2 meter mobile mounts

[KC2BUN]

So I recently got a new(to me) 2 meter radio, an Icom IC2200H
I mounted it in the dash tray on my Xterra, it fits nicely.
I'm running an MFJ antenna on the roof but looking it a front bumper mount after I get the brush guard installedView attachment 70130

 

[Prerunner1982]

Looks good, I like the antenna on the roof.

 

[rrjones2u]

So I recently got a new(to me) 2 meter radio, an Icom IC2200H
I mounted it in the dash tray on my Xterra, it fits nicely.
I'm running an MFJ antenna on the roof but looking it a front bumper mount after I get the brush guard installedView attachment 70129View attachment 70130View attachment 70131

I like the antenna on the roof as well. Just a point to ponder, if you put it up front you lose some of the omnidirectional aspects of the antenna. Good luck and 73s KD4KZY

 

[KC2BUN]

I like the antenna on the roof as well. Just a point to ponder, if you put it up front you lose some of the omnidirectional aspects of the antenna. Good luck and 73s KD4KZYView attachment 70159

I've had my antenna blow out the rear window and in the pine barrens the antenna has to come off. The limbs are always low, many hit my light bar on the last trip. I've been doing a lot of thinking. The Aussie style mount is my best option, just need to as one of my local NJSP troopers

 

[Robby]

I like the antenna on the roof as well. Just a point to ponder, if you put it up front you lose some of the omnidirectional aspects of the antenna. Good luck and 73s KD4KZYView attachment 70159

I'm inclined to agree here as you lose ground plane and reflection with a bumper mount. You would retain close comms, but; repeater and longer distance simplex will be affected depending upon your forward face direction. There are some very appealing low profile antennae that may work better while maintaining a roof rack mounting. I'll see if I can find some links to support

73 de NQ6R

 

[JK72450]

Just a question. Why such a tall roof mount antenna? I have an Icom 2100H 2M on the roof of my FJ60 and its only about a foot tall. I routinely hit a repeater 40 miles away. It's been up there 12 yrs with no issues. I'm far from a ham expert. Just wondering.

 

[JK72450]

Ha ha ha. Just read my post. It makes it sound like the radio is mounted on the roof. The antenna is on the roof and about a foot tall!

 

[rrjones2u]

Just a question. Why such a tall roof mount antenna? I have an Icom 2100H 2M on the roof of my FJ60 and its only about a foot tall. I routinely hit a repeater 40 miles away. It's been up there 12 yrs with no issues. I'm far from a ham expert. Just wondering.

With a longer antenna, you have better gain. With radios that traditionally have 50 watts with a half wave antenna will have a better xmit and receive capability.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Why such a tall roof mount antenna?

When I move everything to my other XJ I will move the fender mount to the roof and swap it with a 5/8 wave, plus the 5/8 wave for the APRS, and the 102" whip (more like 112" with the coil). I smack them on low limbs daily with no problem. Function over form I guess...

 

[TheBeardedSam]

In the wrangler, I don’t have the option of a roof antena or any flat metal really. I went on the rear to protect the antenna (I ride through right firebreaks and farm trails). Modified a Terraflex mount. No problems really. Hitting repeaters 20-40mi. 80w Yeasu helps.

 

[Overland Commander]

The Comet antenna website says the ground plane aspect of roof mounts isnt really a factor with modern antenna designs....

?!?!?!

They recommend the ideal place is the rear door lip on 4-door vehicles - not sure why.

 

[wsquared]

Despite what Comet's marketing people would have you believe, they cannot circumvent physics....any 2 meter antenna will be responsive to very good (or very bad) ground plane. I have a Wrangler, and I find that a very stout stainless L bracket mounts on the tailgate gives me moderately good performance on 2 meter and CB...but nothing compared to my friend in an old Cherokee who has the same antenna mounted dead-center of his roof. My performance when getting into remote repeaters is very definitely dependent on direction....his is not.

 

[Overland Commander]

Despite what Comet's marketing people would have you believe, they cannot circumvent physics....any 2 meter antenna will be responsive to very good (or very bad) ground plane. I have a Wrangler, and I find that a very stout stainless L bracket mounts on the tailgate gives me moderately good performance on 2 meter and CB...but nothing compared to my friend in an old Cherokee who has the same antenna mounted dead-center of his roof. My performance when getting into remote repeaters is very definitely dependent on direction....his is not.

Looks like they are basing their statement on modern repater systems and not on antenna theory...


From WIKI:

Antenna Theory -

In telecommunication, a ground plane is a flat or nearly flat horizontal conducting surface that serves as part of an antenna, to reflect the radio waves from the other antenna elements. The plane does not necessarily have to be connected to ground. Ground plane shape and size play major roles in determining its radiation characteristics including gain.


