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Category: NewsI’ve sold quite a few J-Pole antennas to Campers, RVers, Search and Rescue Teams, and outdoors people. A good antenna on a mast will greatly increase your communication range especially if you are using simplex frequencies.
The concept of setting up a base of operations is the same regardless if you are using the 2 meter amateur radio band, MURS, or UHF GMRS bands. My base setup consists of a 2 meter mobile radio, 18 amp hour gel cell battery, eight foot painters pole, and a 2 meter J-Pole antenna. When we are camping or I’m working as part of an event. I set up my base station and go to it. The battery has enough power to last the entire weekend and the short mast and J-pole is usually enough to hear just about every other station I’m working in the event.
VHF communications is primarily line of sight, so the higher you can get your antenna the better. This is especially true if you are using portable radios or are in a heavily forested or hilly area. You may require a taller mast for effective communications, but seldom will you need something taller than 10-15 feet for temporary use. Your terrain may also be way to rugged for effective communication. In that case setting up relay stations may be in order to keep everyone in communication.
Good luck with your base camp operations and please send me your success stories using the J-Pole antenna. I’d love to hear them.
Now that Spring has finally arrived, us dwellars of the colder climates start to think about antenna maintenance and replacement. I know I’m looking at my own antenna system and making plans for improvement and maintenance. I also have some trees that will need pruning back so they won’t interfere with my wire antennas.
The other harbinger of Spring is lightning and severe weather. I’ve been asked quite a few questions over the last two weeks about lightning protection. Here are my guidelines for a safe antenna installation:
In the field, nothing beats the simplicity of a J-Pole antenna. I’ve seen quite a few J-Poles utilized for emergency and event communications; more so than any other type of antenna. With all the antennas on the market, why do hams always fall back on this type of antenna. There are several reasons:
- Size. The 2 meter J-Pole is less than 6 feet tall. The breakaway model folds down to under 36 inches. The antenna is small enough that it can fit in the trunk of your car without taking up too much space.
- Performance. The J-Pole has about 2.5db of gain over a 1/4 wave antenna. It’s a half wave design, so it has a doughnut shaped radiation pattern; sending more RF energy to the horizon than the sky. Also, building the antenna out of 1/2 inch copper tubing both increases the bandwidth and reduces the noise floor of the antenna. You’ll get better reception capabilities and a wider range of operating frequencies.
- Cost. Probably the biggest factor; the J-Pole is inexpensive. You can dedicate this antenna to Emcomm use without breaking the bank. A similar single band commercial antenna is $80 or more; the 2 meter J-Pole is under $30.00.
As an active ARES/RACES member, the J-Pole is part of my go kit. If I didn’t recommend it, I wouldn’t sell it.