I use these Hustler resonator antennas a lot. They are great for fast deployment and work all over the US and a few DX stations. They work especially well when i sit along the coastal water in Corpus Christi TX. I don’t use any counterpoise. I use an old CB antenna mount bolted to the truck grill. Keep using them brother, you’re doing great.
The Hustler works well and to me is the only way to go. Mounted mine on a Toyota (camper style ) with an alloy back enclosure over the bed AND a counter poise UNDER the van the full length and across the front section under the van and bull bar The fold over helps when bringing it into the garage had no SWR problems ,have no choke keep it simple and it works Now one thing that bothers me a bit is if there is stray radiation , would it react to my vans computer ? So far no ! I have earthed all panels the old way with jumpers of screen type cable even the spare wheel mount , and do not forget to rust proof the connections - and have had NO noise from the van at all What will make differance is the QUALITY of your coax cable For the best fun use the best cable , tight screening ,remember if you are going so far as to go mobile then do it correctly and have loads of fun do not cut corners keep it safe do it right first time and have all the fun instead of fault finding That takes the fun out of it
This was a very informative video Frank. Moving HF in your vehicle is a bit of a animal. I bolted half of a mirror mount to the back corner of my truck bed. I attached a Hustler mobile HF antenna to it that I bought online. It has 80, 40 and 20 meter resonators. The 40 and 20 tuned up pretty well without a tuner and perform well. The 80 meter resonator will not tune though. I don’t have any sort of Balun or RF transformer inline and my thoughts were the grounding system (I placed a counterpoise on the ground side too but to no avail) or a damaged resonator. I’ve even been bitten by RF coming back through the radio on the metal clip on the microphone. My rig is a Kenwood TS140 mounted to a homemade wooden ridge mount. On 40 and 20 I routinely receive and am able to contact stations between myself and the eastern seaboard from my home in Illinois. I’ve also received Dutch and German stations on 10 meters but unable to talk back because of SWR. I’ve been told that the resonator is the radiating element and the mast played no part. This would help lower the antenna height attaching a shorter mast to it, if this is true. I would like to try POTA one if these days when time allows. I hope to catch one day on the airwaves. 73 Carl KB9HPM
Hello Carl. Glad your mobile radio is doing well. I have problems with 80m, I just have one contact. As for 40, a vertical antenna has always had high SWR, like 1.8 - 2.3. I have noticed that my screwdriver antenna, Tarheel does a better job - like 1.2 - 1.8. I'm not trying 10m yet, but I heard many are loving it. Good luck. -73
Frank, thanks for your enjoyable video. As I enjoy operating from my car also I have also noted your changing SWR issue.. My experiences suggest that this becomes a bigger issue the lower the frequency you use. Your car roof is only so large and lower frequencies require larger ground planes. So when I set the SWR on my 10m Hustler it stays constant no matter how I arrange the coax, but when I connect a 20m Hustler small movements of the coax shift the SWR. I found this same problem when using a 1/4 wave antenna over a metal ground plane screen, approximately the same area as the car roof top, at home. I also prefer using higher frequencies to maximize my chances of making DX contacts (MUF..maximum useable frequency). I have chosen to use the Hustler 22" mast and 3 magnet "death grip" car mount...Yes it takes some practice taking it off of your almost new car roof top!
With an antenna such as a wire antenna or a Mobile antenna with a mast or resonator radiation will be proportional to what I will call ampere-feet. If you have six foot long antenna and one amp flowing everywhere along it you have 6 amp-feet. However the current on an antenna is not constant, it follows a somewhat sine wave distribution with zero at the end and building up to maybe maximum at the end of a halfwave element. With a mobile antenna you do not have a halfwave but maybe only six feet, so you put a loading coil in. Where that coil goes makes a big difference. The Hustler coils are located near the top in order to place the most current between the feedpoint and the coil. Remember, the current is zero at the end and builds up slowly till it hits the coil. Then it jumps to a much higher value for the remainder of the antenna. With the coil at the bottom you get a small current over 6 feet, but with the coil at the tip top you will get a much larger current over the antenna length and hence a larger amp-feet result. The longer the mast below the Hustler coil the greater the amp-feet you will have and consequently the more radiation. Simply put current flowing straight over a distance along a conductor causes radiation. Larger current creates more radiation. For a 40 meter antenna, 10 amp for 6 feet is more 1 amp for 6 feet but 1 amp for 60 feet is the same as 10 amps for 6 feet. Sketching the current distribution along a antenna can illustrate where the standing wave of current is maximum and in general that portion needs to be high and clear. The center of a dipole has high current and it is the part that needs to be long and straight. The ends can be bent or loaded with a coil with minimum loss in your amp-feet because the current near the ends is low. DE N4DJ
Thanks so much for this Frank! I was looking for a mobile solution for the car as I miss operating in the cold Canadian winter. Slightly concerned about high radiation so close to me though 😬
A Added mast does change swr . I’ve witnessed it my self . Comparing to 1 foot to the 3 foot mast yes it makes a difference. I’ve had contact to. Venezuela after I got the 3 foot mast and swr got better .
