[aprssig] Re: Ants for Bikes WAS: Broken digis (Ohio to Oklahoma and everywhere inbetween

[Dale Blanchard]

Stephen H. Smith wrote:

> A much smaller alternative, currently available that works very well, is 
> the Diamond NR-770 which is a no-ground-plane 2M/70cm dual-bander with 
> an open (corkscrew) coil at it's center-point. This antenna is about 
> 38-40 inches tall (i.e. 2M half-wave). Available in both NMO and UHF 
> base versions in either chrome or matte black, it's perfect for screwing 
> into a UHF bulkhead ("barrel") connector mounted through an L-bracket on 
> no-ground-plane vehicles.  It's also ideal with all-in-one ammo-box 
> trackers.   Just place a barrel plug through a 5/8th-inch hole in the 
> top of the case and screw it in.  It works VASTLY better than simple 
> 1/4-wave whips when the box is too small to be an effective ground 
> plane, with vastly less RFI into the GPS or Tinytrack.  [ You need a 
> surface of at least 19" radius to be an effective ground plane on 2M. 
> Further, even when properly ground-planed, a quarter-wave will NEVER 
> have as low an angle of radiation as a half-wave. ]  
> 
> I have used a 770 taped to a fiberglass pushup mast as a temporary 
> base-station antenna.   Just splice the male UHF connector in it's base 
> to a run of coax with a barrel plug and hoist it up.  No radials or 
> ground plane needed.  Or pull it up into a tree by tying a piece of 
> nylon string or 20-lb-test mono-filament fish line to it's tip.
> 
I use the 770 nmo on all my vehicles.
When used on my motorcycles I do not have to worry about a ground plane.
One has a good ground plane, the other does not.
On my truck I replace the 770 with a shorter 1/4 wave for around town so 
I can get into the parking garages.
The 770 will lay down tho.
It is a ideal mobile antenna.
dale