NMO34 with the W640 (64" whip) vs NMO-27 vs CWB-27

[slowmover]

Thanks. If enough guys check these things maybe we'll come up with a baseline on different installs on different vehicles.

As one runs the roads it’s become obvious (as an interested observer; not participating) that even one very good radio (NRC) in a crowd makes for better awareness of any situation underway (antenna system worthy of same).

Used to be it was an overpowered radio and a so-so antenna system. Not comparable.

A baseline model to follow benefits 11M road travelers . . . and might encourage licensure for that man to do yet more.

Hence my willingness.

— There’s a helluva lot of traffic coming into or thru D/FW on several major US Corridors concerned about conditions ahead of them has made this change easier to quantify.



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[K9KLC]

As one runs the roads it’s become obvious (as an interested observer; not participating) that even one very good radio (NRC) in a crowd makes for better awareness of any situation underway (antenna system worthy of same).

As we know (well most of us) you can run the latest and greatest radio on the planet but, if it fails at the antenna system for any reason, then you're done. This we've discovered long long ago back (with me) as early as 1971 when I got tired of some antenna systems on my 1962 Ford van and honestly decided to run a 102 inch steel whip and spring right on the top of thing almost dead center. (side to side it was but just a little front of dead center front to back).

Later in life I acquired a 1977 Dodge van and on that unit didn't even mess with other antennas, but ran the Green Shakespeare fiberglass whip up there with a spring. Yep it hit a "thing or two" but it worked which was the goal back then using them for communications at the shop I worked at at the time.

Today, with wife, kids, grandkids, and even great grandkids, I need something a "bit" shorter LOL. (too many drive thru along the way). I've pretty much settled on a permanent mount NMO to match what will support my other bands I talk on and in the end there will likely be 3 antenna's on top of the car I'm currently looking to put stuff in. (family car wife "mostly" supportive) Anyone know where to get a thru the roof "N" mount??"" (not NMO but actual "N"mount). I have it in a magnet mount but haven't been able to find a thru the roof one.

I do something totally different for work now, and on my work truck ladders slide off and on all day so that rules out anything on the top of that so I'm relegated to hood mount antenna's on that.

 

[billdean]

This is the NMO30 with the 64" whip spread out over a larger frequency. On the roof of a 2024 F-350 4x4. SWR is still pretty high for 10meters.

 

[K9KLC]

This is the NMO30 with the 64" whip spread out over a larger frequency. On the roof of a 2024 F-350 4x4. SWR is still pretty high for 10meters.


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Sure it is but I have no intention of centering mine in the middle of the CB band. Not my main interest honestly. I would like "acceptable SWR" down to at least Ch 19 but My center point will be way different if I try and do it on one antenna. Given your other post about working 10 meters also, at some point you'll have to decide to either run 2 antennas or have a different idea on how to approach this.

I used to center my Wilsons (1k and 5Ks) about Ch 40 or even a little above and still had good SWR down to CH 10 or so on CB and up till past 28..5 or so on 10 meters. Believe me I'm not telling anyone how to do their antennas, there's a million ways to do things. I'm still on the fence about getting 1 antenna to do this with an export type radio or just give up, run an antenna for CB and then a totally different radio and antenna for mobile 10 meter or other HF needs. For a one and done install though for CB and 10, I'd just do what I did before when I ran my 2510 and have my center point on the SWR graph different. And...it may come to that.

 

[K9KLC]

Actually a friend of mine just reminded me we centered up between 27.450 and 27.500 to get what we were after on the Wilsons. I had him on the phone talking about programming some 900 MHz stuff and we wandered off on this topic. "squirrel".

 

[K6GBW]

I just reached out to PRCGuy to hopefully arange an antenna drop off. I'd prefer PRCGuy to do the analysis. He's much more qualified than I am. But this is an interesting question and it would be nice to finally find out. Further to follow..please stand by.

 

[billdean]

Sure it is but I have no intention of centering mine in the middle of the CB band. Not my main interest honestly. I would like "acceptable SWR" down to at least Ch 19 but My center point will be way different if I try and do it on one antenna. Given your other post about working 10 meters also, at some point you'll have to decide to either run 2 antennas or have a different idea on how to approach this.

Yes I understand. I have another whip so I will probably start cutting a little more off to see if I can get an except level to use Ch 19 and 10 meters.

 

[K9KLC]

Yes I understand. I have another whip so I will probably start cutting a little more off to see if I can get an except level to use Ch 19 and 10 meters.

I guess you (or we) could have two whips and swap out here and there depending on what we're doing at the moment but that seems like a lot of effort. Usually when things come up and we wanna talk at a certain place that may happen instantly (for instance to check something on CH 19 when talking on 10 meters) so I don't know how well that would even work.

