Antenna part can someone Explain

Status
Not open for further replies.

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
hello All

I have a magnet mount Antenna my question is what are the two things I have circled in red on the antenna

thank you
 

Attachments

  • Inkedantenna_LI.jpg
    Inkedantenna_LI.jpg
    45.7 KB · Views: 495
Last edited:

ko6jw_2

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
1,448
Location
Santa Ynez, CA
Mag mount antennas like this one are intended to be attached to a car or a metal ground plane. The antenna will perform better that way. It looks like you have it stuck on the end of a pipe. Not optimal.

By the way, this Radio Shack antenna can be used to transmit on 2 meters and 440 (with a ground plane).
 

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
yes thank you that's an old picture i would like to attach it to my awing but its aluminum and will not stick the best option i have now is i have it sitting on my ac unit but it is too close to the house and is hitting the roof I would like to attach A metal platform to move it away from the house but i didn't figure out how i would do it yet
 

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
yes I understand but not too many places to mount it as you can see in the picture below
 

Attachments

  • 66298d1540853198-antenna-part-can-someone-explain-20181029_170149.jpg
    66298d1540853198-antenna-part-can-someone-explain-20181029_170149.jpg
    133.1 KB · Views: 342
Last edited:

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Why not get a piece of sheet metal about the same width as the top of the rain gutter and maybe 2ft long, set that on top of the rain gutter over the down spout and stick the magnet there? That would give it some ground plane and get it out away from the building. You could even get a chunk of chicken wire about 2ft long X 1ft wide and bend it up to fit inside the rain gutter in the same spot but give a flat surface parallel with the top for the magnet to stick.

I wold also consider getting a new NMO mount antenna with an angle bracket mount and attach the bracket to the rain gutter.
 
Last edited:

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
thank you but how would I attach it to the gutter without drilling and they said to keep it away from the gutter and chicken wire ?
 

Chronic

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
528
Put a strong magnet on the other side of the aluminum awning , the 2 magnets should hold it in place and the aluminum will act as a ground plane
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
5,604
Just a quick note if you are going to use this approach using the antenna Illustrated, you might want to cut the coax about 5 inches from the antenna and rewire the connection so as to attach a good quality low loss coax.

They always say it doesn't matter on UHF or 700-800 megahertz if the lead is under 15 to 20 ft but it actually does.

As long as you're going to all this trouble, think about a VHF, UHF, 700-800 ground plane similar to what Radio Shack used to sell. Mount it on a broomhandle which can actually be bought at a Dollar Tree or at least Home Depot. Using Gorilla Tape or clamps find a way to mount that. Maybe because it's a wooden handle attach it to the gutter, using a low loss coax of course. Just a thought.
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
5,604
By the way you can always lean this broom handle ground plane in the corner of your room. That way you can move it around to get the best signal. Also taping it to a standing lamp could work. That antenna came with RG58 so the higher-quality coax will really help.
 

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
Put a strong magnet on the other side of the aluminum awning , the 2 magnets should hold it in place and the aluminum will act as a ground plane

That would be great but the problem if i put a magnet under the awing it will not stick to the alumium
 

zz0468

QRT
Banned
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
6,034
That would be great but the problem if i put a magnet under the awing it will not stick to the alumium

It would stick to the magnet on the antenna mount through the aluminum, and sandwich the aluminam between the two magnets.

That's actually not a bad idea.
 

usnasa

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
510
Location
Brooklyn NY
Wow that would be great if it works thank you for the great idea i will try it do u recommend what magnet to get with this antenna ?
 
Last edited:

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,228
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
The chicken wire thing I described will fit inside the gutter and allow water to pass and chicken wire is made of steel and the magnet will stick to it. You would be basically making a tube of chicken wire about 2ft long with a diameter that will allow it to lay inside the gutter without drilling any holes. When you lay the tube of chicken wire in the gutter, push down and flatten the top so its even with the top of the gutter so the magnet mount will stick to it. Should take about 5 min to make and install and nobody would see it from below.

thank you but how would I attach it to the gutter without drilling and they said to keep it away from the gutter and chicken wire ?
 

Hans13

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
995
By the way you can always lean this broom handle ground plane in the corner of your room. That way you can move it around to get the best signal. Also taping it to a standing lamp could work. That antenna came with RG58 so the higher-quality coax will really help.

I use a wooden clothes tree/hat rack and a Tram ground plane mount for that purpose. We have tall ceilings so it sits on a pedestal for maximum height and to keep people from putting their eyes out on the ground plane radials. It works great for an indoor antenna setup of a base transceiver on 70cm and 2m (and thereabouts). Sometimes, I use it for scanning and it does a pretty good job.
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
5,604
Yep, I have a house now and three ground planes on the roof on pretty high mounts but in an apartment that broom handle ground plane worked great. Just a little turn or reposition could make all the difference. My biggest concern was getting it high enough or positioning it so it wouldn't poke out somebody's eye, lol.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top