Recommend dual band ham antenna/mount?

[Weetabix]

I recently got a ham radio installed in my '98 4R. I currently have a mag mount dual band antenna on top. The coax runs between the right passenger door and the body. It's probably not optimal because I'm getting kinks in the coax.

I'm looking for a more permanent antenna and mount.

I could put it on the hood. I could put it on a rear bumper.

What are your recommendations for best antenna performance with respect to location, length, mounting, etc?

How do you get the coax from outside the vehicle to inside?

 

[the great him]

you want your antenna to be in an open area, preferably with a large flat plain around it for best reception. personally i recommend a permanent mount as they typically offer the best in rx and tx, and once its in, its in, you dont have to worry about it falling off or moving around and damaging your paint -though i do recommend keeping a spare magnetic mount antenna in the vehicle for emergencys (read rollovers when your hard/permanent mount antenna gets broken or is stuffed into the ground).
[MENTION=67129]92-SR5[/MENTION] should have some good recommendations on locations and antennas as well as mounting them, hes alot more into the radios than i am. we are both in SAR and so radios and coms are a big part of what we do, he just knows more of that side of it than me, i just buy what im told lol

also when you say "dual band" be more specific are you saying uhf and vhf or private and commercial? cause both are dual band, but they are different types of dual band. and that could make a big difference or so ive been told

 

[Frdmskr]

There are multiple discussions throughout the thread on this.

1) hole in the roof with nmo mount always best. My choice of antenna is a Larsen NMO 270B.

2) k0bg.com best resource for everything

3) clamp mount on hood or tailgate sorta works until you find trees. Can be hit off but only by huge branch/tree.

 

[Mgyver1]

I made a mount out of steel and bolted it to the luggage rail using the threaded slot nuts in the track for the cross rails I wasn't using. [MENTION=73515]ajonesnv[/MENTION] came up with the idea and I stole it.

I ran my coax out the rubber boot on the top of the lift gate and put in a BNC 50ohm connection point so I could take the mount off if needed. Word of advice, out the male connector on the end coming out of the truck. The twist-lock collar is too big to fit through the gap for the lift gate to body.

 

[fourwd1]

I have both Diamond and Comet antennas that work well.
A good ground (electrical) and ground plane (a large metal surface like trunk lid or roof) are important. Some designs work OK with minimal ground plane).

 

[fourwd1]

Mounting high and center is best for a good radiation pattern.

And I'm moving this to the Off Topic section.

 

[92-SR5]

As mentioned above, a permanent NMO mount in the center of your roof will give you the best ground plane and the least amount of loss. I run one on my roof with a Larsen 2/70 and it performs very well. It has taken tons of abuse and I still have yet to have any issues.
I also have a fender mount with a Larsen 150 hooked to my icom 521 and it works well, not as good as the roof though. You want to avoid mounting it to the rear bumper at all costs, you'll experience tons of loss.

Not the best pic for this, but this shows my antenna setup.

 

[BettysNephew]

If you have tree branches etc. that will be striking your antenna you may want to look at Austin Antenna 500C Soft Top. The mast is very flexible and there is a spring on the base if things get extremely nasty. Great antennas, they do stuff for the military and many .gov agencies. Paul is a good guy and will treat you fairly.

 

[Weetabix]

Larsen NMO-2/70 and a Breedlove NMO mount are on the way.

Now to find my hammer and chisel so I can mount the NMO on the roof.:lmao:

 

[BlackWorksInc]

On a side note, on my way to Bend last weekend I saw a army green FJ Cruiser with a few antennae. One particular one caught my eye; unfortunately I flubbed the picture before traffic started moving and I lost him.

Basically the base looked like a black plastic tube about the diameter of a 2Liter soda bottle or slightly larger and was over a foot tall, then it had a three to four foot antennae sticking out of it. I figure it must be for a heavy duty set-up because it honestly looked the part.

 

[Weetabix]

Here she is.

 

[jicko]

I recently got a ham radio installed in my '98 4R. I currently have a mag mount dual band antenna on top. The coax runs between the right passenger door and the body. It's probably not optimal because I'm getting kinks in the coax.

I'm looking for a more permanent antenna and mount.

I could put it on the hood. I could put it on a rear bumper.

What are your recommendations for best antenna performance with respect to location, length, mounting, etc?

How do you get the coax from outside the vehicle to inside?

I just did my installation of a motorized antenna (so that I only raise it when I need it and I can get into my garage comfortably), I will post a detailed installation in my build thread soon!

I installed:
Diamond K9000LRM
> antenna motor
> medium sized clamp, mounted on my Gobi roof rack
Diamond NR770HBNMO
> 38.2in, when lowered, it fits horizontally inside the rack, behind my front lights, well protected
> 3.0dBi for 2m, 5.5 dBi for 70cm
Diamond C213SNMO
> NMO
> 13ft long
Yaesu FTM-400DR
> GPS included
> APRS
> 5/20/50W
> support crossband repeat, hence you can use your mobile as a local repeater for your handhelds around camp