Grounding! How is that baking pan doing for ground. Slam a 2-3' length of rebar in the ground, diagonally is better, attach 14AWG copper magnet wire to rebar, extend wire to pan and bolt it on.
Ground rod diagonally more likely to pass through moist spot.
Though your ground plane is still absent. A vehicle magnet mount antenna uses the vehicle as ground and ground plane. A whip antenna is only 1/2 of an antenna system. 1/4 wavelength antennas need a ground plane. Don't key up but to check SWR only, until resolved. You need a grounded house roof mounted antenna at the least.
Until you get an antenna up in the air you're not going very far if at all. Look into 1/2 wavelength antennas. Possibly on a TV antenna mast. I put twin 102" whips (1/4 wavelength) atop an all steel building and got nothing of consequence for reception.
Last edited by Alabama Buckeye; 04-17-2022 at 10:59 PM.
Reason: moist spot
All answers are opinions and may, or may not be technically correct.
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