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Antron -99 and Aluminum Mobile Home ?

Switch Kit

Switch Kit

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2005
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If I mount the thing along side the motor home (like up front near the passenger side rear view mirror along side the aluminum onning leg that holds up the canvis about 5 feet up which leaves the first 2 section above the roof of the motor home) it's a 3.0 match )-: ......When I take the antenna down and lean it up against the motor home only leaning the middle section of the antenna against the canvis onning I get a flat match (-: can I somehow isolate this antenna so I can getaway with the first place I tried to install it ? I would really like to be able to attach the antenna to the aluminum moter home rather then to use a push up pole. thanks folks. (I said aluminum but it could well be tin as well , IM not really sure at this time)
 

Something ain't right here...that's a 1/2 wave antenna, not a 1/4 wave. It doesn't require a groundplane to get a good match. Do you have any pictures of the location where you got the 3:1 match? A picture may be just what we need to isolate the problem.
 
I'll see if I can't take a few pic's. I thought this thing would work without any problems )-: Thanks guys , I'll see if I can't get a few snap shots.
 
i may be off the mark here but think of the distributed capacitive coupling to ground that you have with it mounted to and right beside the metal motorhome as compared to what it would see if mounted in a regular fashion on a pole,
leaning it against the canvas away from the metal should not detune it much imho.
 
as I said , leaning it on the canvas the match was good ,along side the canvas's aluminum leg (it has 1 on each side of the canvas ,one front and one back) the one towards the front and just high enough to get 2 sections of the A-99 above the roof 3 match , so IM guessing it's seeing something it doesn't want to see even though it seems like an ideal place for the antenna , I did make sure that the antenna and bottom part where the rings are did not come in contac with the aluminum (or tin) leg , but IM now guessing it was close enough to cause the 3.0 match on the A-99 , or about this distributed capacitive coupling you speak of . That is sure over my head to say the least , but I think IM getting a clue here. I also asked if I could somehow isolate the antenna somehow ? Thanks for the post Bob.
 
its over my head too switch :LOL: the only way i know to stop large conductive objects screwing with your antenna causing you to have to retune it is to not have any too close to the antenna, maybe somebody knows a way to make it work just where you want to mount it,
good luck.
 
Thanks alot Bob and Ed , Your buddy might have a fiber glass motor home and then I would think ??? that with the A-99 he may not have the same problem that I do with the all tin and or aluminum motor home ?? IM truly guessing here all the same. I just got to believe there's a way to make this work !! I've seen A-99s in trees ,attics' the long way , up chimminies, on 4 foot chain link fences , poop pipes on roofs. ect. ect. Hmmmm ?
 
If I'm understanding the description correctly, part of the antennna it's self was touching a part of the vehicle. Might not have been actual 'metal' to 'metal' contact, but it's closeness would have been enough to 'de-tune' the antenna (or 'tune' the antenna, however the case may have been).
What would be the chances of attaching a swivel, tilt-over, or some such mount for a mast of some kind, on the side, or rear, or the front of the motor home to put the antenna on, that would get it above the top of the vehicle? Mount the antenna on top of the mast, poke mast through the swivel/tilt-over thingy, stand it up straight and let the base of the mast hit the dirt/concrete. Store mast and antenna inside the awning when you role it up. Work for you?
- 'Doc

PS - Can't resist it! Make the mounting system hydraulic. Or, train S.W.M.B.O. (She Who Must Be Obeyed) to do it. [You can think it all you want, but would advise you never to define SWMBO to her!]
 
Well noted W5LZ , need to get the 99 away from the motor home ,IM guessing the motor home is a good 10 feet high by itself , friend is now talking about a push up pole ,using it as he comes and goes. IM guessing here ? but maybe a piece of good rubber or maybe even a good rap of electrical tape around the aluminum part of the Antron before mounting to the push up would isolate it once it was up at least 10ft above the home. Appreciate the help here guys. Thanks
 
Your motorhome must have a lot more metal in it than mine. If the antron matching syste is too close to other metal it's not going to work, but aren't the bodies of most motorhomes fiberglass, with only a few aluminum studs here and there?
 
This is a 1976 Winnabago Brave , as I said before ,it's either all tin or aluminum all the way around and the roof as well. There is a coating of lacker or whatever it is they use ,but it's surely metal of some kind all the way around.
 
I guess if I actually had read the subject line of the post I would have seen that it's an aluminum motorhome LOL!
 

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