|
Post by libslayer on Oct 16, 2013 7:29:09 GMT -5
I have been playing around with my new Connex 3400HP for the past week with phenomenal results. I've been marking every state I've talked to and what band/channel I was on. But now I find myself again a little bored.
How can I direct my transmission in an accurate way from a mobile unit? Can I use a directional antenna? PLEASE HELP!!
#DeepInTheHeartOfTexas- LibSlayer
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Oct 17, 2013 8:51:22 GMT -5
You can't, not easily anyway. Depending on where you have your antenna mounted, your radiation pattern may be a little directional.
What vehicle and where is the antenna mounted? What type of antenna?
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Oct 17, 2013 12:35:46 GMT -5
I have been playing around with my new Connex 3400HP for the past week with phenomenal results. I've been marking every state I've talked to and what band/channel I was on. But now I find myself again a little bored. How can I direct my transmission in an accurate way from a mobile unit? Can I use a directional antenna? PLEASE HELP!! #DeepInTheHeartOfTexas- LibSlayer What do you mean by "direct my transmission"? Are you referring to picking which state you want to work via skip, or are you simply referring to pointing your signal like you would with a beam antenna? As to the former, you have SOME ability to choose where you talk based on your radiation pattern (which is a combination of horizontal Azimuthal beamwidth and vertical take off angle. Needless to say, changing this is not an easy feat to do, from a mobile. Secondly where you talk will be primarily influenced by the type (E or F layer or combination) and magnitude of skip conditions . And that is something we have no control over. If you are simply inquiring as to a method to make your mobile more directional, that is doable. Typically radio guys do this by placing their antenna in the middle of the roof (a large SUV like a Chevy Suburban or a Van helps), and a second passive antenna set up to be a reflector is placed at the very back of the vehicle. This will give you a generally enhanced signal toward the front of the vehicle, with a corresponding reduction in signal to the rear. For optimum performance the reflector should be about 6' away from the driven antenna, but you'd probably have to play with both the length of the reflector and the spacing for best performance.
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 17, 2013 17:11:07 GMT -5
I'm in an F-350 service truck , I'm using a K40 trucker antenna, its tuned very well @ about 1.2 across the board . It's mounted center of headache rack. I think yall understand my question perfectly. I just want a little more control over where my signal is going .
Sent from my Desire HD using proboards
|
|
|
Post by Rumrunner on Oct 17, 2013 20:56:40 GMT -5
Don't know if this will help but years ago I used a pair of 96" whips with 6" springs that I co-phased. It turned out they were somewhat directional. I was advised to mount them as far apart as possible and used a phasing harness for a 18 wheeler. They worked better than any mobile antenna I'd had at that time. As a side note - I added a pair of Elkin two-tubers and had the Johnson Black Face modded to drive them. All this in a large Chevy station wagon. The headlights dimmed on transmit! Maybe co-phasing a pair of K-40's would get you where you want to be? '73 from the swamp - Rumrunner
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 17, 2013 21:28:40 GMT -5
Sandbagger Rumrunner you've both given me some very useful and practical information. Both are using different methods of twin antenna setups. I'm going to play around with both and ill let yall know the outcome. Many thanks. KATO808 south Texas
|
|
|
Post by gator7 on Oct 18, 2013 6:01:43 GMT -5
Wow, long time since I've seen CB call letters. ;D
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Oct 18, 2013 9:02:57 GMT -5
What type of body on the service truck?
|
|
|
Post by Rumrunner on Oct 18, 2013 10:28:24 GMT -5
Wow, long time since I've seen CB call letters. ;D KSD-9605 "Deep in the heart of Dixie"
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 18, 2013 10:41:12 GMT -5
Single cab with a service bed. Lots of equipment mounted on the bed including ladder rack , generator and compressor.
