We're looking to install a five foot(ish) tall UHF antenna, a heavy fiberglass rod type, on a trailer roof. The reasons for that antenna don't matter here, please let's not get distracted with questions like "use a magmount".
The idea is to put the antenna on the forward edge of the trailer roof, on a fold-over hinged mount of some type. Because the trailer roof is about nine feet high, there's no convenient way to send someone up to raise and lower a mast, and we want something simple and reliable. So, a fold-over antenna that could be erected by simply pulling down on a cord attached to the base, extending forward from the hinge and trailer, would be ideal. Cord gets pulled down, antenna rotates up, no fuss. Release the cord, nudge the antenna, and it folds down on the roof so it doesn't hit overheads on the road. And we can live with the antenna base having a lopsided ground pattern as it will be connected to the trailer frame and roof.
But for the life of me, I can't find anything in a rotating or hinged antenna mount, except one kludgy ham unit built out of metal bar/tube stock. I'm looking for something that doesn't look homemade, and is robust and simple.
Anyone seen a source for that? Anything remotely similar, or other good options?
The idea is to put the antenna on the forward edge of the trailer roof, on a fold-over hinged mount of some type. Because the trailer roof is about nine feet high, there's no convenient way to send someone up to raise and lower a mast, and we want something simple and reliable. So, a fold-over antenna that could be erected by simply pulling down on a cord attached to the base, extending forward from the hinge and trailer, would be ideal. Cord gets pulled down, antenna rotates up, no fuss. Release the cord, nudge the antenna, and it folds down on the roof so it doesn't hit overheads on the road. And we can live with the antenna base having a lopsided ground pattern as it will be connected to the trailer frame and roof.
But for the life of me, I can't find anything in a rotating or hinged antenna mount, except one kludgy ham unit built out of metal bar/tube stock. I'm looking for something that doesn't look homemade, and is robust and simple.
Anyone seen a source for that? Anything remotely similar, or other good options?