I know that I"m not "on the road" any more my Ch 19 usage isn't what it was in the 90s but still if I wanna talk there I don't want to blow anything up either and, have an acceptable signal. I'd be happy with something under 2:1 on 19 or even maybe a little lower as long as I could get even the main SSB part of the 10 meter band. (28.300 to at least 28.500). As a general I've found stations up higher during some contests but I'd be happy mobile with that. Let us know what you find out! Hey you can always put the spring back on for a little length if it gets too short for what you're trying to do. Appreciate you taking the time and effort to see what can happen.

 

[K6GBW]

I wonder why little tiny tuners aren't more popular. Sure would solve all of this.

 

[EAFrizzle]

I wonder why little tiny tuners aren't more popular. Sure would solve all of this.

It would. The 100W amp/ATUs being made by Xiegu and others would be a good solution as well.


Back in the 90s, I was running a split-feed antenna off of a 2970 with an MFJ tuner strapped beneath it. It worked nice for dialing in weak signals and getting all the power possible out of the radio. Made it easier to talk to the guys on Galaxy rigs below 26 MHz.

 

[prcguy]

Gain and VSWR test between Larsen NMO27 and Laird CW27 is scheduled for next week with K6GBW. I cobbled together an NMO test mount for the antennas under test using a new Motorola NMO mount on an old Larsen mag mount with 12 turns of coax through an FT-240-61 core to decouple the coax from the antenna and mount. Hey Mike, that's a really nice winding job on that toroid core! Mike: thanks, its nothing really....

I also added a ground stud to attach an 8.5X11" copper foil over refrigerator magnet capacitor to improve ground coupling. This mag mount should work about the same as a hard mounted NMO at CB frequencies.

 

[K9KLC]

I wonder why little tiny tuners aren't more popular. Sure would solve all of this.

I prefer my heat to be going out the antenna not being used in some tuning device whenever possible. Obviously as a ham I have experience with tuners and yes have used them I really don't want to have to mess with that going down the road.

The exception for me mobile would be if I had an Icom radio, and Icom AH-4 tuner and a 102 or longer whip mounted at the base of that antenna with less than a 6 inch center feed going to it to eliminate feed line losses. Other than that I've used either a screw driver type or I got out and switched Hustler resonators and or ham sticks whatever I was running at the time on that vehicle.

Sorry but to me it's not what I'm after simply to get 10-11 meters. Honestly if I wasn't set on an NMO mount, I'd just stick a UHF mount up thru there and put a Wilson back on there. It did do what I needed it to do. I'd prefer an NMO simply cause all but one other antenna I'm apt to stick on there is a NMO mount and in a pinch I can easily swap things around. I guess I could go ahead and do that, and just get a couple new UHF mount ham antennas, that would solve it too.

 

[K6GBW]

Yep, everything in radio is a compromise.

 

[K9KLC]

Yep, everything in radio is a compromise.

Yep, If I ever win the lottery LOL, I'll have that big antenna farm, until then however comprise is the name of the game!

 

[slowmover]

Meanwhile, the rest of us are becoming adept at:

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”.



.

 

[slowmover]

I just reached out to PRCGuy to hopefully arange an antenna drop off. I'd prefer PRCGuy to do the analysis. He's much more qualified than I am. But this is an interesting question and it would be nice to finally find out. Further to follow..please stand by.

Pleased to see this.
Thx.

 

[slowmover]

I wonder why little tiny tuners aren't more popular. Sure would solve all of this.

It would. The 100W amp/ATUs being made by Xiegu and others would be a good solution as well.

I was pleased to carry one in the big truck for awhile.

It was interesting to see changes from locations parked to running high speed against a quartering bow wind.

More bonds, or fewer?



I had just enough amp that I don’t recall feeling as if I were down much if any on realistic TX range (30A limit).

CWB vs NMO34 hopefully is a help to get us away from unruly (108”) or cheaply-made tall antennas for GP use of an (NRC) AM/SSB 10/12M Export. Another arrow in the quiver.

The mobile radio rig that’s always ready is the one that gets used.

.

 

[K9KLC]

It would. The 100W amp/ATUs being made by Xiegu and others would be a good solution as well.

We used some kind of little auto tuner field day. Honestly I guess if it was all auto once set up, there is at least thought. While not my first choice it may honestly be at least another option. I'll have to get one of those and mess with it on my IMAX here at the house and see how it does maybe. I don't need one with an amp but just the tuner.

 

[K9KLC]

I've run the 949e off and on since the late 90s while I preferred my Drake MN4, the 949 held its own. Still have the 949 in the closet here. Switched to the Yaesu FC-40 for tuning at the antenna wire to avoid feed line issues.

I'm wondering about one of the little auto tuners now, I was pretty impressed with the one we used field day. I think I have a LDG 200 pro out on loan, I've never personally used it, got it on a trade. Maybe I'll see if he's done with it and try that.

 

[K6GBW]

The MFJ 939 with an A99 gets amazingly wide coverage. In fact, the longest contact I’ve ever made was on that set up. I reached Indonesia on 10m with only 100 watts. At week later I got Israel, Hungary and Ireland one right after the other.