Mole',
Making the 'usual' assumptions (meaning no direct experience with the thing), it appears to be a typical multiband (pre-screwdriver) mobile antenna. The big difference that I see is that unlike the usual antenna of this sort, the coils appear to be mounted to a short shaft before being mounted to the adaptor to the lower shaft. No idea why, don't see as it would really make any difference unless the lower shaft can't be made longer for some reason.
It's polarization is vertical even if the two 'loads' are bent over at that angle. The 'angle' won't really make that much difference, at least at HF. It'd 'slew' the radiation pattern a little bit, but it's still omnidirectional. Another affect of the 'tilted' loads is that they would have a little more reaction to 'ground', sort of like a capacitive hat, and the overall length of the antenna would be slightly less than if they were both standing up straight (that's more of a 'reach' than anything, not all that useful).
It appears that the loads aren't connected electrically to the lower mast, from what I can tell from the picture. (Took the picture before finishing the antenna? Beats me. And whats the wire thingy on the one to the right?)
-OR- ... Is this an attempt to to use two complete antennas and just have them mounted higher than normal?? I think that would make more 'sense' than anything else I can think of. It would be like two dipoles connected to a common feed point. They would interact some, but still 'do-able'. Still predominantly vertically polarized. Too lazy to even try to model the thing! Would it work? Ought to. Would it be 'better' than something else? Uh, don't know, what would be the alternatives?
Would I want to drive down the street with that thing on my truck? Naw, I'l stick with the BugCatcher...
- 'Doc
