uhf aerial

Those aerials are really nothing more than "wank rods".

I have an 800mm stainless steel antenna that mounts on the gutter line of the roof. This at least matches, if not out performs the big white ones people mount on their bull bar.
Around town, the 800mm is replaced by a "rubber duckie" and even this, sitting up on the roof is adequate for most situations.

Why anybody would choose to spoil their view with a big piece of "white conduit" erected in front of them, confounds me.

Bill.

Peter ,

The only graphite in those white aerials , is where they mark bits with a grapite pencil . They are fibreglass .

That aside , they are a bloody good aerial and as tough as nails . If you have cracked it , I would check that there is no water in it and then seal the crack with Araldite or two part epoxy . I would imagine that the coil inside is not affected ( unless you have noticed some change when using the radio ).

I would not bother with the shrink plastic . I think it would make branches "stick" to it instead of sliding along it . I reckon it would cause you more damage with it , than without it .
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Sandman ,

I have a white PE on my bull bar , and I am very happy with it . I never notice it's there . Not too stiff and it's very sensitive .They say that size is not important , but ..........

I guess if it ever breaks , it might be said to be suffering from a reptile disfunction .

I had a stainless steel wire shaft type with a coil halfway up it . This broke at the bottom after too many wobbles on the corrugations . I put on my spare one ( same type ) and after a while that broke too .

Willie.

I have a 2m white wank rod. We rod wankers don’t care about looks –just performance. My antenna man says the extra height will give longer range and improve contact with truckies behind if you are towing a large van. This aerial is rock solid – with a large spring coil base – I have taken it over thousands of ks of rough corrugations particularly around the tip of Cape York – I can’t fault it and I have seen lighter aerials fail on these corrugations. Another of the reasons I went for the longer rod was that it is 200mm higher than my caravan’s air conditioner and I use it as a height gauge.

Gday Peter

I also have the fiberglass GME aerial and they work very well.
However on our most recent trip I started to get a lot of static and the transmit and recieve range dropped to around 3kms.
When I removed the aerial there was a distinct rattle inside it, I took it back to GME and they ended replacing it even though it was around 4 months out of warranty...cant complain with that.
I know others that have used them for years with no probs.
They definately have a much better range than the normal aerials.

Cheers

I have a wank rod also...
Works for me , i guess there are heaps of us wankers out there..

Cheers......Borgy

I've broken a black phone one (broomstick), so although the size & frequencies are a bit different, the principle is the same.

I tapped mine up with electrical tape - it hadn't completely bleep tered, so could get enough strength to keep it together.
A mate got some heatshrink for his - it works well.

The one or two antennas I've inspected the gizzards of contained a plastci strip with copper (presume it was copper) strips running the length. It seemed evident to me that the fibreglass was simply a structural aid - kept the copper upright, with some protection.

I'm not sure if you've broken one, or just wondering what happens when/if one does break.

However, I would agree with the previous post - ensure moisture can't get in. If you can keep it rainproof and pointing the the right direction, I wouldn't be worried about cracks in the fibreglass.

I'm no expert but my experience driving all over the country tells me HEIGHT is the key everytime.

Without going into a long spiel....my 6db black Ariel mounted on the front bar, is not as effective as a little steel one mounted on the roof. And there is a BIG difference in range.

Just last week I was on a farm in Northampton. The owner had a Wank Rod on his front bar. It was very disappointing in performance.

I don't know why.

Hi Rocky
I have always thought that the higher the db the longer the range of reception and transmission, but it is a more direct line of sight type of signal where as the lower the db the better reception and transmission in hilly type terrain. So if in flat plains you would have a high db aerial if you spent more time around the high country in VIC a lower db aerial would suit better. Obviously the higher the aerial the better as it enhances the line of sight for transmission.

Mattie

Hello everyone sorry I havn't been at computer all day and missed all replies. Thanks for your input. You cleared one thing up re the composition of aerial outer being fibreglass I always thought it was graphite. I haven't broken one yet but over time things happen and inevitable may happen and I may have a broken aerial for what ever reasons. I have in past had all types of uhf aerials the stainless steel type which snapped off at base over some corrugations and the fibreglass whips which were great but when I set my current vehicle up the radio guy said that the white aerial types were more consistent and robust over corrugations but had to be careful of snapping them from overhanging trees. I have two sizes a short aerial 3.5db and a longer 4.5db which suits me for all my needs.
No one has really answered my question re the workings of the aerial after cracking the case. I suppose the case doesn't have anypurpose except protecting the wire inside. As long as the wire hasn't been cracked the radio should work and also protecting wire from water ingression.
I wanted to cover aerial with the bike tube to protect it from flying objects and would like to know if this rubber would alter its signal output and input. I know that longer and higher the aerial the better things get but does covering aerial affect its performance. Also what can you use as an emergency aerial in this scenario and can you lay it on ground or does it have to be vertical. On my hf radio I can use a piece of long wire and lay it on ground. Does it work for uhf. cheers peter