When considering going hf mobile, there is only one antenna....
the Screwdriver


I am going to add more info in the future. It will cover building your own, or putting together a kit. The screwdriver pictured with my daughter, Morgan, was built by Pete, K4CAV. Pete built this for me as a way to teach me how to build them. If his name and call sound familiar, it's because he has an article on the antenna in the ARRL Antenna Compendium No. 7

How good does it work? Well, I routinely use it to check into my state hf ARES nets (North Carolina ). My mobile hf time is limited, but workable. I also rarely run full power , which is 100 watts with the Icom 706 MK-II. I normally run about 75-85 watts.
the KF4ZGZ-1 Screwdriver antenna



This is a shot of turning the PVC coilform. It was trued, grooved and wound with the wire on the lathe.


This is a shot of a big chunk of aluminum in the lathe. I turning it down to make thr collar to mount the screwdriver and the bottom plug.

Since the o.d. of the aluminum pieces need to be the same,I turned one piece. The next step is to bore the hole and then cut off the collar

here are the two pieces cut apart. The plug is still in the chuck and the collar is laying on top. The next step is drilling six evenly spaced holes in the collar. Then three holes at 120 degs. in the plug. the plug also gets a hole drilled and tapped for a mount and a smaller hole for the screwdriver wires to exit the tube.

Here is the drlled and tapped collar installed on the screwdriver body. The collar is sized for each individual screwdriver, and the holes are every 60 degs.

Here you can see the holes and wires on the bottom plug. This is is installed on an almost completed antenna.

All ready to go together. I am actually taking this one apart. I was on a roll and wanted to see what it looked liked. I still need to solder on the fingerstock and 2" coupling that the fingerstock goes on.

This is top with the coil in place. as you can see, no fingerstock.

IT'S FINISHED!! BUWAHAHAHAHAHA!