Hi Frank, Just worked your POTA on 20 today saw the link to your channel and thought I would check it out. Years ago I have done mobile HF from a ford Escort wagon using mag mount antennas and an Yaesu FT900. It worked fairly well. Those were Hustler Antennas as well. These days I only do mobile HF when camping and and I use a Yaesu FT991A with a Buddipole system. The only Issue I have is RFI from my travel trailer or the RV's and 5th wheels around in the campsite. Never had that problem when tent camping. Anyhow nice video. One of these I plan on doing a POTA activation Myself.😊 73 KD6VUM
Thx Larry for watching. At the moment I’m testing a hatchback mount for the hustler as well as for the wolf river coil. You only issue I’m having right now is receiving audio. Average my signal reports are stronger compared to the ones I receive. I need to find a better way to get better reception sometimes.
I love my car too. Unfortunately the turbo is now making oil. It has 235,000 miles. she’s 11 years old. Now I gotta think about maybe getting a new car. Maybe an outback or cross track. Good luck with setting up your HF antenna on the car. There’s a lot of metal and it should work.
Was wondering I have the same setup but using a tri mag mount and I’m using the hustler 3 in 1 adaptor for the mast so I have 20m, 15m and 40 the swr on 20 and 15 are low but I cannot for the life of me get the swr on 40m below 5:1 I’m thinking I’m gonna need to to add a counterpoise
It’s been very hard to get low SWR on 40m without a tuner. Some people will add some capacitance where a small device or even a small coil. I use a small coil on my screwdriver antenna. But 40 is very hard to get. So I use a tuner unfortunately. But when using my screwdriver antenna, the coil does help.
I use hustler mobile antennas on my suv mounted on the rear door driver side about 5.5 high with the 22 in mast. Works great on 40 meter. I also have a 30 meter coil but I get a loud ignition or spark plug pulsationg noise. Don't know if it's the band frequency but on 7 Meg hardly any. My next one will be 80 meter coil. I do cw only cause I have a sdr qrp radio.
I stared off with a Hustler, they are great. I had an issue in that they are too heavy for my mount, and having them on a mag mount was inconvenient. I've never been able to get 40meters to resonate without a tuner on my car. Still tryin to find that magic combination of the right mount and antenna. Good luck.
@@frankwc0o yeah I have a comet lip mount on mine and uses 4 mounting screws instead of the usual two. The rm coils are big and heavy so I use the standard size with a tuner. I also use fishing line for a tether, 50 ib line to try and take the strain off the mount.
@@davezinetti666 50lb line, that is a good idea and it's not as visible. I'll check out the comet mount, I like the K400 diamond mount, it has done well for me.
@@frankwc0o I'm pretty sure it's the same as the one you mention. For the tether fishing line, that's why I used it, hard to see. I used to use 1/4 in nylon rope and was too visible. Made it look like crap.
That seems like a lot of loose wires and solar panels etc flapping about in the wind for mobile use. A single magmount with a large antenna like that hustler I can't imagine that being safe on a highway. Portable sure, but mobile I'm not seeing it. If you are using your car as a shack, that can't move without putting all your stuff away first, then you're /P not /M.
I use these Hustler resonator antennas a lot. They are great for fast deployment and work all over the US and a few DX stations. They work especially well when i sit along the coastal water in Corpus Christi TX. I don’t use any counterpoise. I use an old CB antenna mount bolted to the truck grill. Keep using them brother, you’re doing great.
