Magnetic Antenna on a bike -- will it work? Post 1894.
If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkk65a3GMf8. K2EFG presents us with an intriguing idea: Could you operate on the 20 meter band using a magnetic antenna mount on a bicycle? The short answer is maybe, given there is little or no ground plane on a bike. VHF/UHF operation is doable, as several older youtube videos have demonstrated. But all is not lost. You could operate from a stationary position by attaching a ground radial wire to the antenna mount. Or, one could devise a small trailer or hitch with the antenna mounted about a foot/0.304 meters above ground to provide some capacitive loading as you pedaled along. With a little refinement, this bicycle HF mobile antenna has possibilities. Antenna experimentation is one of the joys of amateur/ham radio. K2EFG has a great idea that could create some new mobile antenna alternatives at minimal expense. For the latest...