soaridaho.com/

"Darryl Ramm" wrote in ...

On Oct 22, 4:25 pm, "John Bojack" wrote:

I'll just point out that 5/8 wavelength whip antennas do not need a
ground plane. 1/4 wave ones definitely do. You may well do better with
a 5/8 one for lots of reasons. Your need there will be a secure mount
location to the longer whip.

Darryl

On Oct 22, 6:43*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:
Wayne

Doh what a silly slip, thanks for catching that. *But you can get
base *5/8 antennas that include the round plane stubs like Paul
mentioned here.

Darryl
(I won't embarrass myself with my expired amateur callsign).

On Oct 22, 5:29*pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:

Darryl,

I disagree with you on this one. *A 5/8 DOES require a ground plane. *However, a 1/2 wave length doesn't.

Respectfully,

Wayne
Ham radio W7ADKhttp://www.soaridaho.com/

"Darryl Ramm" wrote in ...

On Oct 22, 4:25 pm, "John Bojack" wrote:

I'll just point out that 5/8 wavelength whip antennas do not need a
ground plane. 1/4 wave ones definitely do. You may well do better with
a 5/8 one for lots of reasons. Your need there will be a secure mount
location to the longer whip.

Darryl

In your defense Darryl I've always had better trans/receive when I
mount a 5/8 wave antenna on a 40' stainless steel tanker than I do on
a fiberglass roof Kenworth tractor. 10-4

I have antenna's of all types including many options not already listed on
my website including some easily removable antenna's, some with their own
ground planes and some designs specifically for vehicles like yours with no
metal top...
see:
http://www.wingsandwheels.com/new%20page%2014.htm
then give me a call
thanks
tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"John Bojack" wrote in message
...
I have a Roadtrek (small Chevy van converted to a mini-motorhome) which has
a fiberglass upper roof.

Wanting to set up good ground to air communications ability on 123.5 and
123.3 with a Tait mobile radio in the vehicle. The problem is
establishing a ground plane with the fiberglass roof.

Other than a magnetic mount antenna on the metal hood....any suggestions?

Wouldn't mind a fiberglass whip type set-up if the performance gains
justified it, but I would like it to be functional while driving....also
don't know how to establish the ground plane.

Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

J4


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John,

At least your motorhome has a metal hood, my Ford E450 chassis has a
plastic hood!

I mounted a 1/4 wave magnetic base on the top of my class c motorhome by
taking 2' x 2' 18 gauge sheet metal and glued and screwed (sealing the 6
screws sith silicon gluing the piece the same way) down to the top and then
just ploping the mag base to the center. I ran the coax in through the roof
vent and have had excellent luck with it. I am using a old Terra 720 TX
mounted in the motor home. On flights out of Ely and Prescott I have had
100 mile reception at 6+ k AGL. I like the Terra as I can set the squelch
both on the plane and the motorhome






At 21:14 25 October 2010, Dave Springford wrote:
John,

At least your motorhome has a metal hood, my Ford E450 chassis has a
plastic hood!

On Oct 22, 5:29*pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:
Darryl,

I disagree with you on this one. *A 5/8 DOES require a ground plane. *However, a 1/2 wave length doesn't.

Respectfully,

Wayne
Ham radio W7ADKhttp://www.soaridaho.com/

"Darryl Ramm" wrote in ...

On Oct 22, 4:25 pm, "John Bojack" wrote:

I'll just point out that 5/8 wavelength whip antennas do not need a
ground plane. 1/4 wave ones definitely do. You may well do better with
a 5/8 one for lots of reasons. Your need there will be a secure mount
location to the longer whip.

Darryl

Wayne,
Wouldn't this have been a good place to link to your 'coax dipole'
antenna?
(I was looking for it and got side-tracked [squirrel!] looking at
Scheder stuff)