The Hustler works well and to me is the only way to go. Mounted mine on a Toyota (camper style ) with an alloy back enclosure over the bed AND a counter poise UNDER the van the full length and across the front section under the van and bull bar
The fold over helps when bringing it into the garage had no SWR problems ,have no choke keep it simple and it works
Now one thing that bothers me a bit is if there is stray radiation , would it react to my vans computer ? So far no ! I have earthed all panels the old way with jumpers of screen type cable even the spare wheel mount , and do not forget to rust proof the connections - and have had NO noise from the van at all What will make differance is the QUALITY of your coax cable For the best fun use the best cable , tight screening ,remember if you are going so far as to go mobile then do it correctly and have loads of fun do not cut corners keep it safe do it right first time and have all the fun instead of fault finding That takes the fun out of it
This was a very informative video Frank. Moving HF in your vehicle is a bit of a animal. I bolted half of a mirror mount to the back corner of my truck bed. I attached a Hustler mobile HF antenna to it that I bought online. It has 80, 40 and 20 meter resonators. The 40 and 20 tuned up pretty well without a tuner and perform well. The 80 meter resonator will not tune though. I don’t have any sort of Balun or RF transformer inline and my thoughts were the grounding system (I placed a counterpoise on the ground side too but to no avail) or a damaged resonator. I’ve even been bitten by RF coming back through the radio on the metal clip on the microphone. My rig is a Kenwood TS140 mounted to a homemade wooden ridge mount. On 40 and 20 I routinely receive and am able to contact stations between myself and the eastern seaboard from my home in Illinois. I’ve also received Dutch and German stations on 10 meters but unable to talk back because of SWR. I’ve been told that the resonator is the radiating element and the mast played no part. This would help lower the antenna height attaching a shorter mast to it, if this is true. I would like to try POTA one if these days when time allows. I hope to catch one day on the airwaves.
73
Carl
KB9HPM
Hello Carl. Glad your mobile radio is doing well. I have problems with 80m, I just have one contact. As for 40, a vertical antenna has always had high SWR, like 1.8 - 2.3. I have noticed that my screwdriver antenna, Tarheel does a better job - like 1.2 - 1.8. I'm not trying 10m yet, but I heard many are loving it. Good luck. -73
Frank, thanks for your enjoyable video. As I enjoy operating from my car also I have also noted your changing SWR issue.. My experiences suggest that this becomes a bigger issue the lower the frequency you use. Your car roof is only so large and lower frequencies require larger ground planes. So when I set the SWR on my 10m Hustler it stays constant no matter how I arrange the coax, but when I connect a 20m Hustler small movements of the coax shift the SWR. I found this same problem when using a 1/4 wave antenna over a metal ground plane screen, approximately the same area as the car roof top, at home. I also prefer using higher frequencies to maximize my chances of making DX contacts (MUF..maximum useable frequency). I have chosen to use the Hustler 22" mast and 3 magnet "death grip" car mount...Yes it takes some practice taking it off of your almost new car roof top!
With an antenna such as a wire antenna or a Mobile antenna with a mast or resonator radiation will be proportional to what I will call ampere-feet. If you have six foot long antenna and one amp flowing everywhere along it you have 6 amp-feet. However the current on an antenna is not constant, it follows a somewhat sine wave distribution with zero at the end and building up to maybe maximum at the end of a halfwave element. With a mobile antenna you do not have a halfwave but maybe only six feet, so you put a loading coil in. Where that coil goes makes a big difference. The Hustler coils are located near the top in order to place the most current between the feedpoint and the coil. Remember, the current is zero at the end and builds up slowly till it hits the coil. Then it jumps to a much higher value for the remainder of the antenna. With the coil at the bottom you get a small current over 6 feet, but with the coil at the tip top you will get a much larger current over the antenna length and hence a larger amp-feet result. The longer the mast below the Hustler coil the greater the amp-feet you will have and consequently the more radiation. Simply put current flowing straight over a distance along a conductor causes radiation. Larger current creates more radiation. For a 40 meter antenna, 10 amp for 6 feet is more 1 amp for 6 feet but 1 amp for 60 feet is the same as 10 amps for 6 feet. Sketching the current distribution along a antenna can illustrate where the standing wave of current is maximum and in general that portion needs to be high and clear. The center of a dipole has high current and it is the part that needs to be long and straight. The ends can be bent or loaded with a coil with minimum loss in your amp-feet because the current near the ends is low.
DE N4DJ
Super chill vid. Got the info I needed. cheers.
