Pics of mobile HF antenna installs

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Post up pics of your mobile HF antennas. I need ideas for which HF antenna to install for day to day use. I am going to use a Hi-Q or wire antenna while camping but vehicle height causes me to worry about hitting obejects. Vehicle is rather high and a 102" whip mounted on tire carrier exceeds 13'-6". The whip is not the right idea as it makes a terrible HF antenna.

Make sure to mention what brand antenna.

 

[Frdmskr]

If you are doing a Hi-Q you should not use a tire carrier. Get a Breedlove mount. Drill holes in a rear quarter panel or front ARB or other steel heavy duty bumper (Aussie style) and do it right. They are great antennas that need proper install due to weight and physics.

Best pics: K0BG.com


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[Hillbilly Heaven]

I agree with what you are saying. That is my plan. The tire carrier was just an example of the height problem I face. Traveling with a Hi-Q mounted "Aussie Style" would place the antenna in harm's way as I sometimes travel heavily wooded areas. Damage concerns me.

A 2 antenna setup was my thought. A typical screwdriver can put me over height as their height changes. Rear quarter mounting with proper bracing.

Since I will be using a Yaesu radio I thinking of possibly an Atas 120 mounted to tire rack with proper grounding. The truck would protect the majority of the antenna. Once parked I could install the Hi-Q on it's mount.

 

[Frdmskr]

ATAS antenna is the equivalent of a rubber duck. It's horrid. The Hi-Q is the right antenna. There's a ton of pics at K0BG.com.

Just remember that he's got a version used by the military. It's a rugged antenna. It'll take a healthy scuff of two.

I can show you what I did for my lady truck but it's not the right way. I learned that the hard way. Current truck is waiting funds to do it right.

FWIW I ran a TS480sat, TurboTuner and Tarheel Model 75. I did drill holes and weld and screw a bracket in but it never worked right. Constant headaches with SWR as the weld kept cracking. So this time we'll spend some cash and do it right.

Now to find cash lol


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[prerunner1982]

IMO for getting down the trail a 102" whip IS the right antenna, it can take a beating. I wouldn't want to risk an expensive antenna.
I run MFJ Hamtennas (hamstick type) on my Jeep and they get smacked against trees daily getting off/on my property.
They are cheap too, 102" whips are about $30, Hamtennas are about $16. Even if you have to replace a hamtenna every year, how many years would it take to equal one Hi-Q? The fiberglass shaft does worry me as i run them without a spring, but so far they have held up fine though I am cautious and will try to position the antenna for the least impact. When I run the 102" whip I don't worry much, even without a spring it has more than enough flexibility.

Would you really need HF going down the trail? Probably not. No reason you couldn't stow the HF antennas until you reached your destination or erect them when/if needed.

 

[Frdmskr]

Agreed. Another good option are the hustler HF antennas. Reliable back uo


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[Hillbilly Heaven]

i had thought about using the 102 inch whip with a tuner but everyone I talked to that ever tried one said it was the worst antenna they ever ran. Yeah it tunes up nicely but is very inefficient. I do have a 500 watt Ameritron ALS550M amp I could run but that doesn't help the receiving part of the equation. I like the idea of the hamsticks but it does limit me in changing bands.

Kind of hard for me to have my cake and eat it too.

My roof line is right at 7 feet so I don't have but about 6 feet to play with. Even daily driving on the street there are low hang limps that will hit anything over 11 feet.

The egg beater cap hat looks to be the obvious snag of the antenna. Mounted 2 feet above the coil and 3 to 6 feet of whip on top of that for 80-10. 160 Meters requires a 102 inch whip on top of coil. I ever ran that it would be folded over for NVIS type work.

Looking thru the Hi-Q install pics I found some similar installs:
Wished there was better detail pic of antenna mount.

This is how high I would expect to be with the coil just above the roof. I can't mount like this as my tailgate is different. The only way I can mount in the back area is if I mount it to the swing outs, as I have a fold down tailgate. Mounting it on the left side of the body would require bracing it back to the frame for stability.

