| Author |
Message |
    
Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 399
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 6:24 am: | 
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I have heard of people using mobile antennas on top of refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners for groundplanes. I heard of people using steel 55 gallon drum lids on top of fiberglass RV's for ground planes. Is it possible to use a drum lid inside an apartment for a groundplane with a Wilson lil Wil antenna on top of it??, kind of like the indoor firestick antenna concept, with the exception being, the steel 55 gallon lid, will take the place of the indoor firesticks radials. The theory sounds workable, but will, can this work??. Pleas advise.
Wolverine. |
1861
Intermediate Member
Username: 1861
Post Number: 277
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 8:16 am: |
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I don,t know for sure , but I have a MOTOR HOME with aluminum roof , when I set up camp , I put an oil drum lid on top with a mag mount 102 whip on it . Works great for me . |
Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 401
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 9:33 am: |
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1861, what is your SWR on that 102" antenna?? How far do you get out in miles? Do you have the lid grounded to the RV with ground wire or ground straps? I'm guessing that you're using a steel oil drum lid and not the plastic composite type correct?. And lastly, do you run power through that set-up? Do your SWR's go up when using power?, What kind of amp are you using with the total pep watts out of the antenna?.I agree that I'm asking a lot of questions, but I really need to know, so that I can try this out for myself. If anyone else on the forum has tried this, chime in. I figure if a walkie talkie can use the radio itself as a groundplane, and get out at least 5 miles, anything is possible.
Wolverine. |
1861
Intermediate Member
Username: 1861
Post Number: 278
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 10:34 am: |
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I JUST LAY THE STEEL LID IN MIDDLE OF TOP . SWR IS FLAT , I USE A KL 203 AND I SHOOT SKIP REGUARLY . I HAVE TALKED TO MOBILS 20 OR MORE MILES AWAY . I DON,T KNOW HOW IT WOULD WORK WITH FIBER GLASS ROOF , AS I SAID , MINE IS ALUMINUM , BUT IT WORKS GREAT , JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER TO TAKE IT DOWN WHEN STRIKING CAMP . |
Viking
Intermediate Member
Username: Viking
Post Number: 212
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 10:49 am: |
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"Is it possible to use a drum lid inside an apartment for a groundplane...?" Sure, why not. I know a guy who used a hub cap with a mag mount on top of it. Obviously a bigger ground plane would be better. |
Allagator
Advanced Member
Username: Allagator
Post Number: 664
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 3:00 pm: |
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i took a drum lid and bent 4 sides of it up and mounted 4-4foot francis antenas on the sides that was bent up and had my 102" mounted in the middle of it ! worked great till i found a pen 500 to use !
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Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 578
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 4:41 pm: |
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The drum lid won't work as a counterpoise by itself. You'll have to add some radials. I've used sheets of aluminum foil for a counterpoise with a magnet mount antenna. Specifically, I used the Wilson 1000 magnet mount and two 18' sheets of foil. The foil was secured to the antenna with the large steel washer that they use for packaging the antenna. It worked fine. |
Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 404
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 4:25 am: |
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Hubcap with a mag-mount on top, now that's funny, especially if it works. The Firestick indoor antenna uses a whip, and a base, situated on top of 3 or 4, 4ft radials as a counterpoise (Check out their website). A 55 gallon drum lid should work just as well, I think. What else would I need to make it a legitimate counterpoise groundplane??, wires, angels, what?
Wolverine. |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 645
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 8:41 pm: |
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Hey guys, one Sunday night, long after CEF Net was gone, I had Wilson 500 on top of wood stove in living room, and talked with Lon and several others that night. Couldn't believe it, but it was true.
Keith in Atlanta |
Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 581
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2005 - 12:09 am: |
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Was there a fire in the stove at the time? Wilson might want to use that as an endorsement. |
Viking
Intermediate Member
Username: Viking
Post Number: 214
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Monday, July 25, 2005 - 10:40 am: |
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So do we call that fire under the wire? |
Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 407
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 3:52 am: |
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Okay, If I can find or steal, from a junkyard, an old non-rusted steel drum lid, I'm going to experiment. If keith in atlanta can use a old wood stove for a groundplane to talk on the radio, then I'm sold. Next, someone might experiment with porcelain toilets. LOL.
Wolverine. |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 647
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 1:05 pm: |
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Hey Lon and KB, I guess I asked for that one didn't I? But guys, that is true, I had it on wood stove. But since winter was over, no luck on the fire in the stove. That would have made for real good conversation though. From the looks of posts above, it already has! 
Thanks.
Keith |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 6440
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 1:59 pm: |
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Wellllllllllllllll,
Since you are about 664 miles away and we talked for quite a while with NO PROBLEMS then I guess it worked. 
And that is all that counts.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 589
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - 5:44 pm: |
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No big deal. I've talked skip on a toy walkie talkie back in my youth. If conditions are right, both power and the antenna are unimportant.
It's a good story though. Too bad the stove wasn't lit. You could call the antenna your Wilson Firestick! |
Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 712
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 4:26 pm: |
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Cool on the wood-stove groundplane.
And a 55 drumlid. Why not!
Have fun...Good Luck.. |
Jon666
Intermediate Member
Username: Jon666
Post Number: 364
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 6:32 pm: |
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that firestick inside ant.
dont wast your 60.00
not worth it
had one junk |
Allagator
Advanced Member
Username: Allagator
Post Number: 672
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 10:51 pm: |
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Keith was talking on his HOTBOX !!!!!
HA HA HA !!!
