So there I was….

[mmckenna]

I stopped by the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to visit with an old friend who's working there. As I was walking around, I find this little gem sitting on a window sill.

Perfect solution. I think it's an old Chevy hubcap, but I could be wrong. I know I have a similar hubcap hanging in my garage.
Anyway, beautiful in it's simplicity.

 

[alcahuete]

And they drilled the damn hole! That's an awesome idea.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

A novel idea and mmckenna approved.

 

[rescuecomm]

Too bad most of that stuff is plastic nowadays. Come to think of it, I have an 1970 Ford Custom aluminum hubcap in the shop. Doesn't have to be steel does it!?

 

[fxdscon]

I knew that looked familiar! Anybody remember the movie "Batteries Not Included"?

 

[vagrant]

Too bad most of that stuff is plastic nowadays. Come to think of it, I have an 1970 Ford Custom aluminum hubcap in the shop. Doesn't have to be steel does it!?

No, it does not have to be steel. Conductive metals are the answer, and since must of us do not have silver and gold laying about, copper, aluminum, brass, iron, steel and lead work. Even stainless steel will work, but it is easy enough to find copper and aluminum. Some experienced people on these forums advised that aluminum tape, for example over or under fiberglass, also helps with an antenna mounted above it. Four or more radials with the appropriate length for the frequency is prudent.

P.S. Flat/horizontal radials are greater than sloping. Still, something is better than nothing and more is better. Test an antenna on top of a vehicle roof to a set location. Then pull into a parking stall with vehicles next to you and enjoy the upgrade. The same with using a handheld in your hand versus holding it on the roof of your vehicle. The middle is best or you will have improved TX/RX in the direction of the most conductive metal.

 

[tvengr]

Perfect solution. I think it's an old Chevy hubcap, but I could be wrong. I know I have a similar hubcap hanging in my garage.
Anyway, beautiful in it's simplicity.

Rather than ruin a perfectly good hubcap, I would have used a magnetic mount.

 

[alcahuete]

Rather than ruin a perfectly good hubcap, I would have used a magnetic mount.

The hubcap is acting as the ground plane. With a magnet mount, you would have to use a cookie sheet or something as the ground plane, and that would probably blow away.

 

[jhooten]

The hubcap on the original post is a Baby Moon type. Very popular "back in the day".


In my beer drinking days I bought the 5L mini kegs like this:

The hole in the top for the pump is close enough to the right size for a NMO mount. Pulled the spout to route the cable through. If I put one on my table at the swap meet it was always the first thing sold.

 

[KK4JUG]

Is the curve in the antenna supposed to compensate for simulcast. I mean, the hubcap works so why not?

 

[mmckenna]

Is the curve in the antenna supposed to compensate for simulcast. I mean, the hubcap works so why not?

"Mechanical Downtilt".

 

[oldradioguy2010]

The bending of the antenna is a redneck tuning device.
It perititnear werks 2.
Damn. Lost my red man can.

 

[oldradioguy2010]

You folks need some red neck lernin.
As long as it's a werkin it be OK.
Off to a fe.ily get together.
My kusin is single now .
Kewlers, bud lite and camel cicretts.
Damn that girls hot hot hot.🤪

 

[AM909]

Coffee can (or big restaurant-size canned goods can) probably works nice for UHF and up, too.

 

[KK4JUG]

I stopped by the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to visit with an old friend who's working there. As I was walking around, I find this little gem sitting on a window sill.

Perfect solution. I think it's an old Chevy hubcap, but I could be wrong. I know I have a similar hubcap hanging in my garage.
Anyway, beautiful in it's simplicity.

Unless you also remember party lines and throttle & choke knobs on cars, you won't remember that that's a baby moon hubcap.

 

[mmckenna]

Unless you also remember party lines and throttle & choke knobs on cars, you won't remember that that's a baby moon hubcap.

I do, and I have a Chevy hubcap like that hanging in my garage, with the bowtie on it.

 

[KK4JUG]

The bow tie is a nice touch.

 

[oldradioguy2010]

Baby moonies right ?

 

[bharvey2]

Who knew hubcaps came with NMO as an option? I thought the bend in the element was just as interesting. The first that that came to mind was how plants grow toward the sunlight. Maybe antennas migrate toward RF signals too.

 

[rescuecomm]

If you only have one hubcap, it doesn't matter if you cut it to add an NMO hole.