[net.ham-radio] Comments on portable 2 meter antennas

rjr@mgweed.UUCP (12/13/83)

The Radio Shack center loaded/right angle CB antenna will not work
on 2 meters.

The best way to go is either a right angle (elbow) coax connector on the
back of the rig and either a "duckie" or 1/4 wave whip.

Two things to be aware of when using a rig mounted antenna:

1) There is a lot of rf in the vicinity of the rig this way and the rf
   can get into the mic input and cause problems.

2) since the antenna will not have a perfect ground plane, an exact
   quarter wave (19 inches) may not be the length that provides the
   best impedance match. Many years ago we found out that a 21" whip
   worked best on the back of a Regency HR-2, for example.

Make your own whip and prune the length for the best results.

The best bet is to use an external antenna that can be hung up somewhere
(like the "J") or else a mag-mount type if it can be placed on a metallic
surface for a ground plane.

Bob,  K9EUI