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M1009Lineman
11-28-2018, 11:22 PM
Hello all!
new to the site, I’m a lineman and I travel around in my travel trailer. I am wanting to set up a Home base out of my trailer. I have my CB, a skipper by Palomar amp also have a 12v 30amp power supply. I currently have RG8x coax cable and a swr meter in my shopping cart. I’m stuck on what kind of antenna to use. My trailer is aluminum siding with a rubber roof. I would like to get a something that is small and semi mobile. What are my options here? Any suggestions for my set-up? Im hoping to get into amateur radio in the future but starting small here.

BOOTY MONSTER
11-29-2018, 09:49 PM
several good options , depends on how much or how little effort you want to put into setting the antenna up and if you care about your signal potentially bleeding into nearby electronics . sirio dipole or gainmaster .... a 5/8 or .64 with 1/4 or 1/8 wavelength ground elements ..... and many folks swear by the 2000/99 type antennas and some swear at them .

or just putting a mobile mount in the middle of the aluminum trailer roof (with four 9 ft wires in a x shape on the ground side if you cant connect to the aluminum of the trailer from there) . a corner or side mounted mobile mount can also work but may cause a lobe of directivity that may or may not be a issue to you . then you could just screw on any cb mobile antenna with a 3/8x24 thread . a 108 inch whip should have the most potiential but you may be perfectly happy with something shorter ... different strokes for different folks .

quality 8x coax will be more than plenty for a few hundred watts and a few dozen ft run . nothing wrong with over kill and going bigger if it'll give you a warm fuzzy feeling .

M1009Lineman
11-29-2018, 10:19 PM
So as a lineman I have access to lots of wire. If I put an antenna in the center of the roof then took say copper wire from edge to edge connecting to the aluminum in the shape of an X (copper to ground of antenna) I would have a perfectly usable ground plane? Would longer than 9’ be a problem?

222DBFL
11-29-2018, 10:37 PM
You want to have 1/4 wave ground planes that is why booty monster suggested that. Antennas are length specific to frequency. So at 27mhz you’ll want about 8.6-9ft ground plane wires. You could try 1/2 wave ones being about 17.3-18ft, but the 9ft ones should be plenty good enough being 1/4 wave ones.

M1009Lineman
11-30-2018, 12:36 AM
If my coax runs across the roof of the trailer between the 2 legs of the “X” Will this cause any problems? Will it be ok due to it being jacketed?

222DBFL
11-30-2018, 09:02 PM
Yes it will be fine. As long as you are using good coax you shouldn’t have any issues. Not sure what you plan to use or how long the run is. If you are planning on a long run I would suggest at least using lmr400 or above. Anything below 100ft., rg8x double shielded coax should be fine.

BOOTY MONSTER
12-05-2018, 09:05 PM
folks mount mobile antennas on little cars and big trucks/suv's and typically taller larger vehicles get better performance than shorter/smaller ones and vehicles really only have that 9 ft length in two directions imagining the shell of the vehicle as sloped ground radials . try the x with the four 9 footers isolated and then try connecting them to the trailer , adjust vswr if necessary and compare performance . then you'll know whats best for you . most any base antenna will perform better off a 10 ft pole on the side of the trailer though

222DBFL
12-06-2018, 06:03 AM
You are probably best off like Booty Monster said, getting a true base antenna. Look around for an A99 or similar. That would be your best bet. A mobile antenna is not going to have much range. Maybe 5-6 miles at the most.

T-I-N-Y34
12-07-2018, 12:11 PM
You are probably best off like Booty Monster said, getting a true base antenna. Look around for an A99 or similar. That would be your best bet. A mobile antenna is not going to have much range. Maybe 5-6 miles at the most.
Local 5-6 miles right? Because I talk to guys in mobiles all the time when skips running and they're 600-700 miles away. And I used to shoot skip in my pickup. so if set up right and having the right antenna. It'll work for skip.

222DBFL
12-07-2018, 03:13 PM
Yes. The op was speaking about a mobile antenna on the roof of his house. A base antenna is a better option for this.

T-I-N-Y34
12-07-2018, 08:58 PM
Yes. The op was speaking about a mobile antenna on the roof of his house. A base antenna is a better option for this.
I think he's talking about like a camper at a job site. Not a House trailer. While a base antenna would be best. He could use a 102" mobile whip with ground plane wires running across the roof. This way it's not as difficult to set up and take down.

222DBFL
12-08-2018, 12:58 PM
Totally agree. A 102” whip and stud or stuff spring and some ground redials should work for his needs.

sonoma
12-08-2018, 10:18 PM
you could look into a no ground plane base type antenna made by tram. it is about 1 inch in diameter and 39 inches long. a buddy of mine has one on his fiberglass mobile home and it talks just fine. swr about 1.5 and he made a mount while mobile he can lower it by tilting it over with the mount he made.
there is a lot of options out there just take a look. 102 inch whip would work just fine also.this will mget you out about 5 to 10 miles depending on condditions and 600 or more with skip rolling good. so just take your choise.

BOOTY MONSTER
12-09-2018, 10:10 AM
if he does well with a 39 inch antenna good for him . but no way will that highly compromised little coil of wire perform comparably to how a full 1/4 wavelength will let alone what a 1/2 wave or 5/8 base antenna will . different strokes for different folks , the final determining factor is if the user is happy with the performance they get . some folks are happy with anything ... some enjoy splitting hairs for best performance . what makes one happy can make the other miserable . cost , performance and complexity of assembly and install play a huge part in what each may perceive as just fine or best performing antenna . but efficiency and lobe placement are what really tells the tale .

i had a 36 inch lil will mobile at first and it did ok and with a pair of 1446's behind the radio it got a little respect and talked skip . a simple swap to a predator 10k showed a obvious difference in both tx and rx . i'm a big believer in a properly designed longer antenna have better POTENTIAL performance than a than a shorter one . but nearby structures and terrain as well as a persons preference for local vs DX contacts will be determining factors in what works best for them .

222DBFL
12-09-2018, 10:55 AM
AMEN Booty Monster! I love my vector 4k. Wish it was a bit better built, but that can be accomplished with some modding. Height is might and man I will say this, being able to talk 30-60 miles consistently is very nice for local stuff, let alone all the DX I am able to get!! Just wish it was a bit better in bad weather. But like you said, different strokes for different folks.

white knite
12-10-2018, 10:29 PM
I second that on the Vector 4K. I can consistently talk to folks barefoot who are running power to put a similar reading on my meyrt that I am to them. That being said, he'll have to choose something that will perform to his satisfaction within his restrictions.