Howdy #HeartofDixie....we used to travel to Alabama once a year when I was a child fer a camp meeting there....great memories
KATO 808 south Texas
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 18, 2013 12:08:46 GMT -5
KATO 808 south Texas Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 18, 2013 12:10:40 GMT -5
KATO 808 south Texas Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by Afterburner(OT-749) on Oct 18, 2013 15:39:58 GMT -5
My first thought is to question if that service bed is grounded to the frame adequately? Other than that, why don't you just get a Sweet Sixteen, a bank of 1000 amp marine deep cycle batteries, and a large industrial battery charger ... fire up that generator and have a ball! Oh yeah ... if you are feeling real energetic, build yourself a mini crank-up, mount it to the deck of that service bed and set yourself a Imax on top of it, park somewhere near a lake of salt water, drop the ground in the water and go to town!
|
|
|
Post by 2600 on Oct 18, 2013 21:11:31 GMT -5
Some folks swear by co-phased antennas. And other folks swear at them.
The sort of "searchlight" directional pattern you get from a large rotatable base "beam" antenna just won't fit on your truck. The wavelength dictates both the size of the antenna elements needed for this trick and more importantly the spacing between them that's needed.
If you have seen any video of mobile-radio "shootout" competitions you'll see one "beam" element on a strut a few feet out in front of the front bumper, and another one behind the rear. That's as close as you get for even three elements on the 11-meter band, but those rigs aren't road worthy and get broken down after the competition before leaving the parking lot.
Even then, the only control you have over the direction you transmit is by pointing the vehicle. Kinda like the machine guns on a fighter aircraft. Steer it to where you want the bullets to land.
73
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 18, 2013 22:55:22 GMT -5
So basically without setting up a nice base unit (which I can see is an eventuality as I continue to learn) I should be happy with what I have and keep learning. I have a guy I talk to everyday from Canada so I reckon I'm doing something right. ;D
KATO 808 south Texas
|
|
bluebird
Big Bucket Mouth
Posts: 94
|
Post by bluebird on Oct 19, 2013 8:46:03 GMT -5
Don't know if this will help but years ago I used a pair of 96" whips with 6" springs that I co-phased. It turned out they were somewhat directional. I was advised to mount them as far apart as possible and used a phasing harness for a 18 wheeler. They worked better than any mobile antenna I'd had at that time. As a side note - I added a pair of Elkin two-tubers and had the Johnson Black Face modded to drive them. All this in a large Chevy station wagon. The headlights dimmed on transmit! Maybe co-phasing a pair of K-40's would get you where you want to be? '73 from the swamp - Rumrunner i use a fat-boy 6 wrap that works very well
|
|
|
Post by 2600 on Oct 19, 2013 22:07:09 GMT -5
Had a friend who lived on a lot nearly a quarter-mile deep. He had a 60-foot tower and beam at the far back end of the property. He would drive his world-wide high-power mobile to the tower and hook up to the beam. Anyone on channel 6 who questioned whether or not he really was mobile would get a blast of his car horn with the mike held outside the driver window.
Cool setup in good weather, at least.
73
|
|
|
Post by libslayer on Oct 19, 2013 22:35:33 GMT -5
LOL, that's good stuff. I can't wait to get a base unit set up with a solid antenna setup. I feel limited by mobile already and I'm itching to reach out and touch the world.
KATO 808 south Texas
|
|
bigt
Mudduck
Posts: 38
|
Post by bigt on Mar 22, 2015 16:04:12 GMT -5
Sandbagger Rumrunner you've both given me some very useful and practical information. Both are using different methods of twin antenna setups. I'm going to play around with both and ill let yall know the outcome. Many thanks. KATO808 south Texas When me and the guys used to fox hunt, which is a game of tracking other radio signals with vehicles, I mounted a pair of 4 foot firesticks on one of those trucker V mounts they used for TV on my tailgate. That made me very directional toward the front of my truck. But having the headache rack on yours you might want to try what the guys said. BigT
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Mar 22, 2015 18:41:37 GMT -5
Sandbagger Rumrunner you've both given me some very useful and practical information. Both are using different methods of twin antenna setups. I'm going to play around with both and ill let yall know the outcome. Many thanks. KATO808 south Texas When me and the guys used to fox hunt, which is a game of tracking other radio signals with vehicles, I mounted a pair of 4 foot firesticks on one of those trucker V mounts they used for TV on my tailgate. That made me very directional toward the front of my truck. But having the headache rack on yours you might want to try what the guys said. BigT It's been over a year and a half since Libslayer posed his question. Hopefully he's still around and can let us know how he made out.....
