The Golf Ball Retriever Vertical
Special to The ARS Sojourner
Get one that's made of aluminum and extends to 15 ft. Just remove the golf ball retriever end and replace it with a chunk of 1/4 solid aluminum. It will extend to 16-18 ft a nice fit for a 20 meter vertical.
I removed the handle and inserted 1/2" plastic plumbing nipple to insulate the antenna from the base, which is a small piece of 1/2" copper pipe with a copper threaded end that screws into the plastic nipple.
I used a 3/4 drill bit with a handle from a tap and die set to drill a hole in the hard ground. This makes a quick and easy setup. I have two because some times I set up phased verticals.
In order to make a good connection between sections you must use a hose clamp on each section. This also prevents the section from slipping and changing frequency. I also have the radials cut at 1/4 wave lengths with an eyelet soldered to one end. The nice thing about this is I also have the necessary stuff with me to construct a number of different antennas on the spot, depending on the opportunities that a new adventure may present.
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