HS Impressions

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NEW: Mobile Antenna Testing Results Part 1

Updates:

Oct 2004: finishing up the mobile antenna shootout

July 2004: Added antenna testing and more photos

June 2004:
Laptop crash so I decided to completely redo the site..


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	Here are my First Impressions, Mounting/Installation experience and some Observations.. My testing results will check if I did a good job!

	First Impressions: Ordering: The unit was easy to order. I was a bit confused by all the packages until I notice that really the “P” is the only one that is really different. I called up and the phone was promptly answered and my options explained. After placing the order I did want to change one option and by an exchange of emails, the change was made. The only problem: you cannot order off the web and the times they are open is not on their web site. So it takes atleast an email to find out where and when to call. This is a bit cumbersome... Opening the package: I received the antenna on the day they told me I would (good) It was well packed in bubble wrap within a cardboard container. Good too since the cardboard container was broken in a few places. (Not a good sign.) I tried to open the bubble wrap by tearing, but couldnt so I used some scissors. Bad Move. Ends up one of the three pieces of tape they used to hold the bubble wrap in place was directly over the wires coming out of the base of the antenna and I snipped off one of the connectors! First Impressions: The construction was solid. The antenna seems shorter than the tarheel and the coil a bit less in diameter. I had ordered the antenna in “green” and it was nice that it matched my truck well. (This was a very very low importance feature.) The manual is written quite forcefully, obviously trying to make sure the user installs the system well and does not call HS with questions. The manual quite forcefully makes the following points: The company wants you to make sure that the preventative maintenance is done. This includes replacing a spring twice a year, assuring good connections and waxing parts exposed to the environment. Grounding Grounding Grounding. The company insists on using strapping rather than braid. I actually have observed that braid does degrade over time. I have had to replace my braid ground straps around my truck from time to time. Safety: it is up to you! (Keep the total height under 13’ 4” to clear bridges. (That is even too high for my area of the country.) Becareful handling the RF Choke: there is one on the power leads. Than manual warns that it is easy to break this. (I didnt: whew!) HS suggests tuning with the radio. They suggest that testing with an antenna analyzer will not correlate to real operation at high power. I am not sure I believe this, so I will have to do some testing. Don’t call it a screwdriver! I see their point.. the early versions of this type of antenna used a motor from a power screwdriver. HS pitches there motor is of very high quality and I implied by their statement, they did not want to be put in the same “class” of motor of other designs. I get the general idea that the company gets alot of questions from folks and the manual was written anticipating those. There was one surprise: There was no reference to operation at 6m only 10M... I am a bit worried about this since this is one of the reasons I bought the antenna.. I am not going to worry about it now, but I am anxious to test this.

Mounting and Installation

The mounting is much better than the Tarheel. I had purchased the mounting bracket from HS. The bottom is a really neat “cone” like plug into which a mirror image at the bottom of the antenna mates to providing an RF connection. The manual suggested treating this with antioxidant (not very clear in the manual) and I happen to have some, so I put it on there. (I hope I have this right! Why didn’t they include some in the antenna package then?)

The top of the bracket holds a pipe clamp with wraps around the antenna to hold it in place. There is an insulator between the clamp and the antenna to isolate the RF and provide a nice cushion. This looks like a very nice mounting arrangement: secure and wont degrade in the sun. It is at the sacrifice you need to use a screwdriver to detach the antenna from the mount. (Maybe this is an advantage, to prevent theft. Your call!)

At the bottom of the mount is loading coil. Nicely tucked into the mount, this coil might be needed to load up on 40M. It happened to rain the day I was putting this on the truck and I notice that the height of the coil above the mount allowed water to contact the coil. (I moved it up a little bit to stop this.)

Installation: Since I had already installed the Tarheel I had a mount and coax to the place with the antenna is located. I am using an AMAC controller (not anymore: but that is another story!) which requires a switch in the antenna that makes a contact closcure with each turn of the antenna. HS had installed the required switch for me an brought this out to what looked like the end of home audio cable using a phono(aka RCA) plug. There was no reference to this in the manual (disappointing) The tarheel used a watertight connector used to connect trailers to tow vehicles. So I soldered back on a new phono plug after I sliced off the one that was there.

I was a bit disappointed in the use of this type of wire and connector.. Maybe one day I will open up the antenna and replace it. For now, I will make an adapter between this and the “trailer connector”.

Grounding: I had a pretty extensive set of grounds already installed. For this antenna I wanted to make sure everything was right. So I put a 1.5” strap right between the base and the sheet metal of the truck. I am sure this is more than enough!

Movement! After I connected the motor lead to my controller, Pushing the motor override buttons that directly control the power polarity, it did not seem the antenna moved! (oh no) I took out the voltmeter and checked the leads: yep +12 in one direction (up) and -12 in the other: so the controller works! I disconnected the antenna and tested there: voltages are good there too.. so the cables are okay...I tried again: now it works.. Ends up the motor is very quiet and the motor moves up very slowly. (The Tarheel is very noisy and moves quickly!) I simply did not notice that it moved!!! (How dumb!) So I am getting close. The low mechanical noise of the antenna is very nice! (That would have been a silly support call!)

Observations

HS supplied a manual controller that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and the antenna to move the antenna up and down. (When I did not see movement I was about to try this.) Since the wires on this were so short, I did not understand how anyone would use this without replacing or extending the wires. It really is of no matter to me since I am not going to use this approach, but it does seem strange!

The contact closure wire does not seem to be robust. I am not going to be too concerned about this now, but I will be investigating opening up the antenna and replacing this wire with something that can stand up to the weather a bit better.(I ended up opening the antenna and replacing this cable.. much better!)

This is not a Setup and Forget Antenna. The manual is very clear that the manufacture expects continuous maintenance. This includes the contact spring and some cleaning from time to time. On the flip side HS gives a 10 year warrantee which is quite impressive. I hope the company lasts so that I can buy replacement parts! (They do have a good history.)

HS sells a ground strap according to the manual. I must have missed this on the web site since I would have ordered one. While I suspect it would not be any better than the 1.5” strapping I am using, I would have been curious to see what they recommend. (back to top)


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	Copyright 2004 by Philip P. Thompson, All rights reserved.