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1-8 of 8 messages
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One Hamstick for 40-6
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by VE2FK on September 23, 2002
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I would like to use only ONE Hamstick /M with my AH-4 to cover 40-6m. What band model should I get?
Thanks 73 de Claude VE2FK
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by K8KAS on September 23, 2002
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I don't think you can do it with one, two maybe, a 40m and 17m. Did you ever think of a Outbacker with taps on it. You have to play with the tuner and see how much range it has, they are all a bit different. I gave it up and went to the Screwdriver(Tarheel) and what an improvement, no lossy tuner or the other stuff, just super reports and a tuned antenna wherever to go in frequency.
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by WB2WIK on September 23, 2002
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It surely wouldn't be very efficient to go with just one stick model for eight bands.
When I've tried this, the results were as follows:
Lower frequency Hamsticks, regardless of the "tuner" used, aren't efficient at frequencies above resonance because they become so inductively reactive they begin acting like RF chokes. RF chokes are not good radiators. The series capacitance required to load a highly inductive antenna may be out of range for the autotuner, and may overstress autotuner components unless very low power is used.
A 6m Hamstick is usually nothing more than a 54 or 56" whip. It can work lower frequency bands at greatly reduced efficiency by matching with an autotuner, but a longer whip (102" CB whip comes to mind) will surely be better.
WB2WIK/6
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by N6AJR on September 23, 2002
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how about using a Base mount like the hustler, with a quick disconnect, and then whips that attach for your favorite bands. they also make a gizmo that will hold 4 tipps of different frequencies on 1 mast, but it is a bit large to leave up when driving unless you can guy it some how. but easy to put up and take down.. check it out tom N6AJR
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by K0BG on September 24, 2002
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Steve's comments are dead on. The reason is (basically) the distributed capacitance between the windings of the Hamstick. And the length of the Hamstick is also a major factor. In simple terms, short equals inefficiency. A commonly heard term for Hamsticks, and other spirally wound mobile antennas including the Outbacker, is - mobile dummyload.
It is possible to use an 8 foot whip to cover 40 thru 6 with an AH-4 or similar autotuner, but radiation resistance suffers when compared to a resonant antenna. But you could do what I do. My mobile antenna is resonant on 20 meters and has an input impedance of 24 ohms. So, even without the tuner it is usable on 20. With the AH-4 it covers the top part of 75, and all the way to 6. Just the bottom mast works better on 6 because of the problem described above.
Look up my call here on eham.net and therein is a picture of the antenna (attached to the car). But beware: I don't expect folks to duplicate it because most won't go to the trouble of drilling holes and making backing plates to hold an 8 pound antenna.
Alan, KØBG
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RE: Mobile HF Antennas
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by KE4SKY on September 24, 2002
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When running off-road through the woods in need of a rugged "tree-bashing" antenna, I use the Pro-Am hamsticks on a Hustler ball mount anchored through the roof of my 1984 Jeep Cherokee. This gives a low wind drag installation without any loose wires to snag on brush to become disconnected or damaged.
The roof area around the ball mount is reinforced with an 8" x 12" plate of 10 ga., approximately 1/8" thick galvanized steel plate, which is bonded to the interior of the vehicle roof using a marine-grade commercial bonding paste called "Jet Lube" which contains 66% Cu powder by weight in a colloidal suspension of silicone dielectric grease. I also run coax braid from a lug on one of the ball mount bolts to the vehicle frame, and when I had the vehicle repainted several years ago I had the body shop remove each of the metal panels and electrically bond them together with flat braid before re-undercoating them. The coax from the ball mount to the rig is Mil-Spec RG8-X with Type II jacket.
I use primarily a 40 meter hamstick during the day time and 75 meters at night, but can change to other bands by stopping and swapping as needed.
For road trips when I don't want to stop the vehicle to change bands I use one of the Hustler tri-band adapters with the Super resonators for 20, 40 and 75m, on the short 20" mast, with quick disconnect on the roof ball mount.
My stiffening plate is sandwiched between the ball mount and the roof sheet metal and held by the through-bolts for the ball mount. I use two of the Hustler tri-band plates stacked together to increase the stiffness of the assembly. I once drove under a drive-in bank window which was a bit closer than I thought, with the Hustler tribander installed and it broke the plastic insulator plate in the ball mount. The mount just popped apart without damaging my vehicle roof, and Hustler sent a free replacement part.
All I needed to do was disassemble, drop the head liner, replace the Delrin insulator sleeve and re-connect everything, but on newer vehicles with lighter gage sheet metal roofs I wouldn't recommend it.
In my experience a well tuned hamstick is about an S-unit better than the Hustler resonators, but the tri-band set-up is more convenient and is adequate except in marginal band conditions.
73 de KE4SKY
Virginia RACES State Training Officer
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by VE2FK on September 27, 2002
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Thanks guys.
Always interesting to see how other would do.
Since I am using a 746 with 2 ant. ports in a truck decided to try two antennas, a 40m Hustler for 40 and a 8ft whip via autocoupler AH-4 for 10 to 20m.
Thanks again.
73 de Claude VE2FK
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RE: One Hamstick for 40-6
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by K5AF on October 2, 2002
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My thought would be to use a 17M hamstick and attach a wire (or two wires) to the tip of it that help guy it while also providing some electrical length. Of course, you would put an insulator on the wire and attach it to opposite end of the roof of the vehicle. This setup would look kind of like a sloper, and would be electrically loadable on 40-10M quite easily.
Mount the tuner very near the base of the antenna, feed it with a single wire and ground the tuner.
I'm quite amazed that there aren't more creative mobile antenna solutions out there. I recall an Aussie mobile op who used an inverted U on his car, consisting of 9' whips at both ends of the vehicle connected by a loading wire between the tips. With a tuner, it was a very effective DX antenna on several bands.
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