Thinking my best one antenna option would be the 102 inch whip on top folded over for daily driving and getting to my camping spot NVIS work. If I see a dx spot I would like to chase I could find a parking spot and let the whip up. Once camped I can change the whip however is necessary.

 

[Frdmskr]

HF mobile does well on 20-40 m. If you want nets or someone to talk to within a few hundred miles, 40 is great. HF APRS is on 30 and lots of DX on 20.

Depending on needs lots of options. I can fault using the Hi-Q one bit. I also agree with the simpler argument of a Hustler mast and resonator. I like screwdriver antennas and have a Hustler as back up myself.


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[unseenone]

I've also got a HiQ I want to get mounted up and tuned. I ordered a rear bumper w/tire carrier and I am hoping to mount it on the tire carrier. All the pictures help..

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Just remember when you mount it to the carrier to also use a ground strap from the mounting point to the frame. You might get by with ground it at the bumper if the bumper is mounted directly to the frame and no isolators are used. Don't depend on the tire carrier to provide a good ground.

 

[bj70_guy]

This is a mount my friend jason @ Cruisin' Off Road built for my BJ74. It bolted to the factory holes for the stock spare tire carrier and held a Scorpion screwdriver.

I've since added an HDJ81 which will be the long haul wheeler, so will have to try to adapt the mount to the bumper-mount fuel can swing out on that truck now. Never even got it wired up and tested on the 74

 

[unseenone]

That's some impressive work Jason did. If you don't mind PM me his info. Good point on grounding, I always use straps, regardless.

 

[Tennmogger]

This is a mount my friend jason @ Crusin' Off Road built for my BJ74. It bolted to the factory holes for the stock spare tire carrier and held a Scorpion screwdriver.

I've since added an HDJ81 which will be the long haul wheeler, so will have to try to adapt the mount to the bumper-mount fuel can swing out on that truck now. Never even got it wired up and tested on the 74

How does that perform? The radiating part of a Scorpion goes all the way down to the bottom, to just above the mounting and grounding base. By wrapping the steel frame around the radiating antenna, mounting it close to the door, and then closing the spare on top of it, has to have a serious negative effect. The Scorpion is made to mount by that huge fitting on the bottom, and that point should be just above the radiating plane. You can get SO much more performance out of that expensive antenna. Did you use the shunt feed coil? My 2c.

Bob
WB4ETT

 

[bj70_guy]

How does that perform? The radiating part of a Scorpion goes all the way down to the bottom, to just above the mounting and grounding base. By wrapping the steel frame around the radiating antenna, mounting it close to the door, and then closing the spare on top of it, has to have a serious negative effect. The Scorpion is made to mount by that huge fitting on the bottom, and that point should be just above the radiating plane. You can get SO much more performance out of that expensive antenna. Did you use the shunt feed coil? My 2c.

Bob
WB4ETT

Bob, the antenna is mounted at the base of that mount, and only supported around the mast with delrin:

There is no steel wrapped around the antenna.
FWIW I asked Scorpion Ron about the mount, he said it looked great and to make sure to not paint the backs of the bolt holes so it would bond with the truck, and add tin plated braid to the door hinges. He didn't say anything about the spare tire location being a problem… maybe he was just being polite, one would hope not as I did tell him it was my first mobile HF install.

Honestly I'm not sure where else I could have mounted it where it wouldn't eventually just get torn off in our tight trails here. Where would you have opted to mount it?

As I said in my post, it never got wired and tried, and it will now go on a different truck.

 

[bj70_guy]

That's some impressive work Jason did. If you don't mind PM me his info. Good point on grounding, I always use straps, regardless.

Jason's business: http://www.cruisinoffroad.com
He does super nice work, I have his bumpers, sliders, and skid plates on both my Cruisers. Highly recommended.
Obvious disclosure - he's my friend... my friend that builds really nice stuff