Yes, QST in around 1967 featured the "mobiloop", which was similar. I
can't imagine driving around with one of those on the car today.
Bob WB2VUF
On 12/31/2010 4:33 PM, Bill Harris wrote:
FYI
wb2vuf's comments remind me of an article in CQ, early fifties (I believe) The
author pulled his 75 meter whip antenna over and grounded the tip on the front
bumper. The picture of the car was on the front cover; A Studebaker
convertible. If my memory serves me right, the author said it increased his
signal approximately 6 db.
This article was before the Korean Police Action. During the"PA", the Army did
utilize pulled over whip antennas on their communication trucks; A deuce and a half with an
HU17 com/hut on back, pulling a trailed AC generator. Mobile rig was a BC-610 xmtr.& a
BC312(?) Worked great for short skip.
There may be a few of you who still have a copy of that CQ issue. I'm still
looking for mine.
Happy New Year ya all.
BillHarris/w7kxb
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:28:18 -0500
From: wb2vuf@verizon.net
Subject: Re: [TenTec] New and Improved Terminology
We called it "short skip", during my misspent youth. From my Novice
days in 1966 to the present, I don't think I've ever had an antenna
higher than about 25 feet anyway. I work mostly 80 m traffic nets,
where we're more interested in covering the state than in DX. Years
ago, I put up a ground mounted trap vertical because there were no big
trees at the QTH. On 75m I couldn't be heard 5 miles away. I then
rigged a low 1/4 wave inverted "L" fed at the base of the vertical and
got instant statewide coverage.
Today, when I go on vacation with my Ten-Tec Scout, I rig a low 80 meter
dipole. Operating from a wooded lake valley, I get great signal reports
on 80, with signal strength at a range of 50 miles as good a my signal
at 5 miles.
I first heard the term NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) back in
1981. I was doing flight testing some navigation equipment at Lakehurst
Naval Air Station on NJ and I came a cross a couple of guys with a Huey
helicopter and an old Dodge M37 truck with some funny antennas on them.
They called the antennas shorted loops. They were sort of half loops
with the far end grounded to the helicopter tail boom or to the truck's
front brush guard. They were simultaneously developing these low-profile
antennas and experimenting with HF NVIS. The need for this in a
helicopter came out of the Viet Nam experience where it was proven that
a high flying helicopter is pretty vulnerable to ground fire. The new
aviation doctrine that evolved from that is "nap of the earth" (NOE)
flying where the helo flies low and scoots through valleys and ducks
behind hills. This kind of flying is not conducive to VHF line of sight
communication, hence the need for HF NVIS operation. HF NVIS was also
used during Operation Desert Storm, particularly since there were not
enough SATCOM channels to go around.
Anyway, it works for me and my operating style. I use a low 80 meter
dipole plus a low 65 foot inverted L as a backup. The big rigs (Paragon
and Corsair) do fine, but the system works well for the little rigs
(Scout and Century 22) which only run 20 or 30 watts.
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