Well, I want to play with my HF on my little 27 footer but don't have the funds or needs to put a large antenna on the boat. So, I was thinking today and looking in my ham catalogs and came up with a couple of ideas. Let me bounce them off you guys and see what you think.
My thought was a mobile whip antenna. I mean, the boat is like a car but does not have the mass in metal that a car has. So getting a good ground is something of an issue.
I have to options, or even more but I did not do too much research. They are a Hustler mobile HF antenna with the single band resonator or an MFJ HamTenna Whip which is all fiberglass. I thought about the Screwdriver antenna but that might be too much work.
Mounting is not an issue. I can mount the antenna on the stern rail with a mobile mounting rig. Grounding or counter poise for the antenna, now that is a different issue. The only thing I see usable is the toe rail which goes around the entire boat, save for the stern. But I think that might throw off my radiation pattern.
Any thoughts or ideas? I would willing to try anything as long as it does not get expensive. I will save the big bucks for the big boat. LOL
My thought was a mobile whip antenna. I mean, the boat is like a car but does not have the mass in metal that a car has. So getting a good ground is something of an issue.
I have to options, or even more but I did not do too much research. They are a Hustler mobile HF antenna with the single band resonator or an MFJ HamTenna Whip which is all fiberglass. I thought about the Screwdriver antenna but that might be too much work.
Mounting is not an issue. I can mount the antenna on the stern rail with a mobile mounting rig. Grounding or counter poise for the antenna, now that is a different issue. The only thing I see usable is the toe rail which goes around the entire boat, save for the stern. But I think that might throw off my radiation pattern.
Any thoughts or ideas? I would willing to try anything as long as it does not get expensive. I will save the big bucks for the big boat. LOL