driving with a 102-108 ?????

[BOOTY MONSTER]

im thinking about trying the 108 inch antenna that MFJ sells . ive read comments about the full length antennas laying back in the wind when driving and causing signal fluctations on both tx and rx as well as comments about the vswr going up when its laid back . i was wondering if folks that use or have used them can give their opinions about those concerns (just how big a deal are they) and their overall opinion of them . MFJ's 108 can be had for $39 shipped .
MFJ Enterprises Inc.
hey robb , who do i contact to get a free one for a review ?

 

[packrat]

Yeah,

I remember those problems. Most guys just removed the spring, but some either clamped a piece of rubber radiator hose over the spring. I have even seem the spring wrapped tightly with some sort of tape. I have seen heavy duty springs, too. They looked pretty stiff.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

"The MFJ-1966 is a 108" solid stainless steel mobile whip with 3/8 x 24 threaded connector."

there is no spring or spacer in this , its just a straight 108 inch stainless steel whip (probally tapered) , and no coils to shorten it .

 

[Robb]

Moleculo is the one that gets Ham gear for review from MFJ.
But thanks for thinking about me first!

 

[W5LZ]

I wouldn't get too worried about the SWR changing with the whip moving around. They all do that to some extent, and it doesn't get that bad anyway. If a fluctuating SWR upsets you very much, just don't watch it! It's going to 'wiggle' a bit just from passing traffic, so it's a fairly common thing.
Depending on the type of mount you use, that 108 inches of antenna will probably be too long. Remember, that mount is part of the antenna's length too. (That's one reason why MFJ made the thing 108 inches with an easily removable ferrule, so it could be shortened.)
And the correct length for a CB whip antenna is very debatable, so I won't bother going into it. A lot depends on how you do the tuning, as in what kind'a meter etc. I'll bet you can guess which I think would be best for that.
Have fun!
- 'Doc

 

[mackmobile43]

Guys used to tie a length of heavy fishing line about mid way up the whip and that took care of 95% of this issue, if you're not too vain it's just the ticket.

 

[SR385]

I drive around with one now and have had them many times over the years.

I have no idea what people are talking about with them laying back so far as to scare following cars....they must have used tiny mirror bracket shortie springs or something.

All the ones I have wobble about a bit when you stop etc, but once they settle, they stay put.

They are pretty much indestructible so, yes, you will smack them on things but nothing will happen as a result.

I've run with and currently without the spring on the Hustler SS ball mount, with no problems.

Bandwidth on them is pretty huge, somewhere in the range of about 2MHz or so. Without the spring a 102 winds up centered on 10m SSB, with it, it drops it down into 11m. The 108" is likely to put it in the middle of 11m for 2:1 tuning range.

I even had one drilled through the middle of the roof of an old VW Beetle heh, looked like a remote control car.

If you really want to go nuts with a lifetime mount, this guy makes pure industrial artwork for mounts. BREEDLOVE MOUNTS I didn't know of him until I'd already mounted the Hustler ball or that's what I would have gone with.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

thanks guys

and yes Hank does some very nice work . he seems to be a very nice guy on the phone too .

 

[KF7IUH]

Brredlove mounts are the cats meow for sure. I am running there mount. He will go the extra mile and then some to take care of you.

I drive around with one now and have had them many times over the years.

I have no idea what people are talking about with them laying back so far as to scare following cars....they must have used tiny mirror bracket shortie springs or something.

All the ones I have wobble about a bit when you stop etc, but once they settle, they stay put.

They are pretty much indestructible so, yes, you will smack them on things but nothing will happen as a result.

I've run with and currently without the spring on the Hustler SS ball mount, with no problems.

Bandwidth on them is pretty huge, somewhere in the range of about 2MHz or so. Without the spring a 102 winds up centered on 10m SSB, with it, it drops it down into 11m. The 108" is likely to put it in the middle of 11m for 2:1 tuning range.

I even had one drilled through the middle of the roof of an old VW Beetle heh, looked like a remote control car.

If you really want to go nuts with a lifetime mount, this guy makes pure industrial artwork for mounts. BREEDLOVE MOUNTS I didn't know of him until I'd already mounted the Hustler ball or that's what I would have gone with.

 

[The Jerk]

Forget the 108 and buy a radioshack 102. Buy a piece of 3/8"x24 all-thread and grab a few extra brass connector nuts from the local cb shop...use the all-thread as your spacer, and adjust for 1:1 SWR. I have less than $50 in my setup, with over half of that in the HD stud mount (I use one of those "cheapie" mirror mounts on a headache rack).

Mine will tick-tock side to side about 3 feet, and lays back quite a bit; but its because the antenna is that limber, not because of the mount. To the tip I'm about 12 feet, but the only thing that really gets me are low underpasses and trees...in two years (and over 50k miles), I've only bent one. I did run one for a few miles with the barrel spring, that antenna would tick-tock more than five feet side-to-side, and would lay way back...the reason I eliminated the spring.

I have a 1:1 SWR on all 40 channels, and it doesn't change even with my 4-pill. I have talked skip and AM, it performs better than my Wilson 5000 roof-mount. The most obvious drawback is the length, and what you hit with it. I did see an SWR change with layback when I ran a spring, but since installing the all-thread, I have little change in SWR at any speed. I attribute the SWR change with the spring to the movement of the spring electrically...even though there is a center braid through the spring, the spring still lengthens and shortens (and the braid does too).

At $20, a radio shack 102 is a hard deal to beat.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

ive been to lowes , home depot , ace hardware , plesants and none of them carry 3/8 x24 all thread . i can find 3/8x24 nuts and bolts and ive been thinking about making a spacer using them with one inch diameter threaded steel pipe about 4 inches long and the caps for the end . my truck is a hair over 6 ft to the roof so the tip will be at 15 feet . i really really really wanna try a full length mobile antenna , but im still kinda concerned about exceeding the 13 1/2 foot max height here in va too .

 

[W5LZ]

Try an automotive supply house. Found a 'shackle'-U-bolt of the right thread and it was 'case hardened' if I'm not mistaken. Cut off one side of that 'shackle' and used it as a spacer for an antenna once. Had a 'nut' welded onto the other end. That's been some time ago, all that @#$% may be metric now.
- 'Doc

 

[Quiksilver]

Radio shack has 102" whips for $20 bucks!

 

[Chainsawgang]

102 " FEVER

ive been to lowes , home depot , ace hardware , plesants and none of them carry 3/8 x24 all thread . i can find 3/8x24 nuts and bolts and ive been thinking about making a spacer using them with one inch diameter threaded steel pipe about 4 inches long and the caps for the end . my truck is a hair over 6 ft to the roof so the tip will be at 15 feet . i really really really wanna try a full length mobile antenna , but im still kinda concerned about exceeding the 13 1/2 foot max height here in va too .

BOOTY ,


If you find a way and a parts list to do the spacer instead of the 6 " spring , let us know . I'm wanting to do the same thing and try a 102 "

I GOT the 102" FEVER !

 

[mackmobile43]

BOOTY ,


If you find a way and a parts list to do the spacer instead of the 6 " spring , let us know . I'm wanting to do the same thing and try a 102 "

I GOT the 102" FEVER !

There is the 5'' shaft from the wilson 2 or 5k trucker which has 3/8x24 threads and if it's not long enough the 10'' can be shortened and re-threaded.