What is Best all around 2 m & 70 cm vertical for contest roving?

[n6ze]

For a lot of my typical contest roving, I use an FT857 (single antenna port for 2m & 70cm) with 17” dual band mag mount vertical.

I know that some rover stations have better results than me when operating in this fashion.

What specific brand & model might be best to use?

Bt73
Pete, n6ze of cn87tw & dm04ne

Sent from my iPhone

[Mark Spencer]

I use a short Larsen antenna on a mag mount (basically a 1/4 wave 2M antenna with some form of loading coil in the middle for 70cm) with a shock spring while roving if I feel a need for a short dual band mobile whip antenna.   I usually take it with me but don't always use it.   

I'd be surprised if there was much difference between the various popular brands but almost all my vertical mobile 50 Mhz and up antennas and mounts are made by Larsen so I don't have much to compare them to.   I purchased most of this stuff over 10 years ago and don't know if they are still available.   

I typically mount them on the roof of my crew cab pickup which I believe was one of the last ones Ford made with a steel body.  (I am not much of a fan of fender mounted antennas for roving.)

Hope this helps and 73

Mark S

VE7AFZ

[Mark Spencer]

Sorry I should probably add that I typically use a longer Larsen 2M antenna for 2M FM when roving.    I don't really use the dual band antenna all that much but I do take with me most of the time.  

[Ed Cole]

The 50-MHz 1/4 WL Larsen base-loaded whip works fine as a 5/8WL 2m whip.
I have one just for 50-MHz mobile as I use a dual-band Comet whip on
144/432. Also have a Par-Angle horz loop for 2m-SSB on my truck.

When I worked for a 2-way radio shop we installed a lot of Larsen whips.

Ed - KL7UW

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[Mark Spencer]

Thanks Ed that is helpful.   I also have a couple of Larsen 1/4  wave 50 Mhz whips (one cut for 50.125 and one cut for 52.525)    I used to listen for band openings by listening to 50.125 while roving and the 1/4 wave whip was handy for use while driving.  Later I found they worked well as basic HF receiving antennas for listening to WWV for setting the time on the laptop clock when running FT8.  

Larsen antennas seemed very popular in BC in the 90's.   

It also seems that the dual band Larsen antenna I usually carry with me is still available (although the brand name seems to have changed.)

https://www.arcantenna.com/products/nmo270sh-2m-70cm-off-road-ham-antenna-utv-atv-144-148-440-450-mhz-spring-base

A suitable base would also be needed. 

73

Mark S

VE7AFZ

[Mark Spencer]

Also the whips I use on 50 Mhz don't have loading coils.  I believe the longer whip I acquired for use on 50.125 was a special order item at the time.    Much fun.

73

Mark S

VE7AFZ

[Mike Lewis]

I use a Larsen 2M 5/8w vertical with case coil trimmed to work on 6M on my truck for non contest usage.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device
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From: pnw...@googlegroups.com <pnw...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Mark Spencer <nets...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 7:36:56 AM
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Subject: Re: [PNWVHFS] Re: What is Best all around 2 m & 70 cm vertical for contest roving?

 

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