MFJ makes a ground plane for 2 meters and 440.

It works fine with the 50 watt class rigs.

I have one mounted on my back porch for most of the same wx reasons Lew 
mentioned. Prior to moving into a house, I also used it mounted on a stick 
of PVC which was strapped to the railing in a corner of my second floor 
apartment balcony

It's a 1/4 wave 2 meter ground plane with a small coil in the center of the 
vertical element that matches it better on 440. From memory, I think they 
claim it has 2 db of gain on 440, and none, of course, for 2 meters.

MFJ also sells a radial and mounting bracket kit to convert any mobile 
antenna to a ground plane.

Either setup is about $25.

You may also review the duel band J pole article from April QST, and then 
build the base station model from the earlier article referenced therein.


Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs