On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:14:02 -0600, "Robert Swinney"
wrote:

Jim sez: It won't be a resonant antenna. But the car's body
will improve the signal seen at the input to the radio.

Tha's what Jerry has been trying to tell you. If by resonant you mean an
antenna that presents a transmission line with its characteristic
impedance -- then a whip, even though it is too short to be a 1/4 wave
dipole, will still be a better antenna if it has an approximation to a
ground plane under it. Jerry's car is part of the antenna!

The ground plane /EFFECT/ of the car body on the signal strength
from a 1/4 wave radiator proves to me that it has to be part of a
receiving antenna system - otherwise it wouldn't have worked back in
the bad old days, when I used to put a 102" whip on the very back
center of the car and drive around in tight circles fine-tuning the
Squelch and RF Gain settings. Do it in a few widely spaced locations,
and you can easily triangulate the source.

Hell, it even worked when I hung that same 102" antenna off the back
fender of a Schwinn Corvette 3-speed beach-cruiser bicycle, and
adjusted a 23-channel handheld mounted on the handlebars. Just took
longer (and a nice aerobic workout) to get to the Hidden Tee...

(One install where you were guaranteed no ignition noise. And
totally stealth, as long as you weren't winded.) ;-)

-- Bruce --
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
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