Hamstick, Hi-Q or Tarheel 40 or 75

[WD5GWY]

  What kind of truck are you trying to mount the Hi-Q on?
All of these posts have gone astray from what I believe is
the main issue, how to mount your screwdriver antenna!
  I have seen screwdriver antennas mounted in some very
interesting and unusual ways. Going to hamfests can be educational
at times! I'm sure some are compromises, but, sometimes, that
is what you have to do, in order to use what you have and get
on the air.
  I am betting there is a way to mount the Hi-Q and make it useful
for you without you having to get rid of it and use something else
that you may not like.
  So, again, what kind of truck are we talking about here? I use a
Tarheel 100a HP on my 1997 Dodge 2500 pickup. I have it mounted
in the left rear corner of the bed, against one of the stake pockets.
It doesn't hardly move at all.  I also have a Little Tarheel II mounted
on the driver's side mirror on a 2007 Kenworth diesel rig. Not the best
setup in the world, but, it works pretty good in my opinion.
 So, I'm certain there has to be some way to get your antenna mounted
so you can use it.
james
WD5GWY

[KF7NUA]

Just to give you an idea on what the truck is it is a 2003 Dodge but the problem is I have an all aluminum security box that is just over 8ft high.
Woody at Hi-Q says that because the coil if mounted correctly above the top of the truck would make the antenna and top hat portion way to high. His suggestion is I would need to mount it at least 12" away from the body and that cant happen. A Scorpion antenna would be even worse. I am confident I could mount a smaller Tarheel on a mount that can be placed on the top of a rear door so the coil would at least be above the cabin portion of the truck.
Here is the picture of my truck.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i115/71GTXD21/Truck800.jpg

[WN2C]

Nicolo, have you gone to Scorpion's web site (or others for that matter) and looked at the install photos?  Those will give you some Ideas on how you can install the Scorpion or Hi-Q. Maybe the Scorpion 680s (S=shorty) would be a better than the 680. It's Length retracted: 28”, Extended: 36” 3”, much shorter than the 680.  There is a photo of a guy's SUV w/ the shorty on top.  And one on top of a Hummer.  These should give you some ideas.  You don't need to run a 6 foot stinger.  A shorter one will work or even better w/ a cap hat.  There is a way to mount it.  You just need to find it.
Good luck.

de wn2c  Rick

[KD8RDA]

I have my Scorpion 680S mounted inside my aluminum truck cap and the performance is impressive to say the least.
I had it mounted out in the open through the summer and wanted to try it through the cap for the winter season. There is no doubt in my mind that the signal from my Icom 7000 travels further with the through the cap set-up. I've had many surprised contacts when they learn I'm operating from a truck. My antenna controller is a Better RF 7000 - works well for mobile use and I have a 48" rigid mast with a cap-hat.
Alan Applegate has posted three pictures of my truck on his site - http://www.k0bg.com/gallery2/main.php

[KF7NUA]

Nicolo, have you gone to Scorpion's web site (or others for that matter) and looked at the install photos?  Those will give you some Ideas on how you can install the Scorpion or Hi-Q. Maybe the Scorpion 680s (S=shorty) would be a better than the 680. It's Length retracted: 28”, Extended: 36” 3”, much shorter than the 680.  There is a photo of a guy's SUV w/ the shorty on top.  And one on top of a Hummer.  These should give you some ideas.  You don't need to run a 6 foot stinger.  A shorter one will work or even better w/ a cap hat.  There is a way to mount it.  You just need to find it.
Good luck.

de wn2c  Rick

I have my Scorpion 680S mounted inside my aluminum truck cap and the performance is impressive to say the least.
I had it mounted out in the open through the summer and wanted to try it through the cap for the winter season. There is no doubt in my mind that the signal from my Icom 7000 travels further with the through the cap set-up. I've had many surprised contacts when they learn I'm operating from a truck. My antenna controller is a Better RF 7000 - works well for mobile use and I have a 48" rigid mast with a cap-hat.
Alan Applegate has posted three pictures of my truck on his site - http://www.k0bg.com/gallery2/main.php

Yes I have been to the Scorpion website and I also met up with Ron the owner of Scorpion last year at a Hamfest and we discussed possibilities, none which were great. The problem is the Aluminum box that is just over 8ft tall from the ground, getting a coil over it would put the overall height the the antenna in the danger zone. If I could, I would install a large screwdriver be it a Hi-Q (which I have already) or a  Scorpion but it looks like if I want to move away from hamsticks the small Tarheel antennas might be my only choice.

