DX Activation Plans
Part Four
Antenna Selection (Static Mobile)
There are quite a range of aerials available on the market and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes as well as all sorts of different prices.
When thinking about DX Activations what types of aerial would be best to use and which are affordable?
As we have said in previous posts there are a number of different setups or station types that can be used on a DX Activation and so different types of aerials can be used.
Here are some ideas about which types of aerial may be suitable for each type of station.
Static Mobile
There would be a few options around aerial selection when planning to do a DX Activation running static mobile.
There will be two basic options for this. Aerials that can be mounted and used on a veichle and those which can be erected close to but not part of the car.
First let's take a look at some truly mobile aerials.
Springer Aerials
There are some very compact aerials available which are built to the required length for 10M/11M band operation without being overly tall by having part of thier length wound into a coil like a spring.
These are ideal for using in a car because of thier short height and make them a less obtrusive option than some of the larger choices on the market.
While their compact size maybe attractive because if thier short height they do not generally achieve tremendous ranges and work best for veichle to veichle communications such as on a road trip with buddies. They are also favoured by the 4x4 community since when off-roading cb radio is often used to keep in touch with each other.
Check out the Thunderpole Orbitor Mini
Check out the Thunderpole Orbitor Mini
Whip Aerials
Whip aerials were very popular during the heyday of CB Radio and displaying a long wire whip aerial and as they were easily visible on a car meant that it was easy to identify another veichle as a fellow CBer.
There size almost became something of a status symbol since the longer it was the better it was. These oversized whip antenna though could be problematic because if thier size. Sometimes bending when driving at speed or causing problems when trying to get under low bridges etc.
In terms of DX activations there are some great whip antennas which offer good ranges when in high ground. Some of the favoured aerials for DX activations from static mobile stations are the K40 and the Siro Megawatt 4000.
Check out the Siro Megawatt 4000
Check out the Siro Megawatt 4000
Fibreglass aerials
Fibreglass aerials tend to be slightly more durable than whip aerials but do have some degree of flexibility and come in a range of different sizes. For me they have the added advantage of being interchangeable with other aerials I use on a mag-mount fixed to the car which means that when I get to a DX location I can pop off the standard whip aerial I use on a day to day basis and deploy a larger Fibreglass aerial such as a Firestik when I am on high ground and stationary. The Firestik comes in various lengths ranging from 3ft right up to 7ft
Check out Firestik KW Range
Next time we will take a look at Homebase aerials!
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