John:

If you have any instructions for a simple wire J-pole, please send them my 
way.

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Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2013 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: 2-meter Antenna Challenge


>A bigger ground plain for the mag mount might be a good option, or, a wire 
>J
> pole to hang in the window. Those would be my suggestions.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tom Behler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2013 11:05 AM
> Subject: 2-meter Antenna Challenge
>
>
>> Hi, all.
>>
>> I hope I am not wearing out my welcome back to the list, but I have a
>> challenging antenna situation I'm currently facing in the new faculty
>> office
>> I will be occupying starting this Spring semester.
>>
>> I currently have an old Kenwood TMV7A in the office, with which I have
>> always had at least some luck, in terms of getting into our local 2-meter
>> repeater. The repeater is about 15 miles from the University.
>>
>> However, in my new office, I am finding that the small mag-mount antenna 
>> I
>> have always  used simply does not allow me to reach the repeater
>> consistently.  Currently, I have the magmount sitting on a small metal
>> bracket on the window sill in the office.  It is right next to the 
>> window,
>> so I would think that should help.  However, I do not have much of a
>> ground
>> plain for the magmount.  I also think there is some de-sensing going on
>> with
>> the steel of the office building, and with other surrounding computer
>> equipment in the office complex.
>>
>> I do have a filing cabinet on the other side of the office that I could
>> use
>> as a ground plane, but the top of the filing cabinet is too high, and
>> there
>> is not enough space between it and the office ceiling  to accommodate the
>> magmount antenna.
>>
>> This obviously is a very challenging situation, and I also have to be at
>> least somewhat concerned with appearance, in terms of not having an
>> ugly-looking antenna that might draw more attention to what I am trying 
>> to
>> do than I might want.
>>
>> Do any of you have any suggestions as to how to help the mag-mount 
>> perform
>> better in this situation?
>>
>> Or, might I be better off considering another type of antenna, such as a
>> J-pole of some sort.
>>
>> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>>
>> Tom Behler: KB8TYJ
>