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Mar 23, 2015 8:37:27 GMT -5
Maybe he tried the Star Gun mobile beam?
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Mar 23, 2015 9:37:26 GMT -5
Maybe he tried the Star Gun mobile beam? Oh that's rich! I can't believe there are people out there who swear by that plumber's nightmare. Looks like something I threw together when I was 12 years old.....
|
|
|
Post by tecnicoloco2000 on Mar 23, 2015 12:32:49 GMT -5
Maybe he tried the Star Gun mobile beam? Oh that's rich! I can't believe there are people out there who swear by that plumber's nightmare. Looks like something I threw together when I was 12 years old..... I have a good friend who lives in California who swears on those antennas,he even send me a brand new one as a gift
|
|
|
Post by BBB on Mar 23, 2015 18:49:16 GMT -5
That was nice of him to send you a $200 antenna gift. I guess they still sell them: www.stargun.cc/Established in 1969, StarGun Antenna Systems L.S.D.
|
|
|
Post by tecnicoloco2000 on Mar 23, 2015 21:17:56 GMT -5
Hi BBB:
Yeap,he did 2 years ago,he even send me a puck with it and the plans with measures for the 7 Element Beam too.
I helped him to set up a MMM board for HiFi to a Washington Base with MB8719 and W2IHY 8 Band EQ and EQ Plus with a Heil PR-40
I did the Goldfinger HiFi mods to the radio then setup the MMM Board
He uses the radio on AM and SSB and sounds pretty darn good
BTW,I did not charge him for it,I did it as a learning experience and after he got back the radio,he send me the antenna as a surprise
I been doing some radios for friends in the States,do not know if you are aware that I live in Mexico and they send me the radios to my address at the US Border
My 2 pesos Andy
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Mar 24, 2015 6:45:26 GMT -5
Oh that's rich! I can't believe there are people out there who swear by that plumber's nightmare. Looks like something I threw together when I was 12 years old..... I have a good friend who lives in California who swears on those antennas,he even send me a brand new one as a gift I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me how a horizontally polarized UHF yagi, attached to the vertical radiator of a 27 Mhz antenna, is supposed to do something effective..... Snake oil at its finest!
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Mar 24, 2015 6:46:48 GMT -5
That was nice of him to send you a $200 antenna gift. I guess they still sell them: www.stargun.cc/Established in 1969, StarGun Antenna Systems L.S.D. They want $200 for that? What's that old saying about a fool and his money?
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Mar 24, 2015 8:37:57 GMT -5
I have a good friend who lives in California who swears on those antennas,he even send me a brand new one as a gift Looks like it would be handy for roasting about 14 hot dogs.
|
|
|
Post by cbrown on Mar 24, 2015 8:41:23 GMT -5
They want $200 for that? What's that old saying about a fool and his money? I guess the theory is to make it expensive enough and people will think it works. Most people don't understand antenna design. I know people who tried to use the old through glass phone antennas for 27 MHz.
|
|
Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,245
|
Post by Sandbagger on Mar 24, 2015 13:10:11 GMT -5
I have a good friend who lives in California who swears on those antennas,he even send me a brand new one as a gift Looks like it would be handy for roasting about 14 hot dogs. Yea, with a couple of kilowatts running through it you can cook a dozen dogs at a time, and be the life of the picnic....
|
|