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Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:28 pm
by rescuelt
Should I use a base loaded low band antenna on the grounded radio box, or a ball mount whip?

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:58 pm
by akardam
I don't recall offhand brand/make/model of the lowband whips CHP uses on their motors, but I believe it's mounted on a metal crossbar just aft of the radio box. I would assume some type of base-loaded little-or-no-ground-plane antenna, but I'm not sure.

These are the only decent shots of the antenna mounting solution on the CHP BMW's I could find:

http://www.autospies.com/images/users/S ... otor_2.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/2743 ... b2.jpg?v=0
http://images105.fotki.com/v437/photos/ ... 1161736756

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:56 pm
by kg6ziu
What band are you using and what motorcycle will you be mounting this on?

Phil

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:14 pm
by WCHija
What kind of radio box are you using?

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:40 am
by kg6ziu
I mounted my radio in the trunk of the BMW that I had, and mounted the control head to a fairing brace by the triple clamp. On the antenna end of things, I took a spare whip and made a 1/2-wave counterpoise which was fastened to the antenna mount.

Phil

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:02 am
by WCHija
Whelen makes a ground plane that sticks inside the MBR series radio box. I thought BMW had something similar. It is basically a thin piece of aluminum with adhesive on one side that allows you to stick it up inder the lid of the box. Perhaps something like that would help.

Re: Motorcycle antenna question

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:34 am
by ka8ypy
rescuelt wrote:Should I use a base loaded low band antenna on the grounded radio box, or a ball mount whip?
If you have a good ground plane inside the box (i.e. has metal insides of the fiberglass box) then use the ball mount. If no metal in the box, then use the base loaded antenna.

Dan
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