Little Tarheel II

[ND4DX]

I'm considering a Little Tarheel antenna for my Toyota Tacoma that has a composite bed rather than the normal steel bed.  I haven't seen any Tarheels on Tacomas, I was wondering without the metal bed,  if it will get a good enough ground plane to match and radiate well, as for a matter of interest , if any HF antenna will work good mounted over the composite bed?

[KE4DRN]

hi,

You can send Robert an email and he will answer all your questions.

http://www.tarheelantennas.com/tech_info

73 james

[AJ3O]

If the front fenders and hood are metal, get a mount similar to this:

http://www.sauderelectronics.com/Stainless-Steel-High-Rise-Hood-Groove-Mount-SSWKH1.htm

and

http://www.sauderelectronics.com/All-Brass-3-8-x-24-SO-239-Stud-Mount-Right-Angle-SM1L.htm

Using a heavy duty SS u-bolt on the front fender holding my mount on a dodge ram (Similar but different size mount specifically for the ram) it has held up to 80+ mph and there is a little hole in the mount to which you connect a ground braid to the body/frame.

The plus to this setup is that I don't need the auto tuner for the Little Tarheel II as I can visually see where I am and tune it up or down as needed to speed up the process.

This is NOT the PERFECT setup, but it has allowed me to do HF mobile without the bosses yelling about holes anywhere else on the truck. "The one on the roof for my Larson was enough for them.... Hi hi) With the cap on the bed, I couldn't utilize the stake mounts and I am in and out of the bed too much for the hitch mounts. Mounting it to the roof rack would have been to costly replacing the antenna as I hit a lot of overhead obstacles in my line of work. (Branches, wires, etc.)

Also, doing it this way, I haven't done any damage to the truck other than the little area under the hood where I sanded away a spot of paint under an existing bolt to connect my ground braid and I applied an anti-ox compound to it.

Also, if you look carefully towards the door hinges when it is opened, there is usually a heavy foam piece between the door and engine/fender compartment that will allow you to bring the coax and control cables into the cab without drilling any holes. Just keep an eye on the coax occasionally.

I have worked European, Russian, S. American, Canadian stations and many States from coast to coast with some hill topping and good conditions all barefoot.

Give something a try as it will work better than that Little Tarhill II sitting in your basement.

73,

Joe / AJ3O

[W9MMS]

Why a " Little Tarheel " ?
Is it because it looks Cute? 
Before you venture off with a pocket book filled with money, spend
some time reading as much as you can about going Mobile.

http://www.k0bg.com/

http://www.k0bg.com/eff.html

I can assure you, without any reservations whatsoever, the vast majority of us
who truly enjoys Mobile operation has ALAN to thank.
Myself included.

((((73)))) Milverton.

[AC4RD]

... some time reading as much as you can about going Mobile.
http://www.k0bg.com/
I can assure you, without any reservations whatsoever, the vast majority of us
who truly enjoys Mobile operation has ALAN to thank.

Milverton, I hate to be one of those guys who adds an unnecessary reply just to say "me, too!"  But I'd like to second both the endorsement for Alan's site, and the THANKS so very many of us owe to Alan for creating and maintaining such a fantastic resource.   I've been doing mobile HF for probably 15 years now, but WWW.K0BG.COM is the first place I check when I have a question or wonder about something.

[N7WR]

Alan's site is excellent and I do recommend it.  However, since the OP's question was very specific let me say that I have had great success with the Little Tarheel II.  Use the cowl mount suggested by another poster to get it over some metal.  Bond as much of the metal to the frame as you can using copper strap.  Include bonding the muffler/tailpipe.  You should be good to go and I think you will be happy with the Tarheel II....I know I have been

[W9MMS]

Alan's site is excellent and I do recommend it.  However, since the OP's question was very specific let me say that I have had great success with the Little Tarheel II.  Use the cowl mount suggested by another poster to get it over some metal.  Bond as much of the metal to the frame as you can using copper strap.  Include bonding the muffler/tailpipe.  You should be good to go and I think you will be happy with the Tarheel II....I know I have been

Lil Tarheel

Tarheel model 100

Which of the two Antenna mention above has the greater efficiency?

>>> Maximizing antenna efficiency should be the Holy Grail of every mobile operator. Because ground losses dominate the efficiency equation, decreasing them by just one ohm, can make a significant difference. Further, excessive ground losses directly relate to the level of common mode currents. Common mode causes RFI issues, both ingress and egress, and a can drastically reduce SNR. This point should not be under estimated! Put another way, excessive ground losses can turn an otherwise efficient antenna, into an also-ran. <<<  (snip from Alan's Ground, RF& DC)

The Proverbial "Wet Noodle" is capable of making contact with good propagation.
Does that means that the Wet Noodle is Efficient?

There is no rule that is written in concrete saying that there has to be "Metal" under the Antenna.

http://www.k0bg.com/ground.html

Another way of viewing a Screwdriver Antenna is to look at it as .......

[ A tunable " Longwire" physically shortens ( coiled ) and stand upright with a 1 to 1 Balun at the feedpoint ] - Overly simplified.

Two things are evident here.

1) COIL Efficiency
2) Feed point Choke of sufficient Ohmic resistance to nullified the amount of COMMON Mode Current that will be present

IMHO - The Lil Tarheel only looks " CUTE "

Just my $0.02 worth.

((((73)))) Milverton. 

[M6GOM]

IMHO - The Lil Tarheel only looks " CUTE "

Just my $0.02 worth.

((((73)))) Milverton.  

I've worked VK from the UK on 20m with 100W - a distance of 12,000 miles with my Little Tarheel II and the stock whip replaced with a 6' one. Every week I work the USA on 20/15m - distances >4,000 miles. Regularly I've made it through pileups where other stations have had beams and 1.5kW.

Whilst not as good as the bigger ones on the lower bands, from 20-10 they give a good account of themselves if you swap the stock whip out.

Because mine was installed on the roof of my car via the hole drilled method it probably works as well as those using full size Tarheels installed by people on hitch mounts and stupid brackets sticking out from under the car.

Not all of us have the ability to install a Scorpion 680 on their car, especially here in Euroland where we don't drive around in massive SUVs and trucks, and when they do the mounting methods used mean they're no better than my antenna on my car.

[WD5GWY]

The Little Tarheel II while not as efficient as it's larger siblings, is not that
bad of an antenna. And it beats the heck out of hamsticks and a 102" whip
and auto tuner. ( I know, because I've used all three on an 18 wheeler)
 If that is all the OP can do, then it will work. Just install it the very best way
you can. Follow the advice on Alan's website and you will get as much out of
the Little Tarheel II as possible. 
  Some people for one reason or another, cannot install the largest screwdriver
antenna made. So, they use what works best in their situation. At least it will get
you on the air and on several bands. And surprisingly well too.
james
WD5GWY