OK lads/gals, not having enough help to put up me tower, I McGivered an antenna.
I live in an old farm house. On the front of the house there is a metal plate (4'X4') which is bolted into the brick work. To this I have an L bracket wit a 102 inch whip attached.(Loosened off the plate & stuck the bracket in behind & tightened up the bolt once again). I have a ground wire to a rod in the ground from the bracket. What am I missing ! Me SWR is real high. Is this caused by bein so close to the house ?
Regards EH !!
Antenna setup critique
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Mad Trapper
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Antenna setup critique
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Wave of the hand from just south of Georgian Bay EH !!
Trap
(434Ont in Skipland)
Trap
(434Ont in Skipland)
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MDYoungblood
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Re: Antenna setup critique
I think you already figured out your problem.
Try having the coax lower than the whip, lean the whip away from the house, add a couple more wires to the mount to act like a ground plane.
3's
Greg
Try having the coax lower than the whip, lean the whip away from the house, add a couple more wires to the mount to act like a ground plane.
3's
Greg
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Grinder74
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Re: Antenna setup critique
Needs a ground plane. Could easily attach two wires, opposing each other, across the wall. They should attach to the sheild side, not the antenna. You also have to make sure the center conductor, antenna, is isolated from the mount. Check continuity between the antenna and shield of coax, should have no contact.
KE8EOJ
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Lost Ram
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Re: Antenna setup critique
Agreed, add a couple ground wires so it looks like an inverted Vee antenna. Angles of 30-45 degrees normally work good. These two grounds should be about 102" each as well.
CB: TRC-450, Imax
Ham: FTDX101MP, FT-991A ,FT8900-2 meter crossband rig
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"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government. So let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so that the second will not become the legal version of the first."
Thomas Jefferson.
Ham: FTDX101MP, FT-991A ,FT8900-2 meter crossband rig
Ham Antennas: 570', 500', wire loops, 2M Copper Slim Jim X2, CG-144 mobile
"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government. So let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so that the second will not become the legal version of the first."
Thomas Jefferson.
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jessejamesdallas
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Re: Antenna setup critique
without seeing a actual picture of the antenna and mount, ground radials could be the problem, but so could the mount if it's not put together right it could be grounding out the antenna...
Can't tell you how many times i've seen mounts where the plastic washers were in the wrong place, or coax connectors over tightened and shorting out the antenna.
Can't tell you how many times i've seen mounts where the plastic washers were in the wrong place, or coax connectors over tightened and shorting out the antenna.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
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Bluerunner
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Re: Antenna setup critique
The antenna should be closer to 108" long. Typically a 102" whip sits on top of a spring extension that makes up the difference to 108".
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Grinder74
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Re: Antenna setup critique
As Bluerunner said, an extension will get you closer to 1/4~ resonance. My first antenna was a 102 I put together using 3 whips. Just like a peace symbol, 1 up and 2 opposing angled down around 45°. For an extension, I bought some 3/8-16 all thread, a 3/8-24 tap 2- 3/8-16 jam nuts and 2- 3/8-16 long nuts. I tapped one end of the 2 long nuts to 3/8-24, to attach the antenna to one and the mount stud to the other. Use the all thread to tune and lock in with jam nuts. Cant remember length of all thread but you could start at 4 or 5 inches, start at 108" OAL.
KE8EOJ
