Hello all.
Every once in a while I get less busy at work and I renew my interest in operating on HF. My one-and-only radio, a Kenwood TS-480HX sometimes finds itself on the desk inside and sometimes in the car. I'm about to take a rather long road trip so the rig is back in the car.
I'm upgrading the installation by ditching the 3 mag antenna mount and I'll be drilling for and installing a 3" puck mount, and upgrading the feed line.
The antenna is an Outbacker 80 through 6 meter. I like that antenna a lot, but I think in the past my installation hasn't done it justice. I hope to rectify the situation.
The car is a Toyota 4Runner. I understand that a roof mounted antenna would be the most efficient as close to the center of the roof for the best possible signal propagation. That puts the antenna pretty high in the air. If I drive stupid and find myself going under a low-hanging limb at least with the mag-mount, the antenna has a chance to lay over and then pop back up, (at low speeds of course). However once I permanently mount the thing, (I will have a QD fitting), low-hanging impediments will likely destroy the antenna. Would it be appropriate to add an antenna spring or are springs for sissies?
Edited: I can't seem to find the important information needed in order to order an appropriate spring online, so if any of you may have some insight into this I would sure appreciate any help. I did see a black Larson spring that would go well with the black antenna, but I don't know how stiff of a spring I would need and the screw fittings seem to be a secret.
Thanks.
-Steve
Every once in a while I get less busy at work and I renew my interest in operating on HF. My one-and-only radio, a Kenwood TS-480HX sometimes finds itself on the desk inside and sometimes in the car. I'm about to take a rather long road trip so the rig is back in the car.
I'm upgrading the installation by ditching the 3 mag antenna mount and I'll be drilling for and installing a 3" puck mount, and upgrading the feed line.
The antenna is an Outbacker 80 through 6 meter. I like that antenna a lot, but I think in the past my installation hasn't done it justice. I hope to rectify the situation.
The car is a Toyota 4Runner. I understand that a roof mounted antenna would be the most efficient as close to the center of the roof for the best possible signal propagation. That puts the antenna pretty high in the air. If I drive stupid and find myself going under a low-hanging limb at least with the mag-mount, the antenna has a chance to lay over and then pop back up, (at low speeds of course). However once I permanently mount the thing, (I will have a QD fitting), low-hanging impediments will likely destroy the antenna. Would it be appropriate to add an antenna spring or are springs for sissies?
Edited: I can't seem to find the important information needed in order to order an appropriate spring online, so if any of you may have some insight into this I would sure appreciate any help. I did see a black Larson spring that would go well with the black antenna, but I don't know how stiff of a spring I would need and the screw fittings seem to be a secret.
Thanks.
-Steve
Last edited: