using a 5' firestik as a base antenna

Best bet for a cheap base antenna is to use a 102" whip and mount it to something as high as you can get. Then use (2) 102" lengths of copper grounding wire as your ground radials. Just try and point them down at about a 9 degree angle and it should tune close to 1.1:1 and it will talk and receive just fine.

 

It doesn't have the squeal, that has been removed by request of the new owner. I tuned it up and had it on the air for a day, did pretty good. I didn't want to get rid of it but all the brownings are going except for one mark 4 set I am going to tear apart for other reasons.

 

I used a standard large cook sheet - metal - that is I think is the large one, I took this out of the pantry and my daughter is rather ticked off that I took "her" cookie sheet.

 

And that provides a suitable ground plane? I thought a lot more metal was needed.

 

I don't know how to explain it, it seems to work for me but not the best, it isn't like my p-500 hygain.

 

I'd go to the junk yard and find a nice flat hood or trunk lid. Probably get it for little of nothing.

 

it would work i guess but not unless you run a copper ground from antenna to the ground but me personally wouldn't waste my time as you can get a base antenna used for cheap.

 

Why would you need a ground, you are using an artificial ground with the mag mount.

The reason i set it up was because of the situation, the radio was in the front room and my radio shack isn't and the new owner was on his way. I wasn't going to string a jumper from the jumper panel all the way to the front room when I had a mag mount and a cookie sheet that I could use in the hall right off the front room. The purpose was to allow the new owner to hear the radio without dragging it into the radio room and setting it up then taking it down - I don't have a lot of room in it right now until I sell of some stuff.

 

Put one of these on it

CB Wilson Firestik Francis Astatic Cb Radio Antenna Ground plane 3/8 x 24 Black Tip Mirror Trucker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1GSLMW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jVR7ybV05TK5Z

 

You need as much square foot of metal as the wavelength in quarter.

IOW, a CB antenna at quarter length is 9 feet. Thus for a CB antenna you need a 9 foot by 9 foot square piece of metal for best results.

A 2 meter ham antenna would need a 19"X19" piece of metal.

The cookie sheet someone mentioned might work on a 2 meter ham antenna, for certain on a 70 cm ham antenna.