Foldover vertical roof mount antennas?

Dumb question(s) maybe but I'm just thinking out loud.    Is there such a thing as a remote controlled roof mount fold over vertical antenna mount?  For example using a 23' vertical marine antenna such as found at http://www.sgcworld.com/whipantProductPage.html.  But I'd like to have some kind of system where it's mounted on the 5er roof and I push a button and it goes vertical.

1) If this would work then I'd want some kind of supports for the middle and end of the antenna.  Something U shaped with rubber on the inside.  The end of the antenna would be within easy arms reach of the rear ladder with some kind of lock system so the antenna doesn't vibrate while in transport.

2) Then there's the question of ground plane.  Some kind of metal tape running out from the base of the antenna?  Or, even better, get the RV company when building it to put "tinfoil" right above the ceiling similar to a vapour barrier?  If so you can get 24' trips of copper foil.  How should those attached to each other to ensure a good clean RF contact?

Am I nutz?  ;D

Tony,

You're not nutz!!  I just had the local U Mechanical Proff have one of his students design one for me.  I have a 23' Shakespeare 3 to 30 MHz antenna that I am going to mount on the roof of my MH.  Tarheel antennas make one for screwdriver antennas but say it will not work for the bigger antennas.  Shakespeare makes supports for the antenna, pricey but very nice, they can fasten the antenna down but that would require getting on the roof to extend or retract.  I plan on just letting it rest in these brackets while traveling.

I am using a linear actuator to raise and lower the antenna, 12vDC @ about <3amps.  I will take a picture tomorrow and send it to you via private E-Mail.  I have some work to do on it still, powder coat the aluminum, change fittings to stainless steel, add fiber washers, work out the grounding internal to the fixture - between pieces, etc.

As to grounding to the RV/MH, my MH has aluminum framing so am tying the antenna and fixture to that.  They have used this method on other things so I am thinking it will work, hope, hope!  Well it does work for my CB, and VHF/UHF antennas.

I was at the Quartzsite Ham fest in January and there were a lot of Shakespeare marine antennas on RVs.  All that I looked at up close were manually activated or set up after parking.  Many were attached to the ladders and just used a rope to pull the antenna vertical and then tied it off to the ladder.  Again Tarhell antennas have picture of this type of thing on their web site.

If additional grounding is needed, I will probably use AL foil strips like are used for sealing some insulation although copper would be easier to bond together.  I have a lot of copper foil strips but they are only about 1/4" or so from my stained glass days.  Either will bond directly to the roof although some caulk would really nail them down.

I am mounting the antenna near the front of the MH so it will lift from there and rest toward the rear.

One other thing, I have a friend that did this years ago and found he could work 40m NVIS while travelling.  BG

BTW, there have been some articles on this in QST  some years ago.  You might try searching the archives at the ARRL and see if you can find the articles.

I hope I have given you some help.

I believe it is tarheel that has a lift. It has plate with an actualor, like a piston that moves the bracket up with the antenna on it.

I've seen it on a Motorhome and also on the ladder of a Class C

Some folks use something like  a boat winch on the ladder with a pivot at the top of the ladder.

Stop by Jim's and try his out, he's staying home awhile and won't need it.

Russ WB3FQI/VO1

I got some photos today, hopefully they are not too big for the message.

Jim Godward said:

I was at the Quartzsite Ham fest in January and there were a lot of Shakespeare marine antennas on RVs. 
<snip>

If additional grounding is needed, I will probably use AL foil strips like are used for sealing some insulation although copper would be easier to bond together.  I have a lot of copper foil strips but they are only about 1/4" or so from my stained glass days.  Either will bond directly to the roof although some caulk would really nail them down.
<snip>
I hope I have given you some help.

Click to expand...

Quartzite is very high on my list of todo's!

Why not post your photos and description at eham.net?   

I was thinking that if I bought a new 5er I'd get the manufacturer to install the copper (or other metal) foil on the interior while they were building it.  Below the rafters and the vapor barrier just above the interior ceiling.  The interior ceiling being the layer that you the inhabitant would see (and ignore) all the time.

Yes, glad to hear that I'm not the only one to think of this.

Tony

crosscountry said:

I believe it is tarheel that has a lift. It has plate with an actualor, like a piston that moves the bracket up with the antenna on it.

Click to expand...

Aha, yup, they do have one near the bottom of http://www.tarheelantennas.com/mounts.  $459 but hey, given what else I'd be spending .... 

In thinking about this I think I'd lower the antenna every time I was away in case of some high winds.  Just being my usual pessimist self.

Thanks muchly.

Such a thing as a motorized fold over vertical antenna roof mount.

Yes, i've seen them.. don't recall where but... Well, the world's largest hamfest was..... Last weekend (Dayton Ohio)

I am going to go back there in a few years and this time I'll climb up to the choir loft adn sing with Maureen and the rest of 'em.

(Maureen is my "Choir Exchange" person... She sings in my church. I in hers.. She's better than me though (Well bolder, She has a CD, or at least should have by now if they got it re-mastered... Long story there... Kind of funny but it was not HER fault the original master tapes.... Both of them... Got eaten by the recorder)