For a monopole antenna, the Earth acts as a ground plane to reflect radio waves directed downwards, making them seem to come from an image antenna.
To function as a ground plane, the conducting surface must be at least a quarter of the wavelength (λ/4) of the radio waves in diameter. In lower frequency antennas, such as the mast radiators used for broadcast antennas, the Earth itself (or a body of water such as a salt marsh or ocean) is used as a ground plane. For higher frequency antennas, in the VHF or UHF range, the ground plane can be smaller, and metal disks, screens and wires are used as ground planes. At upper VHF and UHF, the metal skin of a car or aircraft can serve as a ground plane for whip antennas projecting from it. In microstrip antennas and printed monopole antennasan area of copper foil on the opposite side of a printed circuit board serves as a ground plane. The ground plane doesn't have to be a continuous surface. In the ground plane antenna style whip antenna, the "plane" consists of several wires λ/4 long radiating from the base of a quarter-wave whip antenna.

The radio waves from an antenna element that reflect off a ground plane appear to come from a mirror image of the antenna located on the other side of the ground plane. In a monopole antenna, the radiation pattern of the monopole plus the virtual "image antenna" make it appear as a two element center-fed dipole antenna. So a monopole mounted over an ideal ground plane has a radiation pattern identical to a dipole antenna. The feedline from the transmitter or receiver is connected between the bottom end of the monopole element and the ground plane. The ground plane must have good conductivity; any resistance in the ground plane is in series with the antenna, and serves to dissipate power from the transmitter.


From Comet:

Q. Should I drill a hole in my roof/trunk or use a lip mount?
A.In the past, most people preferred drilling a hole in the center of the roof or trunk to provide the best ground plane. This made a lot of sense when the repeater systems were poor and most antennas were single band and needed the ground plane. Current antenna design produces antennas that are ground independent. The sensitivity, coverage area and height of most modern repeater systems is outstanding. The antenna no longer needs to be in the middle of a ground plane for excellent coverage.The benefit of drilling a hole and mounting your antenna in the middle of the roof or trunk is minimal.

Hole Mounting:Â

• Difficult to reach the antenna to remove it or use the fold-over hinge
• Water leaks and rust problems are common.
• Improved performance

Lip Mount Benefits:

• Lip mount installation is quick, easy and no damage to the car
• The antenna is easily reached for removal or to use the fold-over hinge
• Deluxe coax cable easily enters through the weather seal without causing any wind noise, water leaks or coax damage.
• Mount can be removed and re-used on a different vehicle
• Slightly distorted radiation pattern

Because most people look to Comet and Maldol for no holes to drill mounting options, their antennas are tuned for best performance on a lip mount.



Q. I have a truck, where can I mount an antenna?
A. If your truck has a third door or rear doors, the best location for a lip mount is the side of the drivers side rear door near the top. The antenna is above the roof line, no holes to drill and mounting takes only a few minutes.

 

[bladerunnerkc]

Mounted my antennas using Comet 730 that are fully adjustable and easy to lower for garages, etc.

Used T-Nuts into my FrontRunner tracks.

And Kenwood radio D710G sits on a Ram Mount Stalk.

 

[4L_Warrior]

bladerunnerkc... That's a sharp looking antenna installation!

 

[bladerunnerkc]

bladerunnerkc... That's a sharp looking antenna installation!

I had to keep the mounts low as I was parking in a garage downtown and my garage door is low. This just gets under both.

It's actually a Comet lip mount. I cut the lip mount part off and drilled for the two bolts that went into the T-Nuts in the FrontRunner tracks. What's really nice about these mounts is that they are adjustable in all directions so you get a nice vertical AND they have the thumbscrew so you can lower the antenna easily. Antennas come off both ham and CB though generally to avoid theft etc.

 

[Anak]

I have two mounting options for my antenna on my XJ. I have roof mount and a corner armor mount. I can run the same antenna in either position. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well my corner armor mount performs. I thought it would end up being a mediocre option, only suitable for close range work. Instead, I really can't tell that it is any worse than when on the roof. I am sure that at some level I have a drop in performance, but for my real world use it isn't noticeable.

Antenna is a Diamond NR770HB, radial-less design.

 

[4L_Warrior]

That looks clean! Glad it's working for you.

 

[Overland Commander]

Despite what Comet's marketing people would have you believe, they cannot circumvent physics....any 2 meter antenna will be responsive to very good (or very bad) ground plane. I have a Wrangler, and I find that a very stout stainless L bracket mounts on the tailgate gives me moderately good performance on 2 meter and CB...but nothing compared to my friend in an old Cherokee who has the same antenna mounted dead-center of his roof. My performance when getting into remote repeaters is very definitely dependent on direction....his is not.

So Im guessing, after doing some more reading, that the corner mounts and Comet mounts give a ground plane effect in some or most directions, depending on the mounting locations, but not in all directions. Would not be apparent in close distance comms. Would give directional sensitivities as the distances lengthened.

 

[Prerunner1982]

Signal is stronger in the direction with the most metal mass.
Antenna on driver side rear corner, signal will be skewed to the passenger front.