And that is one reason why I stated what I did.  Even though it seems to be usable, it still hasn't been proven as safe and reliable enough to replace batteries, especially higher capacity ones.

Martin, you're voicing the lament of all too many of us homespun 'craftsmen.'  We all want the tools of yesteryear which our fathers and grandfathers had, and we're willing to pay for them.  Yet, we have a hard time finding them because all too many of the American manufacturing jobs have been moved out of the country.

Personally, I find that going to yard sales and flea markets are the only recourse.  I found an old Delta planer and an old Shop-Smith combination table saw/drill press (actually a multi-tool) at a yard sale.  The daughter of the old gent who owned them was cleaning out her fathers estate, and even though it cost me a bit, I took them off her hands.  Try to find the equivalent of those quality tools in a store today.  It's near impossible, but even if you can, you'll pay way more than you ever thought.

Height and location.  A ground and a ground plane are two different things.  A ground is needed for electrical safety and lightning/induced surge protection, while a ground plane is needed to provide the second half of some antenna types.  A beam usually is a balanced antenna system, that is, both halfs of the antenna are contained in the beam, so a ground plane isn't needed for them.

It seems that it's a combination of factors.  The dropping of the code to obtain a higher class license--and HF access, the proliferation of cell phones and the Family radio service, the push of the emcomm people to take over use of the 2 meter and 440 mhz repeaters whenever they want to, and other less evident things.

Back when the 2 meter repeaters were fairly new, mobile phones were available, but only to the fairly well off or the commercial users that really needed them.  Pocket size cell phones were unheard of.  The 440 mhz band was fairly new--a novelty.  Two meter ham radio was 'the' way to communicate locally among hams.  2 meters became crowded, and the activity expanded to 440 mhz--and that band 'took off.'

Then came the cell phones--still expensive, but much more available.  Personal communications were becoming available to everyone, and the 'openness' of radio--with everyone able to hear what you were saying--started to lose its appeal since cell phones were more private.  Then came the Family radio service.  All of a sudden, you didn't need a license, anyone could talk on it.  Even though the range left something to be desired, it still hurt the VHF and UHF ham radio bands.  Ditto the MUR service.  A person 'bought' a license and radios that had greater range were available.  No studying or testing needed.

Today, with cell phone use widespread--and with it being so inexpensive (you can get and keep a cell phone that only costs you $10 to $20 a month for less than $30) the appeal of getting a ham license and spending a minumum of around $100 for a good radio (even though there is no further cost) has fallen to the wayside.

Other reasons are: the HOA craze that prohibits antennas, or in some cases, any RF transmissions, neighbors who see an indication of ham radio use and are up in arms because of the supposed 'interference' to their own electronics, the way some of the ham spouses/families reluctance to antennas on the cars--or anything that reduces the time spent together, (something that is becoming hard to come by these days) the economy and the vanishing of the spendable 'free cash' that people and families have, and other, more mundane items that all add up to what is happening to short range ham radio.  

What has also helped that fall is the insistence of the emcommers with the agreement of the repeater owners that repeater systems have to be cleared and turned over to them if they think they need it, or for their practice nets.  The result is that those repeaters are all but forgotten pieces of communications ability--or use.

Is it any wonder that two meters and 70 centimeters are all but dead?  The only two exceptions to that seem to be, first, the wide range repeaters during the commuting hours, but even that use is declining.  The other exception--the local social net--is rare, unless there are users that are on it all the time--and that is becoming difficult with the way society seems to be changing.

Most of the 'tips and tricks' that you refer to are called something else--common sense.  Unfortunately, that's something that is sadly lacking in all too many individuals these days.  For example, one long time ham continually routes the antenna co-ax through their car door, even though he know that it's pinching the co-ax and causing problems with it and the radio, yet he still does it.  That's a simple and obvious lack of common sense on his part.

I hope that the people who are condoning the use of inferior equipment never have to have THEIR lives depend on it--and have it fail, let alone someone elses life.  Again, I hope it never happens, but if their cut-rate radio were to fail right when they really needed it, and they were hurt--or worse--because of the failure, it would be poetic justice.

DC to DC inverters are fine--to a point.  They're also pricey as h*ll.  It makes little sense for someone who uses their laptop charger unit in a car two or three times a year to spend the money for a DC to DC inverter when they may well have the need for 110 volt AC in their car for other things.  Also, if they get another laptop, there is no guarantee that the old inverter will power the new computer.

As an example of other 110 volt needs, I use an inverter to power my soldering gun when I'm splicing wires or other soldering in the car because its less time consuming than running an extension cord out there.  Others use a vacuum off an inverter, etc.  It makes more sense to use a 110 volt inverter in those instances and then use the laptop 110 volt power supply if the computer needs to be powered.

You probably didn't sufficiently tighten one of the antenna connections, and your body, as you touched the case of the tuner, provided a better 'antenna' at that time.  When you disconnected and reconnected the antenna--or if you simply moved the tuner and/or the cables a little, you corrected the weak connection so your body didn't have the same effect on it that it did.  It happens, especially on connections that are frequently broken then remade.  I would check and tighten all the antenna connections occasionally, retensioning the center pins if you can to stop it from happening again.

Huh?  I was always taught that connections used stainless steel hardware as connectors and separators to prevent galvanic corrosion, especially between aluminum and copper.  You sure you're not mistaken?

As a guess, from the measurement and the fact that there isn't much factory made in the way of 220 mhz equipment, I would suspect a homebrew 220 mhz dipole, but as NQ3X stated, the only way to know for sure is to put it on an antenna analyzer.   

To each his own.  If most people could see and test a piece of equipment before they bought it and they were satisfied with it, it makes little difference (to them) who sold it.  RadioMart's reputation comes from his internet and mail order sales, not sales where people can actually see what they're buying before they hand over the cash.  I have no doubt that what he brought and sold there was the cream of his collection--not the trash he peddles to unsuspecting buyers over the internet and through mail orders.

There is one thing right there.  E-bay hasn't done anyone any favors.  The way some people bid, it's no wonder why the sellers think they'll get more there.  They will, especially if the used gear is popularly wanted--simply because of the way bidding develops into wars there.

You don't get the point here.  The originator--and you--have the right to discuss anything, but the originator has a reputation on this board.  Most of his posts are either outrageous or just plain bull.

Not that I agree with some of his wacky ideas, but his main purpose in life was to make his readers think.  Look outside the box.  Use their brains instead of taking for granted all the bulldookey that floats around about things.

I think he did that quite well.

You're talking about 2 different antennas.  The instructions for an MAV5A state that no lightning protection should be installed between the antenna feedpoint--the base of the antenna--and the balun choke.  It says that suitable lightning protection should be installed in line after the balun choke.

The manual for the antenna is here:  http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/pdffiles/MA-5VA.pdf  
The general setup recommendations are on page 9.