On 7/16/2017 10:37 AM, Fred Jensen wrote: > The Southern Pacific RR [now Union Pacific] used 160 MHz DDRR antennas > on some of their signalling equipment. Generally on top of a big steel > box beside the track(s). Had a base plate bolted to the box, and a > single 25-30 cm element, parallel to the top of the box, spaced about > 6-7 cm above it. The whole antenna looked like it was cast in one > piece.
Not only the SP, but many other roads as well. That antenna - the Excalibur by Sinclair - was one of the most popular locomotive antennas and is also used on signal equipment boxes because it is almost indestructible. It was originally made to go through a bus wash rack undamaged! We used them on a series of trucks because of their ruggedness. They are still being made but they aren't cheap - the VHF version is in the $150 class. Depending on the manufacturer, there are two versions, the "exposed" solid-metal version and one in a fiberglass radome. > For 20 m, it would be significantly larger, but might be disguised > as, or in, a roof rack. A lot of folks drive around with stuff piled > on their cars these days. We installed a 30-40 MHz version in a fiberglass radome on one truck - it looked like an inverted canoe! I would put a VHF version on the family car but the wife settled for a mag-mount. I'm not sure how it would work with a 2m/440 rig - there's a separate 450 MHz-band version. -- 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 >From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
