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SWR and mobile ground planes

P

petey_racer

Member
Sep 16, 2006
48
0
16
Upstate, NY
I added a ground plane kit to my Wilson 5000 mag mount.
Should I simply cut off approximately what the ground plane added to the length? Then use this as a baseline to re-tune?

I can also deduct the measurement of the ground plane from the Wilson whip spec of 61¾".

What do you all recommend?
 

petey_racer said:
I added a ground plane kit to my Wilson 5000 mag mount.
Should I simply cut off approximately what the ground plane added to the length? Then use this as a baseline to re-tune?

I can also deduct the measurement of the ground plane from the Wilson whip spec of 61¾".

What do you all recommend?
Click to expand...

A ground plane kit for a Wilson 5000??????????? :shock:
 
Yup.
I tuned it this morning and got even lower SWRs than before. Barely 1.1:1 flat across the channels.
It even lowered the SWRs with the amp on. I was 2.5:1 before and now am at about a usable 1.5:1 .

I guess I technically mis-typed. it is a ground radial kit. Made by Victory, p/n VA-GRSO/BK .
It is this, without the mag mount. Has a PL-259 bottom and an SO-239 top:
718.jpg
 
petey_racer,
That type of "groundplane" isn't really a groundplane at all. At best, it's a capacity-hat, and that's really 'stretching' it's worth! Basically what you did was increase the length of the antenna by whatever the heigth is of that "groundplane". You could have gotten the same affect on SWR by just increasing the length of the antenna to start with.
The metal in the vehicle you have the antenna mounted on is the groundplane. That thingy isn't. Hate to say it, but see if you can get a refund. As was said earlier, all that thingy does is 'expand' the 'room' in your wallet so that you can put more money into it.
- 'Doc
 
Well then maybe installing this thing caused me to re-tune my antenna better than it was before. I though I was quite close before, but it is better now regardless of the radial.

I'm not real worried about the $24 it cost me. My SWRs are real good. I'll leave it in place. To remove it I'd have to replace the whip anyway.

Thanks guys for the education.




Karo, the antenna still mounts into the coil. This radial just goes in between the coil and mag mount.
 
petey_racer said:
Well then maybe installing this thing caused me to re-tune my antenna better than it was before. I though I was quite close before, but it is better now regardless of the radial.

I'm not real worried about the $24 it cost me. My SWRs are real good. I'll leave it in place. To remove it I'd have to replace the whip anyway.

Thanks guys for the education.




Karo, the antenna still mounts into the coil. This radial just goes in between the coil and mag mount.
Click to expand...


THERE YOU GO P-RACER ,IF IT WORKS ,LEAVE IT BE !
 
petey_racer said:
It even lowered the SWRs with the amp on. I was 2.5:1 before and now am at about a usable 1.5:1 .
Click to expand...
That's a right good drop in SWR's.. Are you sure you had the antenna tuned proper before you added the ground plane ? Either way, glad to see you got it figured out..

I've heard some say there was a noticable improvement on receive after installing those, but I've also heard some say they didn't notice much difference.. What is your opinion so far ?

I have one on one of my trucks but the 5000 came with the ground plane already installed.. I've never run it without the ground plane, so I don't know if there is much difference on mine or not..
 
me 99 said:
That's a right good drop in SWR's.. Are you sure you had the antenna tuned proper before you added the ground plane ?
Click to expand...
That's what I'm thinkin' Me.
Like I said beofre, I thought I had it pretty good before. Like ~1.2:1 with the amp off. The dual needle meter I use is kind of hard to tell the precise SWR when the power is below 4 watts.
Now the reflected watts barely moves and I can tell it is right around 1.1.
Like I said, I'll pay the $24 to get the proper tune now, radial or not.
I wish I could simply remove the radial and do a true comparison test. Not worth it though.
 
karo said:
I asked how this antenna is mounted, on the roof of the vehicle or mirror mount or what? this will determine how the antenna will be tuned more than anything else.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I misunderstood.
It is a mag mount in the center of a f/s pickup truck roof.
 
Some argue that the GRK raises the coil off the body of the vehicle which helps the antenna work better. Others say they work fantastic, but they are selling them.

Its junk and you got duped......too. But, this is how you learn!

If this kit actually worked, don't you think Wilson would have made and sold them?
 

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