Thanks so much for this Frank! I was looking for a mobile solution for the car as I miss operating in the cold Canadian winter. Slightly concerned about high radiation so close to me though 😬
That’s very true. I have to do a radiation survey. I’m sure there is a potential hazard even with 80 W.
A Added mast does change swr . I’ve witnessed it my self . Comparing to 1 foot to the 3 foot mast yes it makes a difference. I’ve had contact to. Venezuela after I got the 3 foot mast and swr got better .
Hello Jorge. What is your callsign, I want to check my logs. Congrats on the antenna.
Thank you for the QSO from Chino Hills State Park. I am new ham and new to POTA. Nice video.
Super, what was your call sign?
@@frankwc0o kn6slx, we had 55 to each other 6.5 miles away.
@@kclin0968 Ha... Yes, I remember now. Good luck. -73
Hi Frank, Just worked your POTA on 20 today saw the link to your channel and thought I would check it out. Years ago I have done mobile HF from a ford Escort wagon using mag mount antennas and an Yaesu FT900. It worked fairly well. Those were Hustler Antennas as well.
These days I only do mobile HF when camping and and I use a Yaesu FT991A with a Buddipole system. The only Issue I have is RFI from my travel trailer or the RV's and 5th wheels around in the campsite. Never had that problem when tent camping.
Anyhow nice video. One of these I plan on doing a POTA activation Myself.😊
73 KD6VUM
Thx Larry for watching. At the moment I’m testing a hatchback mount for the hustler as well as for the wolf river coil. You only issue I’m having right now is receiving audio. Average my signal reports are stronger compared to the ones I receive. I need to find a better way to get better reception sometimes.
Very helpful for a Noob like me , thank you! Nice car! I have one of those in the UK :)
I love my car too. Unfortunately the turbo is now making oil. It has 235,000 miles. she’s 11 years old. Now I gotta think about maybe getting a new car. Maybe an outback or cross track. Good luck with setting up your HF antenna on the car. There’s a lot of metal and it should work.
The S series handles 1.5 KW no problem, ask me how I know 🙂
Was wondering I have the same setup but using a tri mag mount and I’m using the hustler 3 in 1 adaptor for the mast so I have 20m, 15m and 40 the swr on 20 and 15 are low but I cannot for the life of me get the swr on 40m below 5:1 I’m thinking I’m gonna need to to add a counterpoise
It’s been very hard to get low SWR on 40m without a tuner. Some people will add some capacitance where a small device or even a small coil. I use a small coil on my screwdriver antenna. But 40 is very hard to get. So I use a tuner unfortunately. But when using my screwdriver antenna, the coil does help.
I use hustler mobile antennas on my suv mounted on the rear door driver side about 5.5 high with the 22 in mast. Works great on 40 meter. I also have a 30 meter coil but I get a loud ignition or spark plug pulsationg noise. Don't know if it's the band frequency but on 7 Meg hardly any. My next one will be 80 meter coil. I do cw only cause I have a sdr qrp radio.
I stared off with a Hustler, they are great. I had an issue in that they are too heavy for my mount, and having them on a mag mount was inconvenient. I've never been able to get 40meters to resonate without a tuner on my car. Still tryin to find that magic combination of the right mount and antenna. Good luck.
@@frankwc0o yeah I have a comet lip mount on mine and uses 4 mounting screws instead of the usual two. The rm coils are big and heavy so I use the standard size with a tuner. I also use fishing line for a tether, 50 ib line to try and take the strain off the mount.
@@davezinetti666 50lb line, that is a good idea and it's not as visible. I'll check out the comet mount, I like the K400 diamond mount, it has done well for me.
@@frankwc0o I'm pretty sure it's the same as the one you mention. For the tether fishing line, that's why I used it, hard to see. I used to use 1/4 in nylon rope and was too visible. Made it look like crap.
thanks, lovely setup congratulations 73 from kb2uew
Thx. It’s changed a bit, but has the same principles.
That seems like a lot of loose wires and solar panels etc flapping about in the wind for mobile use. A single magmount with a large antenna like that hustler I can't imagine that being safe on a highway.
Portable sure, but mobile I'm not seeing it.
If you are using your car as a shack, that can't move without putting all your stuff away first, then you're /P not /M.
Lmfao
I know, ILMAOLY
It was good to work you a while back N7ECV/qrp. Let's park to park one day!
Ya dude. Good luck. -73