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[WM4RB]

I use a Wolf River Coil with a 102" whip. I set it to 75/80m and tune it with SGC 237 tuner located in the bed of my truck. Works better than any of the 6 screwdriver antennas I've used before.

https://www.wolfrivercoils.com/SB1000.html

[AB4KA]

My question is what kind of mount are you planning to use?  If you're going to break out the drill and do it right (aka permanent mount  ), check out Breedlove mounts.  Find something that will work, get a sharp drill bit and get to work.  Then the sky is the limit and you can mount whatever you want.  If it were me I'd attach a ball mount to the quarter panel and use the Hustler system with the tri-band adapter.

[KE7FD]

My question is what kind of mount are you planning to use?  If you're going to break out the drill and do it right (aka permanent mount  ), check out Breedlove mounts.  Find something that will work, get a sharp drill bit and get to work.  Then the sky is the limit and you can mount whatever you want.  If it were me I'd attach a ball mount to the quarter panel and use the Hustler system with the tri-band adapter.

Let me first acknowledge the 800 pound gorilla in the room: The very real reluctance to drill holes in the body of the car, not universal, but it's still out there. You mentioned Breedlove mounts which are a thing of beauty, and even if someone were not going to hang an antenna on one, the mount alone might enhance the value of the car. My car is paid off and may be the last one I ever own, so going the hard-mount route is not out of the question. On another post someone pointed out that cars with airbags everywhere, backup cameras and who knows what these days, drilling holes into the wrong place could compromise any one of these systems, remote, but a concern which never existed even a few years back. So to your point, if I can peer behind the metal body by pulling back some inside panel or using one of these USB snake-cameras (<not what they're really called, I just can't remember), I just might go that route. A second yet lesser ideal method might be the hitch mounted antenna. I'd have to take measures to assure proper grounding, but that's out there too. On the aforementioned Grand Cherokee, I'd drilled holes to mount the Little Tarheel II and 2 meter/70cm antennas, so doing that again is not out of the question. However, I'm still at the point of deciding what antenna to go with, although this thread had certainly given me so ideas, so thanks to everyone for their comments.

Glen - KE7FD

[K0UA]

Keep in mind the higher that you can mount the HF antenna on the vehicle the better it will perform. This is why the little tarheel II antenna performs adequately, because of its size it can be mounted higher with less ground losses.  A lot of these concepts are outlined on the K0BG website. A man that knows his stuff about operating mobile.

[K5LXP]

Just wanted to chime in after running HF mobile for a few decades.  One is I'm all with you about not stopping and changing coils on the side of the road.  My first setup was hustler coils and it didn't take many trips to figure out that there has to be a better way.  Second, don't get wrapped around the axle for having 80 through 6M coverage.  Operating 80M has a much more limited operating potential (time and range) than bands like 40, 30 and 20.  17 and up are wonderful DX bands when they're open but that's not happening for a while.  So the upshot of my post is focus on 40, 30 and 20, when I'm mobile I rarely make contacts on bands other than those.

Per the above observation barring the acquisition of a screwdriver antenna you might entertain as an interim solution using both a 40M and 20M hustler coil as a dual coil antenna on a mast.  I haven't tried this personally and don't know the specific issues of interaction/tuning but the prevailing info out there suggests this will work.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[KE7FD]

Thanks guys and yes, I know Alan's website very well. When I first drove from Arizona to PA, I worked a lot of stations on 40 as that was the only hamstick I had at the time. When I had the LTH-II, I had it mounted about chin height and hard monted to the body od the Grand Cherokee, a combination that worked great.

[K0UA]

Thanks guys and yes, I know Alan's website very well. When I first drove from Arizona to PA, I worked a lot of stations on 40 as that was the only hamstick I had at the time. When I had the LTH-II, I had it mounted about chin height and hard monted to the body od the Grand Cherokee, a combination that worked great.

yes the Tarheel LT II do  work very well.  Just now I ran out to grab some burgers, and worked two in Brazil 2 in Canada and several in the US.  All from a few minute burger run.  Of course the contest is going on so that made for lots of signals.

