I agree about the clip on RJ45 plugs being a bad design all around.
They invariably break at the worst possible times...not only on microphones
but network cables as well.
Commercial RJ45 mike plugs are made a bit better with heavy rubber
surrounding the clip and making it more difficult to damage it.
Speaking of the mag mounts...I have a tripple mag mount that I can use with
ham sticks or those style of antennas...it's made up of 3 5 inch magnets and
when it clamps onto a piece of metal, it's definitely well attached lol.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 2:06 AM
Subject: Larsen Antennas
> Hi Colin, I only have one other mag mount, a fire stick with one big A----
> magnet on it. I rarely use it as I don't often work 10 meters mobil or
> any
> other way as of yet, but you are so right about the Larsens really
> standing
> up to the elements. I am sure I would get better performance from mono
> band
> antennas on 2 meters and 70 CM, but the dual band one I have seems to just
> keep on working. That, combined with the TMV71A is a great combination.
> Only thing I did once was to keep the mic for that rig in my backpack,
> then
> when I got it out, the little clip on the ethernet connector had broken
> off
> so I had to use duct tape to keep the darned jack in the plug until I
> could
> get a ham friend to put another RJ45 connector on. That plug is a dumb
> design but so far, it's the only dumb thing I have found with the 71A.
> Jim
> WA6EKS
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Colin McDonald
> Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 12:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: a couple antenna questions
>
> larsen antennas are primarily made for commercial/industrial aplications,
> so
> their built very very well.
> They happen to make some amateur band antennas as wel and as you know Jim,
> they last a really long time with little maintinence required.
> Not like some other types which need to be taken apart every year or two
> and
> cleaned and de rusted and fiddled with to keep working.
> I've got a 3 inch larsen NMO mag mount that has been going for 13 years
> now
> without a hitch.
> My MFJ quarter wave mag mount has had to be totally rebuilt twice now due
> to
> rust, corosion and generally cheap crappy metal parts...of course, it was
> a
> 20 dollar antenna and the larsen mag mount alone cost me 40 bucks back
> then.
> As I've said before, with ham radio stuff, the more you pay, the better it
> is...that's a rule of thumb it seems. Though obviously the baofeng radios
> have kind of put that rule of thumb to the ultimate test haven't they.
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 1:49 AM
> Subject: Re: a couple antenna questions
>
>
>> Congratulation's on your license Zach. I concur with Colin and David's
>> remarks about mag mount antennas. I would just add that I have owned
>> both
>> a
>> 2 meter five eighths Larsen, and a dual band 2 meter, 70 CM Larsen
>> antenna
>> which is the one I most often use. You want the most gain you can get
>> for
>> the little output you will get from your HT. If you don't have an
>> alternate
>> way of powering the rig from the car, you will soon eat up your battery
>> power if you run the rig on its high power. I always try to use as
>> little
>> transmitting power as necessary which is the rule anyway. Back on the
>> mag
>> mount antennas, I have had the Larsons for probably 20 years and they
>> still
>> are working fine. The fewer connectors you need in line, the better
>> because
>> each new connector will introduce some degree of signal loss. I don't
>> think I ever tuned the antennas, maybe once many years ago. Good luck on
>> programming the rig and have a safe and fun trip. Jim WA6EKS
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Zach Shifflett
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 11:05 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: a couple antenna questions
>>
>> Hi all.
>> Still haven't gotten my license yet, but it should be coming in some
>> time this week.
>> I just received my radio in the mail, though. It's a baofeng uv5r
>> duel band handheld.
>> I'm taking an extended road trip in a few days, and assuming my
>> license is in by that point, I want to work some repeaters up and down
>> the east coast as we travel.
>> I plan on replacing the standard rubber duck with a mag mount for the
>> roof of our car, and am looking for some advice.
>> I'd like one that I can use with relatively little hastle on both the
>> 2 m and 70 cm bands, though if I would be better off using a single
>> band antenna, I'd rather work 2m.
>> I've read a lot of stuff online about tuning, and how much tuning is
>> necessary for these antennas. Is there a duel band I could use
>> without tuning? If not, could I get a single band to operate on 2m?
>> If I do end up having to tune the antenna, what's the best way to
>> accomplish this? Is there a talking swr meter out there somewhere?
>> I know I'll need to tune antennas in the future, especially for dxing
>> and hf work, but as a total newbie, I'd kind of just like to get on
>> the air for a little while before I have to spend a lot of money on
>> talking tuners and taking my radio apart.
>> Thanks for any advice!
>> Zach
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