Firestik-style mobile antennas paired as a dipole?

[KJ6WNS]

Would it be possible or advisable to build a 1/2 wave horizontal antenna for 10 meters using something like the 4' Firestik 10 meter 1/4 wave mobile antennas? It seems like such an antenna would be very portable and relatively compact, and could be set up with an ugly balun, or even as an inverted V. I'm looking for something that could be set up as a temporary installation, basically put up on a 16 foot telescoping aluminum painters pole, since my condo association would frown on a permanent installation. I've seen many sites showing this done with 11 meter CB antennas, but obviously they are too long for 10 meters. Firestik does make a 10 meter version.

[WB6BYU]

Yes, you can.  You'll find lots of references to "Hamstick dipoles", and while the Hamstick
Lakeview Antenna Company that made the original Hamstick mobile whips is no longer
around, basically any such mobile antenna, whether it is helical wound or whatever,
can be used the same way.  Some companies even make suitable mounts for the
antennas.

You'll also see a lot of references to poor performance.  That's particularly on 80m
and 40m, where the antenna is quite short in terms of wavelengths.  Once you get
to the point where the antenna is about a quarter wavelength overall (which would
be the case with the 4' helical wound mobile whips on 10m) then performance isn't
too bad.  You may find that they need to be adjusted differently, however, because
you're feeding it against another antenna rather than a large ground mass.  That's
not always convenient with the helical wound fiberglass antennas - you may need
to pull off the top cap and unwind a few turns of wire.  (If it resonates too high
in frequency, you'll need to get a CB antenna and unwind a few turns.)  But probably
you'll be close enough that you can use a tuner if necessary and make it work.

[K1WJ]

They work good - Try the MFJ 347 Dipole mount - or the MFJ 2220 comes with 2 20m HF sticks & dipole mount.
Have used myself the 6m/17 & 20m versions - all work good for quick limited space set ups.
The 20m version at 27ft high would generally out perform a Hustler 4BTV with 32 ground radials.
6m through 20m versions works decent - cant speak about 40/80m - did not think it was worth tryng.

73 K1WJ

[KQ6Q]

I have a 40m hamstick dipole about 7 feet above a roof, with a clear shot at the horizon,  fed from the 25 ohm tap on a  DX Engineering MM-1. It works very nicely - I also have Hustler mobile antennas on mag mounts on a metal roof, but 40 is the only band where I can switch between Horizontal and Vertical, and it does make a difference.

[GABRESEVEN]

Absolutely you can do that. Before my wife and I relocated here to Kailua, we llived in a condo in Waikiki. I took 2 MFJ 30 meter whips, and the MFJ mini-dipole mount. A very effective dipole. I used it for receiving aeronautical HF and never transmitted on it - so I can't say how good it would've worked in that regard. But reception was awesome...

I'd stay away from those way too pricey Outbacker antennas - not that they're not good antennas, but because of the price...

Good Luck...

GABRESEVEN
Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii