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Re: [RFI] WAY OT

To: Joe <wa6rkn@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RFI] WAY OT
From: "Roger (K8RI)" <k8ri@rogerhalstead.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:29:51 -0500
List-post: <rfi@contesting.com">mailto:rfi@contesting.com>

Joe wrote:
> But...maybe not.....
>
> I take delivery of my new Corvette next month.
>
> This has the potential of creating a nightmare for me, amateur radio wise.
>   
Maybe, maybe not.  We do this sort of thing in plastic...er...fiberglass 
airplanes all the time and their electrical and ignition systems are 
antique in planes fresh off the assembly line.  I've had to create a 
ground plane out of a sheet of think aluminum (round, square, and odd 
shapes) and sometimes I had to reposition the Coax but they were fairly 
easy to set up. 

Actually you don't have to worry about bonding the body to the frame as 
there is no metal connection to make noise, that is a plus not a 
negative.  You might have to ground the electrical system to the frame, 
although it may already have been done.

The only short coming is *probably* the need for a ground plane under 
the antenna.  In my TA I used the metal frame around the rear window as 
a ground and mounted on of the "on the glass" antennas near the upper 
portion of the window where the metalizing was not continuous.  It 
worked just fine. A 60" Diamond collinear it was not, but it doe work 
well. It worked far better than some of the comments I've heard about on 
the reflectors.
> Fiberglass body and all...I am not excited about drilling a hole in the body 
> anywhere for an antenna.
>   
Use a hole saw, that way you won't have to drill it<:-))  I had the same 
problems with the TA which is why I decided to try the "on the glass" 
antenna.  There is a vast difference in performance between makes.  I 
had one that had a pair of loading coils in the base that goes on the 
outside.  I never did get that one to work. OTOH with the simple 2-meter 
only antenna I was working 440 repeaters out to about 25 miles with my 
TM-D700. (I also have the RTM-D710) No noise problems at all.  I hope 
you are as lucky with the radio operation... The car?  I had an suv pull 
out in front of me and T-boned him. It put the right front wheel of the 
TA back in the passenger compartment. The bottom of the dash was against 
the firewall all the way across.
I wrapped the steering wheel around the column but didn't get a scratch 
on me. OTOH I was punchier than I would have been with 2 six packs on an 
empty stomach.  Wasn't even sore the next day.

The body didn't even look bad,  that is until you looked under the hood 
or inside the passenger compartment. It was about 3' shorter than 
original. That car had stopped so quick all the antennas were pointing 
straight forward.  Sure looked strange.

73

Roger (K8RI)

> So..my question is:  How do I go about installing an antenna on the car for 
> my 2 meter/440 Kenwood radio?  (TM-D710A)
>
> I forsee a noise (RFI) issue, as well as a ground plane issue.  I am fairly 
> confident that I can handle the noise, but the ground plane...
>
> Hmmmmmmm.
>
> Any thoughts?  Or anyone who is experienced in these type of fiberglass body 
> installs that someone here could recommend to me?
>
> Many thanks in advance!
>
> Joe Wolfe
> WA6RKN
> Reno, Nevada 
>
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>   
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