I recently purchased a second hand ICOM 706 Transceiver. What a great rig!  A lot of radio neatly packed in a compact rugged case.  But...that is another story.

My primary set of wheels is a 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser Model FJ60. Another great rig with over 168K miles, but...that also is another story.

As most EMCOMM operators know, most of our communications are regional. (In the 30 to 200 mile range.)   We also know that for this range, a NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) signal usually works best.

After installing the IC-706, and connecting it to my Outbacker Perth 2M through 80M mobile vertical, I was anxious to make a few contacts. The Outbacker is an excellent antenna, but as with all verticals, the radiation angle is towards the horizon. For regional work it left much to be desired.  

On 40 meters, initial signal reports were only poor to fair between my home location in Macdoel, CA and KA7RAM, Bill, in Klamath Falls, OR, (30 air miles) and N6SSQ, Fergy, in Alturas, CA, (80 air miles). At the same time of day (1500L), and under the same conditions, good signals reports were received from Spokane, WA.  It was nice to talk to the boys in the Evergreen State, but not necessarily useful for regional EMCOMM work.

I don't plan to do a lot of HF mobile operating while actually moving. In the past, for "mobile at rest" HF work, I have erected a 20 ft. (or so) portable mast, and hauled up a G5RV.  This works well, but is a lot of hassle and takes more time than I wished.  A "dipole" also requires more space, in two different directions, plus additional support.  Also, an ATU (antenna tuning unit) of some sort is also required for non-resonant antennas.

 I wanted a quick, easy to erect antenna, that would allow me to pull to the side of the road, and quickly get on the air with a NVIS signal.    

 The solution?  Go to the shop junk box!  (Or your local electronics supply house.) 
I found an old 3/8 x 24 antenna mount, and affixed it to the end of the steel light bar on the roof of the Land Cruiser (which is grounded well to the vehicle's body).

Next, a 33 ft. long piece of #12 insulated wire was cut and a heavy duty lug (3/8" bore) was soldered to each end.  (Make sure the connections are mechanically strong as well as making a good electrical connection.)

Using a short 3/8x24 cap screw and a couple of "jam nuts". One end of the 1/4 wave wire was attached to the center feed point and strung out just above head height, using a length of parachute cord tied through the solder lug on the other end.  This distal end can be secured to a tree, a post, a rock, or even a stake in the ground.

The wire can be strung out in any convenient direction. The initial meter readings by the antenna analyzer gave a SWR of 1.5:1, and a impedance of 40-60 ohms depending upon where in the 40 meter band I tuned.  Close enough for "government work"!

I decided to give it a try on 7232 kHz.  I heard a signal just below that frequency and tuned down to 7230. There was my old friend W6US, Howard, in McArthur, CA (about 60 air miles) calling CQ!

I answered.  Howard responded with, "Hello K6SOJ, you are 5 by 9 here." It turned out that he was also testing a new mobile installation.  BINGO! We chatted for awhile. Later K7DXV, Ed, in Klamath Falls chimed in.

"You're 5 x 9 here Dave."

 What a simple solution!