Great suggestions, Colin.

I'm going to continue shopping, and looking for what others have to say.

A question:  The Buddipole I'm using for HF will be in a dipole
configuration;  do you still see a problem with mounting the VHF/UHF antenna
underneeth it on the same painter's pole?  I was just thinking the dipole
would be horizontally polarized, while the 5/8-wave antenna for 2 meters and
440 would be vertically polarized.

Thanks, and best 73 from Tom Behler: Kb8TYJ

----- Original Message -----
From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: suggestions needed for simple and quick mount 2-meter/440
antenna


> does the trailer have any sort of gutters at the roof line?
> or any kind of protrusion at the roof line?
> I am thinking of a gutter mount type bracket which could then support a
> 5/8's wave antenna of some sort.
> Ultimately, since you want it for recreation which potentially means some
> distance from repeaters, as well as emergency which could mean  the
necesity
> to use simplex, you want something with as much gain as possible...i think
> something like the tram 1480 which is only 8.5 feet long, probably less
then
> $50 off ebay (which is where i got mine) and exhibits 6 db on vhf and 9 db
> on uhf.
> If you devise a method of mounting the antenna to the side of the trailer
> with a quick release adapter, you could easily use the siding as the
ground
> plain and not have to use the 3 ground plain radials that are usually used
> with the antenna.
> If the idea is just to use an antenna during fixed or stationary
> applications, maybe another painters pole rigged up to a bracket on the
side
> or end of the trailer would work nicely.
> Remember you really dont want to put a vhf/uHF antenna below or very near
a
> vertical HF antenna unless the 2 are going to be used at separate
> times...you will find that the VHF/UHF antenna will have an unacceptable
swr
> if mounted near another antenna especially below it on a mast.
> The other possibility is to use a trunk mount or hood mount bracket and
just
> bolt it to the side of the trailer at the roof line then use an NMO mount
or
> something similar to attach a 5/8's wave antenna...again, the siding will
> act as a nice ground plain.
> Given your specifications of economics, the least amount of holes and easy
> to store, i think this last one would be the way to go...because you
> wouldn't actually need to take it down since the 5/8's is only 4 feet long
> and a stainless whip can withstand going under low objects if you need to
> drive under something lower then the tip of the antenna.
> Instead of a trunk/hood mount, you could use the antenna mount half of a
> mirror arm bracket which usually has 2 or 4 holes in it and bolt that to
the
> side....they are usually a little more robust then the hood or trunk
mounts.
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> -----