[KE7FD]

I might be able to find one on eBay. Like I said, there aren't ANY to be found at any of the ham stores, or even Tarheel directly. I might be able to find a Shorty Scorpion, but I just don't want to sell any organs to get one. :-)

If anyone learns about a LTH-II or the 75 meter version, don't hesitate to post it here or send me an email. Thx.

Glen - KE7FD

[KB1GMX]

I drive a Toyota Tacoma  solution I use...

8ft whip for 10M, 15m centerloade whip,  20M whip, 40M whip.. 
THe yabut for base or center loaded 8ft whips is bandwidth,
on 40 maybe 40-50khz of the band works well, 20 is a bit better
maybe 120khz, 15 and  10M they are good  enough across most
of the band to keep most happy.

I've tried 160 and 80 they really are poor during the day anyway.
IF those do not do it then:

6M square loop.
2M  vertical for FM work and 2M square loop above the 6M (same mast).

If that is not enough then a tarheel.  Resisted for a lot of years.

As to getting out to change up the HF whips, no big deal.  I have to
stop every few hours for gas or the driver so before rolling again
I consider the time and what band.

Allison

[N5PNZ]

One thing to remember about hitch mounts is that they interfere with tailgate/rear hatch operations.  Has anyone figured out a way to temporarily move the antenna out of the way for loading/unloading?  (other than removing the whole thing)

[KE7FD]

One thing to remember about hitch mounts is that they interfere with tailgate/rear hatch operations.  Has anyone figured out a way to temporarily move the antenna out of the way for loading/unloading?  (other than removing the whole thing)

We had bike rack that fit into a 1.25 inch hitch that could be tilted back to let you into the trunk. Small modification to accommodate an antenna...

[KE7FD]

I know there was some speculation about Hi-Q Antennas; here's the latest from their website:

https://hiqantennas.com/tempclosed.htm?viewcart

[K0UA]

Here is one on e-bay if you want to chase it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Little-Tarheel-II-HF-Mobile-Antenna-with-54-INCH-Whip-ANTENNA/303741734023?hash=item46b86b0c87:g:~HYAAOSwrptflxJd

[KE7FD]

Thanks Jim. Yeah I saw that a day or so ago but it looks a bit worn for the starting price he's asking for it. I almost had a 75A on eBay but my session froze and I missed it, and I was going to bid higher than the winning bid! Oh well, no sense crying about it, just move on.

So besides Yaesu and Diamond, there really is only one other company producing screwdriver antennas right now and that is Scorpion. Hi-Q is changing ownership and Tarheel is so far behind that customers like me are seeking alternative solutions, like the Atas-120A. It certainly isn't my first choice but as I stated before I just don't feel like spending so much money on a Scorpion, having just retired.  Any of the larger screwdrivers require very sturdy mounting; such platforms are not native to these crossovers as evidenced by the galleries hosted by the screwdriver manufacturers. The lion share of the larger mobile antenna installations are on trucks, full-sized SUV's, Jeeps, military Humvee's (and civilian), tanks and subs. I guess I can't get out of my mind the image from my childhood of seeing the Flintstones sitting in their "stone car" tipping over when an oversized rack of ribs is placed on the door at the drive-thru. That would be me with a SA-680 lopsided crossover blown off the freeway by a passing semi.

As I said, I'm reluctantly moving in the direction of the Atas-120A, mostly because the suppliers of the mid-range screwdrivers are either dealing with the impact of changes to their business, or they've folded up. Since I like to tinker, I've worked out from a high level what it would take to fabricate such an antenna DIY. Using a stepper motor with a PWM controller or even a linear actuator would get someone down the road quite a ways, especially with the ubiquitous Arduino, Raspberry Pi's, and SBC's around. Such an eventually is certain in my opinion, especially when hams can't get the products they need.

Anyway, I'm sorting out how to hard mount an Atas and still lay it down so I can use the garage.

Glen - KE7FD

[K0UA]

On my little tarheel, I use a fold over on tip of the coil assembly.  I easily clears the garage.  Is the Atas light and small enough to use one of the diamond fold overs?  Might be.   I just could not take all the bad reviews about the Atas even though I own a Yaesu 891 as mobile that would have taken advantage of that antenna.  I of course had to buy a controller (TuneMatic lite) after I got tires of holding the manually supplies rocker switch down.  Having a controller is far better and it was only $139.  Money well spent if you ask me.