earl

I thank you all for your suggestions and help. The reason I ask about building in place of buying is two fold. First while I have access to a small salvage yard I do not have access to money. I live on around $1000. per month. That being the case a $50.00 purchase will require saveing for several months. The second reason I want to build and not buy is that I want the knowlage and experience of building the antennas. I guess I should have mentioned that.

The #4 radio is being setup as a bag radio. It will stay on the atv most of the time but can be used as a carry around.

Thank you for your sugestions. I also found this site http://www.packetradio.com/ant.htm Would you recomend a ground plane for #1 and a J-pole for #3. Would the 45 watt of the 805D blow out a antenna off of a hand held ?

I am looking to build some antennas to use with some of my kenwood 805D radios. the first 2 of these will be installed on a base station Antenna 1 Priorities are: low cost, ease of build, low swr. Antenna 2 Priorities are low swr, durability, max range in one direction. Antenna 3 This antenna will be a field deployed on a 20' mast at a camp site Priorites are Maximum Durability, ease of erection, low swr Antenna 4 This antenna will be used on an atv Priorities are small size, safe for the atv rider nothing to poke in the eye or back, low swr Antenna style recomended for each application and reason why, building tips, exact measurements My skill set includes drilling soldering, welding, cutting glueing My materals available include ridgid copper pipe, solder joints, plastic pipe glue joints for plastic pipe, coper wire of varied sizes. several car radio antennas. some old CB antennas including long steel whips. a large old fiberglass base station CB antenna (radials are gone) Several pieces of coax some with ends some without ends Several old parts radios with coax ends other parts misc. I know I am asking for a lot of advise. Thank you for your help.

I use a computer UPS unit with a bad battery replaced with a automotive battery as a power supply for my Kenwood 805D radios This lets me have communications durring power outages, keeps my battery charged, and lets me charge cell phones or other low draw ac durring a power outage.

I use Kenwood 805D radios for comunication between my house, shop, and trucks. I also use a realistic HT on my atv when I am around town or out at the farm 1 mile away. I am located so rural that I only ocasionaly hear anyone other than my family on any of the GMRS frequencys. With my shop antenna at 8' obove ground I can reach out 10 + miles to my truck. I have used this equiptment for several years. I have had Zero problems withth is equiptment. I am planing on setting up a radio at my father in laws house a couple of blocks away due to poor to no cell service and his health and age requires better communication. Land line phone is out of the budget. I highly recoment the kenwood 805D radios. One major advantage is the fact that they are front panel programable.