Five minute portable 40m GP antenna

[VK4BZ]

Hi, folks.

Attached is a link to my latest antenna project - a portable ground plane antenna using a squid pole that attaches to the bull bar of my Navara. Best of all, it takes five minutes to set it up and get on the air. Oh, yeah - with a tuner it works on all HF bands. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsGXJxNkfb8

Have a look, like it (if you do) and let me know what you think.

I will add that since I did the vid, I have had to add an earthing strap from the radial screw to the vehicle chassis to stop the rough RF on my transmission.

Cheers!

John VK4BZ

[VK4ADC]

John

I also use a squid pole for some of my portable operation although mine attaches to either the caravan front back via permanently attached vertical tubes. I can also attach it to the back of the twin  cab via an adapter to the L-mount normally used to hold a helical HF whip while travelling.  I use the vehicle chassis (or van chassis) as the ground plane rather than radials along the ground. I will take some photos of the L-bracket arrangement next time I have it in place and add them to this topic. I already have some van mounting photos but will need to locate them amongst the multitudes.

My squid pole is of the 7M variety so the 7 metres of wire down the middle doesn't make the 1/4 wavelength on 40 metres but via a 4:1 un-un at the base and an LDG Z100 tuner, it will match on all bands 80 metres upwards. It even works on 6 metres.. I have a switched toroidal inductor (or another conventional cylindrical one) that I can include at the bottom that allows me to match on 160 metres too.  Not efficient but at least the radio will deliver full power to the "matched/synthesised" load.

Keep up the videos..

Doug VK4ADC

PS - Mine takes less than 5 minutes to put up  

[VK4BZ]

Thanks, Doug. I am interested in the various ways people do antennas for portable - particularly caravan portable - operation. This whole 1/4 wave GP squid pole thing is for when my wife and I finally get the van and get on the road. The van arrives next May, but I'm doing all my planning and prepping. So, would like to see the photos you have. Yeah, I used to use a 7m squid pole that Ray VK4CF gave me some years ago, but I find the 12.5m one gets more wire up higher (hmmm, that rhymes) and so works far better. I was on 40m this afternoon and was getting some excellent reports. One thing I have changed is I now use a grounding strap from the wing nut holding the radials onto the balun (alligator clipped) to the chassis of the truck - and all my spurious RF on the signal issues have been resolved.

Five minutes really is arbitrary mate...the fact is the thing goes up quickly...

Cheers!