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Thread: Ground Plane or No Ground Plane! What do you think?

  1. #1
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    Ground Plane or No Ground Plane! What do you think?

    After studying the catalog pages for a week, reading, and studying again, I STILL Ordered the wrong antenna! I live in a brand new Fiberglass box (Class A RV) and I expected to receive a Firestik No Ground Plane kit. I ordered the wrong number and got the regular kit.

    Has anybody successfully installed a regular antenna on a fiberglass vehicle and somehow managed to either create or manipulate a ground plane and tune it?

  2. #2
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    I have a 03, Ford E450 cut-away box van that I work out of, and the only thing metal on it (besides the frame) is the front fenders and doors...the hood and roof are plastic, and the rest is all fiberboard...

    I run a Predator 10K mounted with a fender mount on the front left fender and it tuned perfect...I also run a 2x6 Amp in the truck and shoot skip all over the Country when conditions let me. So it can be done...Just have to find ground for the antenna's mount somehow, even if it means running ground straps back to the frame...

    may-not be the best set-up, but you can make it work...I've seen allot of RV's that mount the antenna on the front bumper.
    Last edited by JesseJamesDallas; 04-02-2015 at 11:36 PM.


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    BOOTY MONSTER (01-14-2016)

  4. #3
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    Thanks for the reply. I am more encouraged. Seems there are ways to do it... taking enough time and imagination.

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    I've used artificial ground planes made from grounded screen imbeded in epoxy on the edges to hold it down, right on the roof, grounded to the frame, as the antenna mount should be too. This will give you a high signal strength to the rear but should help enhance the general field strength.

  6. #5
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    @ mjd420nova, That is a great suggestion. Thank you.

  7. #6
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    Name:  DSCN6775-email.jpg
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Size:  17.7 KBPosting pictures of a very successful install. And a thank you to your suggestions. I was encouraged by your comments and took my time. Everything worked out brilliantly.

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    Here you can clearly see that I found the perfect Ground inside the wall, by chance, pretty much adjacent to my mounting place. Although the coach is Fiberglass and aluminum, for the most part... there is this high carbon steel superstructure in the front cap for strength and it is grounded to the frame.

    So, thank you. The radio SWR's from 1.5 to 1.4 to 1.5 from 1 through 20 to 40. Receives and transmits beautifully.
    Last edited by wogelsby; 04-25-2015 at 10:17 PM.

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    Odancoiler (05-25-2020)

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    Can u use magmount for bounce back antenna

  10. #8
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    Wow... Not familiar with the concept of "bounce back antenna". Care to further clarify? Might be a good idea. Thanks. SWR could always be better.... on the high side acceptable right now.

  11. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by wogelsby View Post
    Wow... Not familiar with the concept of "bounce back antenna". Care to further clarify? Might be a good idea. Thanks. SWR could always be better.... on the high side acceptable right now.
    He's talking about adding a second antenna at the rear of the RV that wouldn't have a coax hooked to it, but it would be grounded to the frame of the RV and act like a reflector element on a Beam antenna... it would make your front antenna sorta act like a mobile-beam forcing more signal forward instead of in a omni-circular pattern...

    Not too practical set-up for everyday driving, but good for competitions where 2 guys line up, then see who's got the loudest radio..."shoot-out's"

    There's a little more to it also than just adding a second antenna...the second antenna also has to be at the right spacing from the front antenna, and then both antenna's will need to be tuned together.


  12. #10
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    JesseJamesDallas, thanks.. .perfectly clear...

    and of course I'm on the Amateur Fence... wanting to be a big bad-ass and shoot skip... but in reality I just want a strong, reliable, every-day radio for living on the road. Always want it to "hear" and "talk" further...

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