Date:         Fri, 24 Jan 1997 00:19:40 -0600
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Johnson <bjohns@dtx.net>
Subject:      Antenna Solution

I installed a mag mount on my Vanagon.  I installed it on the front, right
below the Fiberglass top.  I used a m-359 right angle adapter (RS 278-199)
to re-orient the antenna to the upright position. Of course you can put a
90 degree bend in the antenna without any loss of performance.

Bill
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>>>>>Hi all: A few months back someone sent a great sounding suggestion
about fiberglass tops and ground plane problems with antennas. I like
the idea of attaching a small round galvanized steel plate in the center
of the top  with silicon and then attaching a magnetic antenna to it. As
I understand it, with this setup on fiberglass you don't have much, if
any, ground plane. I think the suggestion was to run wire, apperently 
available at a CB supply shop around the antenna in as large of a star
shape as the room on the top allows. The more points on the star the
better the ground plane will be. I can't remember if you have to ground
the antenna to the star wire though. I'd like to try that on my Westy
when I can make the time. I just have a gutter mount and can tell that I
just don't have the antenna that I need to have the power that the
trucks seem to have on the freeway.

Todd Francis
86 Syncro Westy
91 Tristar<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<