Antenna next to pipe rack?

Joined: 27 May 2008 Location: south west

Have just installed a UHF in the 80 series and I mounted the antenna on the front left edge of the top rail on the Ali bullbar on a tab I had welded on.
Didn't think about the removable Ali Y shaped bar used to support pipe that is only 150mm away from the antenna. In my defence the bar wasn't in when I asked for the tab to be welded on.
My question then is will leaving this Ali bar in effect UHF performance. The antenna is a 6db about 800mm. On the plus side it is great protection for the antenna!

Joined: 07 Aug 2003 Location: Happyrock

yes it will affect performance, but, if you are able to notice the difference you truly are a serious uhf user and probably wouldnt have been satisfied with a bullbar mount anyways. Honestly, unless you always park your car in the same position and always use it whilst parked there and always only talk to the one station in that direction, you probably wont notice.