Homebrew Antenna ?s

Does anyone have any good (CHEAP) ideas for a homemade Omni-directional antenna or a good mounting system to implement a can-tenna on my vehicle. After the destruction of my magnetic based omni-directional vehicle antenna(thanks to my friend), I salvaged the pig tail and adapted it to a homemade can-tenna. However, it becomes to much of a chore to try and have it positioned properly while driving. Id duct tape or bolt the F%&*ing thing on to my car if it wasnt a new vehicle. I live in an apartment and go to school 1200 miles away from my garage so i dont have any building equipment besides basic hand tools(which limits my design).

The main task is to simplify the construction of the antenna itself, using one of the plans below, for example:

The not-so-cheap route would be to get a kit from cantenna.com.

Even cheaper, however, would be to use the plans at http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

Then when the antenna itself is as compact and uncluttered as possible, attach it to something big, like a shoe box or a bucket. Seriously. If you find the right thing that fits on the seat of your car, or the dashboard, or in the back glass -- and is significantly larger in mass than the antenna itself, you should have no trouble controlling its position. I prefer a bucket with a few books in it myself. Attach to the object with something solid, like hanger wire or a clamp of some kind. Avoid duct tape for this.

Oh, and don't drive like a maniac while trying to pick up a hotspot.

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I live in an apartment and go to school 1200 miles away from my garage so i dont have any building equipment besides basic hand tools(which limits my design).

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What? So your school is across the country? It is about 1000miles from where I live in Pa to get to Flordia. Do you mean 12miles? Or your going to school and your garage is at home? :confused:

Look at this: http://www.freeantennas.com/. It might hold something of interest to you!

kurt

Your problem sounds to be makeing a secure mounting for the antenna on the vehicle..

The cantenna is a directional antenna.. wouldn't an omni dirictional antenna be more suitable on a vehicle? certainly be easier to mount and more tolerent to vehicle direction changes.. the links given are a great start..
check out these as well
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~elepal/antenna1.html
http://helix.remco.tk/
http://www.weijand.nl/wifi/
http://fermi.la.asu.edu/w9cf/yagipub/index.html
but these are for the antenners them selves.. not for mounting same on a vehicle..
Check out a CB or Ham Radio supplier for mouting equipment that will give you an idea for what you may be able to do yourself..

Ok here is what you do go out to the store and buy a clamp then attach the antenna to the clamp then you can attach it to any part of the car with out worring about damage you could also wrape tape around the teeth of the clamp to better protech the car. if you gave any more questions about antenna and stuff just PM me if you want i could give you a cuple of ways of making good cheep antennas if you want just PM me.

check out either

a) CB radio aerials, cos they have mountings for cars in the form of magnets or suction cups so you could get one of them and modify it?

b)military surplus, depending on surplus store and what they have you might find something here, I know ive seen some magnetic stuff at the one i go to,

also cant it just sit inside your car??

i2c

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b)military surplus,

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I don't think the Tuning Unit Antenna Matching Unit Would look cool on a car :D ................Sorry i'm an exe radio op.

Window mount for a whip Antenna is the way to go...........It's your ownly Omni opption, without a magnetic or suction mount.

Of course you could always bolt a couple of 12 m Masts to your car and string a 3/4 length wave dipole between them. Comms on skywave.....hehe.