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Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 174
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 10:58 am: |
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I cannot rcall the diameter of a 55 gal lid but I suspect that if you worked it out it would have an area of close to 9sq ft, which happens to be about the smallest effective groundplane area for 11m./ Try it and see. Thats part of what this hobby is all about. |
Kid_vicious
Intermediate Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 456
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 9:36 pm: |
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galvanized sheet metal can be had for cheap at home depot. 4x4 foot pieces. get small stick on rubber feet, put enough on one side so you wont scratch the dining room table, stick mag mount in center. run copper wires off of each corner sloping down towards the floor. try 102" and then trim from there, keep them the same length.
did this as a challenge to spend less than $25.
at home depot to make a mobile antenna work in the house. mine had a final swr of 1.8 and i called it good. |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 673
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 - 10:31 pm: |
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Ok Wolverine, before I get outta here, what did you do?
Keith
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Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 423
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 4:25 am: |
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Keith, I got the 55 gallon drum lid from my job. I installed a wilson silverload (6 footer) on a 5" mag-mount. I couldn't get my swr below 1.8. Then I tried my 5 foot silverload and it worked just okay. SWR was 1.6. I was hitting my neighbor with s-6 units. My old lady started ragging that the drum lid made the living room look like "Sanford and Son's" junkyard (I got a lot of radio equipment laying around). But I struck gold with one of my crazy Ideas. I took truck mirror mount, mounted it on the side of a 4 1/2 ft, by 4 1/2 ft metal coffee table (Horizontal frame portion). I then mounted my predator double coil 10k (with a firestick quick disconnect) on the mirror mount. Got about 15 feet of coax (12 ft + connector + 3 ft jumper), hooked the table mounted 10k to my radio shack TRC-431 base radio. SWR is 1.2 to 1.3. My neighbor said that I'm hitting him with an S-9 signal while intermitently making his +30db light blink on and off. It took me 2 days experimenting with various coax lengths, before I finally got my swr down to a 1.2. I have a nice bass audio sounding R/S microphone. Drum lids will work, even though it looks like a xmas tree base without the tree, but I prefer my new homebrew indoor antenna set-up with the double-coil 10k, that's blowing a hell of a lot of smoke. I think that the vertical metal legs of the table, and the horizontal metal frame of the table, makes just enough of a counterpoise ground for the 10k antenna to radiate.
Wolverine. |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 677
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 13, 2005 - 8:19 am: |
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Like Deputy Barney Fife said and I quote:
"That's simply amazing! that's exactly the same idea I had"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DaDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Sorry sir. I just couldn't resist. So you see, even we in CB experiment!
Keith |
Wolverine
Intermediate Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 433
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2005 - 5:25 am: |
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Looking at another forum, I saw that a CBer (Skip shooter) had a wilson 1000. He had change the stock coax to Rg-8x, and used a preditor 10k whip as a replacement for his wilson whip. Skipshooter states that the thicker 10k whip decreased white atmospheric noise on his receive, helping out his ears (Rx). Only I, will try it with my wilson 5000, since the coax is already Rg-8x. Hopefully switching the whips will decrease my noise.
Wolverine. |
Karls357
New member
Username: Karls357
Post Number: 5
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 8:03 pm: |
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HI 1861, I AM INTERESTED IN THAT LID DEAL FOR MY C -CLASS MOTOR HOME BUT WANT TO BE ABLE TO STILL USE WHILE DRIVING WHAT WOULD BE AGOOD ANTENNA TO DO THIS ? I WAS THINKING OF SCREWING IT DOWN AN USE SILICONE TO SEAL IT MY ROOF IS ALSO ALUMINUM WHAT BRAND 102" DO YOU USE ? I WILL BE USEING THIS WITH A SUPERSTAR 3900 EGHP THANK YOU |
1861
Intermediate Member
Username: 1861
Post Number: 308
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 8:16 pm: |
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KARLS357 , YOU COULD USE IT WHILE DRIVING WITH NO PROBLEM EXCEPT HEIGHT , JUST PLACE DRUM LID WHERE YOU WANT IT AND SEAL AROUND RIM TO RV TOP WITH THAT PLASTIC ROOF SEAL , LIKE TAR , SHOULD HOLD IT FINE WITHOUT SCREWS OR DRILLING HOLES . I USE A RADIO SHACK SS 102 ON 5 INCH MAG MOUNT . IF I WAS GONNA USE IT DRIVING , I WOULD PROBABLY USE A LITTLE WILL OR K 30 , THEN PUT 102 UP WHEN SET UP CAMP |
Karls357
New member
Username: Karls357
Post Number: 6
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 8:26 pm: |
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THANK YOU FOR THE IDEA I WILL HAVE TO TRY IT OUT SOON IT SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE LITTLE RUBER DUCK STUCK THERE NOW FOR THE SMALL RADIO SHACK RADIO DO YOU THINK 18FT OF COAX IS GOOD OR GO WITH THE 27 ? KARL |
1861
Intermediate Member
Username: 1861
Post Number: 309
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 9:14 pm: |
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I WOULD JUST GO WITH WHAT,S ON THE MAG MOUNT AND IF MORE IS NEEDED , ADD BARREL CONNECTOR AND HOWEVER LONG COAX JUMPER YOU NEED TO REACH WHERE YOU WANT |
Karls357
New member
Username: Karls357
Post Number: 7
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 1:13 pm: |
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ok i will try that and see how it works before i do the same on my buddies new motorhome he has the newer all fiberglass roof though, trial and error |
Karls357
New member
Username: Karls357
Post Number: 8
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 6:55 pm: |
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i will try that and before i use it on my buddies new rv he has a full fiberglass roof will let every body know of results in a week or so proably will try the wilson mag mount |
Keithinatlanta
Advanced Member
Username: Keithinatlanta
Post Number: 878
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2010 - 5:34 pm: |
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Hey Lon, in reading back through this post, I forgot to mention that at least I did not have to worry about Lightening striking the antenna for sure!!
Keith in Atlanta
CEF 150 |
