2010 Mobile HF Antenna Shootout! PLEASE CHECK SHOOTOUT RULES As part of the Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association 20th anniversary Big Event Celebration the MVARA held a mobile HF Antenna contest during our May meeting. 
The event was held at the west end of the parking lot near the intersection of 12th Ave S. and Crossing Meadows Dr. in Onalaska, WI. This is the site of the Old Wal-Mart store west of Festival Foods store. 
The MVARA invited anyone to participate to see how their HF mobile Antenna compared to others. The only requirements were that you have a valid amateur license, be able to transmit a signal on the 75/80 meter band and be able to adjust your power to between 20-50 watts of output. Mobile Antenna had to be street legal at the time of the testing. 
The commercially made antennas competing were Hamstick, Hi-Q, High Sierra, Tarheel, Predator and one Homebrew antenna. 
We set up a test range to measure the gain (field strength) off of HF mobile antennas at a distance of one wavelength with a max power of 20 Watts output. Four readings were taken with the vehicle pointing, West South East North. The measurement point was 250 feet away using a Potomac Field Intensity Meter model 41. Measuring millevolts (3/10) of a volt. A Bird 43 watt meter was installed inline at exsactly the same point to verify all radios produced a maximum power of 20 watts to the antenna during the shootout. 
The same 75m freq was used for all tests. 
These readings were done at about one wavelength at zero degree take off angle. The award ended up being bragging rights for the most effective HF mobile Antenna setup in the Coulee Region! What would be really cool is to have use of a lift to be able to elevate the Field Intensity Meter to a see what the 30 degree takeoff angle reading would be.... Sounds like fun! How about next year? Seven mobile HF stations participated in the shootout to see the results please visit the Results of the MVARA 2010 Mobile HF Antenna Shootout Nine mobile HF stations participated in the shootout to see the results please visit the Results of the MVARA 2011 Mobile HF Antenna Shootout Six mobile HF stations participated in the shootout to see the results please visit the Results of the MVARA 2012 Mobile HF Antenna Shootout HOME | 