Rick I will check on the Scorpion 680s Shorty and give Ron a call and see what he thinks.

[M6GOM]

The short Tarheels aren't that bad although if you get the Little Tarheel II sacrifice 6m and replace the whip with a 60-72" one. Makes a marked improvement in performance. When propogation is in your favour you can work the world with them. I've done Australia from the UK on 20m with just 100W. I can work the USA daily with the same. Mine has been on the car hitting trees twice daily and doing up to 80MPH into headwind gales for over 2 years without any issue/

[WD5GWY]

Just to give you an idea on what the truck is it is a 2003 Dodge but the problem is I have an all aluminum security box that is just over 8ft high.
Woody at Hi-Q says that because the coil if mounted correctly above the top of the truck would make the antenna and top hat portion way to high. His suggestion is I would need to mount it at least 12" away from the body and that cant happen. A Scorpion antenna would be even worse. I am confident I could mount a smaller Tarheel on a mount that can be placed on the top of a rear door so the coil would at least be above the cabin portion of the truck.
Here is the picture of my truck.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i115/71GTXD21/Truck800.jpg

I can see where mounting a large antenna such as the Hi-Q could be a problem!
As mentioned, the Little Tarheel II might be the better solution. (or something
similar) The one I use on the 2007 Kenworth is mounted on the driver's side mirrror
and works pretty good 40-10 meters. And that is with the 32" whip that is supplied
with the antenna. If you get their 54" whip, it will tune as low as 80 meters. But, is
very narrow (bandwidth) on 80. Performance 40-10 meters is better. And as M6GOM
stated, you will loose 6 meters with the longer whip. Their 54" whip (I have one too)
is much more flexible than a 102" whip. And gives better when it strikes overhead
objects. (and it WILL strike overheard objects!)
 Too bad you cannot easily install the Hi-Q as it would be much better than the Little Tarheel II,
or something similar. I did meet one ham that works on a drilling rig that had a Hi-Q mounted
on his Dodge pickup on the front bumper! Looks kind of weird, but, it does work. And he mounted
it in such a way that it was not really that much in his line of vision while driving.
I've seen a couple of truckers with them mounted on the front bumper like that too. But, building
a mount that will swivel the antenna with the hood when it is pulled over for servicing (conventional cab trucks) would be a pain.
james
WD5GWY
 

[WN2C]

Nicolo, I saw a pic of a guy's install of his screwdriver inside of a fiberglass cap. not sure if it would work in an aluminum cap.  He mounted a stinger in top of the cap and fed it with a short wire from the top of the coil.  I think it was a Hi-Q but not sure.  What I remember about it was the coil did not lengthen outward when changing bands (just like a HI-Q)

Rick  wn2c

[G8YMW]

Wont work, fibreglass is RF transparent (dependant on the "paint"), ally isnt

[M6GOM]

Nicolo, I saw a pic of a guy's install of his screwdriver inside of a fiberglass cap. not sure if it would work in an aluminum cap.  He mounted a stinger in top of the cap and fed it with a short wire from the top of the coil.  I think it was a Hi-Q but not sure.  What I remember about it was the coil did not lengthen outward when changing bands (just like a HI-Q)

Rick  wn2c

As long as the coil is clear of the cap then it'll work fine. The Scorpion website shows a picture of a 680 in both retracted and extended position so it does lengthen outwards. If you think about their design, it is the only way any screwdriver antenna can work.