GeorgeL
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2006
Posts: 7346
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 Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| EZ Gruv wrote: |
| I guess YMMV, but adding that wire from the inside of the pop-top handle to the cab roof seemed to make a big difference for me. |
What you did was to add a ground plane to your antenna, which is a Good Thing. The antenna you buy is only half of what you need. The vehicle's body serves as the other half of the antenna.
There are some antennas that do not require a ground plane, such as those used on boats. They tend to be larger and more expensive than normal mobile antennas.
I was trying to match an 80 meter antenna on my bus (a much more difficult operating band for mobiles.) I put an antenna in the middle of a full-length rack but it would not tune to resonance. I grounded the rack to the body at two corners and it tuned up fine. The body is just as important as the antenna itself! |
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