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Author Topic: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues  (Read 298 times)

K1VMT

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Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« on: December 27, 2022, 08:39:24 AM »

I have a issues with setting up 3 Whips on the Hustler Mo-2 tilt over mast and a
3 antenna VP-1 mount... I have a 20M,15M, and 10M Whip mounted. I can get the
20M whip to tune but not the 15M and 10M.. No matter what I do..  Anyone have
any experience with his setup .. Coax is 50 FT of RG8X.. Mast is mounted on post
(not a car)with counterpoise. Any hints.. Please..

Joe
K1VMT/4
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K5LXP

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2022, 09:48:55 AM »

Divide and conquer - can you tune the coils individually?  Do you have an antenna analyzer?

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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WB6BYU

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2022, 06:32:34 PM »

Quote from: K1VMT

... Mast is mounted on post (not a car)with counterpoise. Any hints.. Please..




What are you using for a counterpoise?

Typically it would need to be elevated off the
ground and tuned to resonance on each of
the bands.

The counterpoise wire is part of the antenna,
and affects the resonant frequency just as the
length of the antenna itself does.  The Hustler
resonators have a limited adjustment range,
so if the counterpoise isn’t resonant, you might
not be able to get a match.


A friend brought over one of those cute little
portable verticals because he couldn’t get it to
tune up properly.  It had quarter wave radials
attached for 20m and 40m (one for each band).

I set it up, tossed the wires on the ground,
and it didn’t work at all.  Best SWR I could get
was about 5 : 1, with the coil tapped way off
from the suggested setting.

I raised most of one radial off the ground by
tossing the end over a wood fence, and it did
much better.  Then I noticed the end of the
wire was laying on concrete on the other
side of the fence:  I got it off the ground by
running it along the fence, and the antenna
tuned up much better!

So, especially with just a single counterpoise
wire, the length and how it is installed are
critical for good performance.

(In this case, the manufacturer said the wire
radial could be wadded up and stuffed in a
backpack for use while hiking.  I don’t expect
that would actual work very well...)

K1VMT

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2022, 05:26:34 AM »

Thanks for the Hints..
I left my MFJ259 analyzer at home. I am in a HOA in Florida.
I originally just hooked the 20M whip and tuned it just fine.
I tried the same with 15m but no luck.. My tuner is in the Icom 7300.
I fooled with 10M and got it to work pretty good. I don't do SSB only FT and CW.
My counterpoise (is a joke) 1 wire hooked to a metal roof 15 foot high.
 (work in progress)
I am getting out quite well on FT8-4.
15M whip must be very critical 1/4 inch stuff.. got the RM-15S 150-200 mhz range
I may invest in a 100W tuner to save my Icom 7300 tuner.
Oh BTW using a L bracket and with no interaction in conductors..

Joe
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AI5BC

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2022, 06:35:38 AM »

My counterpoise (is a joke) 1 wire hooked to a metal roof 15 foot high.
Then why are you here asking for help? Your whole system is a joke, and you expect it to work? Sounds like an amateur to me.
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K1VMT

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2022, 07:18:30 AM »

 A Joke is a Joke no problem.. As I see it..
The 3 Mobile antenna on 1 mast asking the tuner to compromise by selecting correct wave length coil antenna is challenging and not what I would want. It's a interesting anyways. And it works... It's all I can have here...
I am a County Hunter and have a USACA ALL COUNTIES 3079 award..

Happy New Year

Joe


 
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WB6BYU

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2022, 08:36:27 AM »

 Metal roof can make a good multiband ground
system, depending on the size and how well the
individual panels are bonded together.  The length
of wire between it and the antenna feedpoint
may also be critical:  it needs to be very short,
as it adds to the effective length of the antenna.

Unless there is a fault in one of the resonators,
here are a limited number of potential issues
that would keep the antenna from tuning up:

1.  Adjustment range insufficient
2.  SWR still to high at resonance
3.  Interaction among the elements

These may be interrelated, along with the
counterpoise, but give us a reasonable way
to proceed with testing.  An analyzer would
be helpful, of course, but generations of
hams managed without one.  One thing
that I found handy was to put an SWR at
the antenna.

I’d start by trying the problem resonator by
itself and see if it will tune.  If you can’t find
a dip in SWR, try putting your hand near
the stinger on the resonator.  If the SWR goes
down, then it needs to be longer.  If it isn’t
long enough, or needs to be shortened,
replace the stinger with a piece of stiff copper
wire and prune it to find the right length.

If none of this affects the SWR, suspect a
broken wire in the resonator.

If the SWR is still to high at the minimum
point, suspect your counterpoise, especially
if the antenna tuning is far from nominal.
You can basically end up with an off-center
fed antenna if the counterpoise doesn’t
have low reactance on the band of interest.

If that gets it working, them assemble all
three resonators and see how much the
SWR curve has shifted.  You may need to
repeat some of the preceding steps if there
is a big shift that can’t be resolved by a
minor readjustment, but at least you know
the antenna elements are working.

K1VMT

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2022, 01:21:24 PM »

Thanks Dale WB6BYU for that help full information.
It's been 37 years since my County Hunting days running mobile
with the old Heathkits HW series 12,22, and 32 lunch boxes.. hi.
I never expected to be doing it again..
 It was a lot of work keeping the vehicle noise down especially on 80m.
The short connection to counterpoise I didn't think of. on a vertical is about
direct as can be. On a vehicle it's short to.. Interesting.. Maybe that's why it works
better on one band than another.. I suspect I will never know if panels are connected well enough. I really need flat braid to get best results. I only tried the connection to
roof because it was there.. I have other whips I can fool with just to see what happens.. Thanks for you help.. Something must be working ..
 I have worked 37 states and 14 countries.. In 3 days.

73's
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WB6BYU

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2022, 04:02:54 PM »

Sounds like it is working pretty well for now.

A couple times we have just run some extra sheet metal
screws through the overlapped roofing pieces to bond them
together better.  That's one of the better approaches,
as many corrugated roof panels have paint or some
other coating that may insulate them from each other.
The screws eat into the metal on each piece.  Roofing
screws are best, of course, but in less critical applications
(or drier climates) stainless steel sheet metal screws
will probably work well enough.


And I remember starting out with an HW-12, too.
Had it mounted in my father's VW bug.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2022, 04:05:30 PM by WB6BYU »
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K1VMT

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Re: Hustler Mobile Mount 3 whips issues
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2022, 01:35:14 PM »

Problem Solved...
The 15M whip loaded perfectly on 17M.
May have been miss marked or rod needed to be trimmed way down.
Or my coax/counterpoise  changed the wavelength dramatically.
Anyways I may fool with and cut a spare rod or just add a piece of stiff wire into
the resonator and see what happens.
I like when something works out even though it doesn't make sense.
42 states in 3 days confirmed LOTW NO Alaska or Hawaii yet  .. 16 DXCC
So I have 17m,20m and 10m using Super HF resonators from Hustler on a tri mount
letting the Transceiver select the correct resonator. Even with my makeshift setup it
works. Surprisingly decent band with..

73's
Happy New Years

Joe
 
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