Tarheel Antennas Model 200A-HP
$$$$·
| Frequency | 3.2-26 MHz (with 6 ft whip) |
| Bands | 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m |
| Modes | SSB, CW, AM, FM, digital |
| Connector | 3/8-24 thread |
| Year | 2000 |
| feedpoint | 3/8-24 thread |
A motorized screwdriver antenna that tunes continuously from 3.2 to 26 MHz, so you change bands from the driver's seat with the included switch box or an optional auto-controller, at 1.5 kW PEP. It is CNC-machined aircraft aluminum and stainless steel with a fiberglass coil form, available in black, white, red, or silver in automotive-grade Imron paint, with sensors pre-installed for an auto-controller upgrade. Made in the USA.
Expensive. It does not cover 6m (tops out at 26 MHz with the 6 ft whip). The 10-12 ft total height is substantial. At 8.5 lbs it needs a heavy-duty mount. Installation is more complex than a simple whip, and the motor can be affected by extreme cold.
A serious HF mobile antenna. The Tarheel 200A-HP tunes any frequency from 80m to 12m without stopping the vehicle, a standard among dedicated HF mobile operators.
A Tarheel is a 'screwdriver' antenna — a continuously-tunable motorized HF mobile antenna, and Tarheel Antennas is one of the best-known American makers of them. The name 'screwdriver' comes from the mechanism: a 12-volt motor drives a large coil up and down inside a weatherproof housing (the original prototype famously used a cordless-drill motor), changing how much inductance is in circuit and so retuning the antenna across the whole HF band from the operator's position.
Unlike fixed mobile whips that only work one band, a screwdriver gives genuine band-to-band flexibility from the driver's seat, and Tarheel builds a range of models from the compact Little Tarheel up to high-power versions rated to 1.5 kilowatts, covering roughly 3.5 to 30 MHz (and 6 meters on some). Their air-wound coils are designed for efficiency, which is the key figure of merit for any short loaded mobile antenna. As always, the vehicle body serves as the ground plane and good RF grounding matters a great deal.
It is a current product line. The auto-tuning Yaesu ATAS-120A is a self-adjusting alternative, and the single-band Hamstick is the budget mobile option.