Looking for ideas for an inexpensive mobile Ant.

[KG0MN]

Has anyone used a ham stick antenna for a mobile antenna? I swapped some stuff for mint IC-7000 and I would like to run it for a short time on 20 meters for the County Hunters. Since I will primarily be operating on a single band the expense of a screw driver antenna is to much. If that plan doesn't work out I have a small TH3-JR antenna that I may used parked with a tire supported mast.

So open for suggestions as to a decent antenna for a decent price.

 

[w9cll]

I have used a 17 meter "Hamstik". They run about $20 and work fairly well 20 and above. MFJ sells them, Jet Stream and if you can find it a true Ham Stick (they are no longer in business). You will need a 3/8x24 mount but any "Cb" type will hold it. Avoid the shorty type as performance will suffer.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I have used the MFJ version of a Hamstick and have worked all over the world on 20m SSB while mobile.

 

[KG0MN]

thanks guys that good info. I have a buddy coming over and he is going to loan me a Hustler antenna system which will hold 3 resonators, think he said it is set up currently for 20, 40 and 80 meters which would be decent bands for day and night time driving. Once they date on the trip are firm up if anyone need ND or SD counties or just need them for WAS perhaps I can help you.

 

[M0GVZ]

Most of the mobile antennas are fairly equal on 20m and up. Its when you get to 40m and lower that the differences become quite pronounced.

 

[mr_fx]

I have worked a lot of 20m stations using the Workman 20m hamstick wanna be, I bought mine used at a recent hamfest and so far I have worked:

Guatemala
Nicaruagu
Italy
Canada
Australia
South Africa
Fiji
Mexico
Japan

all in the mobile in the morning on the way to work over the last month or so many of these I have worked multiple times

 

[Moleculo]

I've used various brands of "hamsticks". They are what they are and you can have a lot of fun with them. You can do better with other mobile antenna designs, but there's something to be said for easy to install, cheap, and fun.

 

[WA8ZYT]

My best DX on 17 meter mobile, was about 800 miles east of Moscow, total distance of 6080 miles with a hamstik type antenna and 100 watts.

There is an article on the eHam website about making a hamstik type antenna more efficient. You strip all the wire off and use some coil stock and #14 wire to make it into a "bug catcher" style antenna. I think it is around page 26 in the articles section of the website, if anyone is interested.

 

[doctor]

HAMSTICK

I used one for a few years on 75 meters with a ft7, wrkd very good with 20 watts wrkd all over INDIANA, Illinois and OHIO....
DOCTOR

 

[Onthecoast]

Has anyone used a ham stick antenna for a mobile antenna? I swapped some stuff for mint IC-7000 and I would like to run it for a short time on 20 meters for the County Hunters. Since I will primarily be operating on a single band the expense of a screw driver antenna is to much. If that plan doesn't work out I have a small TH3-JR antenna that I may used parked with a tire supported mast.

So open for suggestions as to a decent antenna for a decent price.

What is County Hunters? And what kind of vehicle are you putting it on. I have a mount on top of my xterra, but I would have problems trying to run a 8' hamstick up there.

 

[KF6IRK]

I run with 'Ham-Sticks': a 40M vertical and a 75M (at 45 degree angle for NVIS) on the same ball mount (with a thicker clone of the Hustler VP-1 plate). The mess is mounted atop the camper shell on my Toyota Tacoma.

Band switching is automatic, works similar to the Hustler resonator set up you mentioned. I use an LDG Z100 tuner to fine-tune the SWR - works great.

Yes, there are more efficient antennas ...