Rollup Slim Jim antenna

[fremont]

Candidly, this is more of a VHF question than a GMRS question but still applicable to UHF......

 

Looking at a field antenna (tripod, etc) for hunting season. Thinking of VHF more from a safety/emergency/Wilderness Protocol perspective than communicating with the group--that'll be done via GMRS/FRS and a mobile unit if we need 25w.  Looking for something easily portable and simple.

 

• Is a rollup antenna like Ed Fong's workable with a long (30'-ish) telescoping fiberglass mast? 

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• Do you simply connect another piece of RG-58 to make it long enough? (Would you need to move up in coax size, too?)

 

• Will the antenna's proximity to the mast adversely affect it?

 

Any other advice and/or considerations appreciated--thanks.

[GuySagi]

I can't tell you how effective the roll-up design is, but I can attest to the fact that "base" (same type of design) works awesome. I've owned one his students tuned for MURS and have a GMRS tuned one on my roof right now. They work well, and he's a decent person when he'll send personal answers to my dumb questions. Plus part of the profit goes to underwrite educational expenses of his grad students building the antennas....in my mind those last two points set him well above the other makers of similar systems. 

 

Wish I had a more technical answer. I'm extremely confident someone here does, though. 

[fremont]

I've owned one his students tuned for MURS and have a GMRS tuned one on my roof right now. They work well, and he's a decent person when he'll send personal answers to my dumb questions. Plus part of the profit goes to underwrite educational expenses of his grad students building the antennas....in my mind those last two points set him well above the other makers of similar systems.

I just learned about him and am impressed re: what you said above plus the fact that--at least pre-Covid--that he would give free presentations to local ham groups (or via Zoom for those further away).  Sounds like a good guy.

[SteveC7010]

Just use a non-conductive pole for the upper part of your mast if you’re just going to hang the roll-up from the top of the pole.

 

I have my Ed Fong antennas inside Schedule 20 PVC per his suggestion. There’s enough pipe at the bottom to fasten to whatever you use for a mast without interfering with the radiation.

[Radioguy7268]

Tripod? Use a string & a decent sized rock to hoist your roll up slim Jim up to the highest branch your throwing arm can reach.

[BoxCar]

Use a weighted line and toss it over a tree branch. use the line to pull  the antenna vertical, no need for poles or tripods.

[drk1970nj]

Can’t speak for vhf but on uhf I have and still is getting 10 miles or

More out of the slim Jim