Aerials, ground plane & ground plane independent.

[scott oz]

Hi all
I see there are a few posts recently on aerial. I’m moving my aerial to a mounting point on some steel headlight protectors I’ve just fitted.
So I should be fitting a ground plane independent aerial?
So if you mount an aerial on an alloy bull bar you should use a ground plane independent aerial as well?

[langy]

It's a variable answer: Think about why you have headlight protectors and also what you are going to use the radio for.

If it's short range stuff, then a short 1/4 wave stubby (normal ground plane) aerial should survive on the headlight protector. (And for that matter a bullbar - metal is metal, and it's the proximity of the bonnet that is the groundplane - sort of)

Long range stuff generally performs better and survives longer on the roof, either with or without ground plane depending on how you want to mount it ( Magnetic or gutter).

BTW, have a look at the 'Mopole' design at RFI website - it's a more compact and easier to install design compared to the other ground independent versions.