Since I moved my antenna a little bit higher by using a self-made pole and keeping away from my house main wall I had a very significant airplane increase (about 100 per day more). Now, I was thinking to connect the cable shield to the railing balcony and use it like a reflection plane. The railing is about 2 squadred meters and I would connect to the coaxial cable shield by a short wire. Do you think this may be helpful for a signal improving ? I use to do when I was a young CB amateur radio and using a bazooka antenna, but the frequencies was quite different (27 Mhz instead of 1000).
It really depends on the antenna. Some benefit from a decent ground or counterpoise, and some are OK without it. It might help, but it also might not, so the only way to find out is try it.
Hello Caius, yep! As per my past experiences everyting was based and discovered by multiple and pratical attempts. Theory may helps and address you into some improving of course. But not enought. Today I Connect the wire to the big railing and I will report the results here just to share with other my experiences.
Do you mean to the ground line of the building? It’s certified and working but I really dont like the idea. I learned in the past that a good reflection plan may improve the signal received. That is why I was looking for some ring like the ground plane of the railing. I am not looking something that normally is for discharge the voltage dispersione. This antenna remind me the old “bazooka” I had when I was young for CB use. It’s like a dipole without the wire Connected to the shield side.
You could bounce your idea off some professional 1090 antenna designers and builders at Vinnant.sk. Myself and a lot of other Flight aware trackers use their antennas. Good luck your bazooka.
A reflector will block, or at least attenuate, signals from behind it. If there is no air traffic from that direction, fine, otherwise the benefit in the opposite direction may not be worth it.
Since there was also mention of a ground rod, is it really a reflector or a ground plane?
Oh my I would never.
I love ham radio. I know. We (as hams) know a little more about. Antennas than non-hams. Tnx for getting back to me. Plz. Be. Proud to be an amateur radio operator.
56 years of AM radio/antenna experience. I have a ICOM Ham base station style radio that I repaired the power supply on to turn it into a functional radio but I let the license process slide as I found the little bit of chatter I found was not conversation but a lot of signing in and reporting location and clearing the channel for the next sign in. Probably didn’t have the proper frequency for conversation but I wasn’t supposed to talk anyhow. I enjoy the heck out of both local and long distance AM radio. It’s amazing how many AM radio users there are throughout the USA and even Europe. With great conditions I have been able to have a conversation with the British lads. Sirio Gainmaster 5/8 wave is my ground plane of choice. Wonderful antenna right out of the box. 1.0 SWR out of the box.
Hello Dxista, actually it’s just my balcony railing and it’s vertical and not like an orizontal plane. Just on the right low of the antenna.I have connected a ground wire on the shield (a bolt of the antenna bracket and very close to the N connector) but the other side is not connected yet to the railing.
Anyway mine is not too bad, it’s the FA antenna thay provide with the version 11, cable and plug are good quality and the antenna too, if I am not wrong should be around 5,5 dB gain.
(27 Mhz instead of 1000).
