Mag antenna mounting

[mep1811]

I am looking for a way to mount two mag mount antennas off my Thule cross bars on my Cayenne. Will running a plate off the cross bar give me enough ground plane?

 

[Crom]

What kind of antenna?

 

[mep1811]

Sorry a CB and dual band HAM antenna

 

[mm58]

The Thule rack probably won't be enough of a ground plane. You need to physically bond the Thule to the body of the vehicle. Braided ground strap works best. Also good to bond all your doors, hood etc to the rest of the body. K0BG (k0bg.com) has tons of good info on mobile radio and antenna installation.

 

[gary in ohio]

If your going to mount to mount on the Thule cross bars why would you consider a mag mount. I would look at another mount type. Your not going to have enough metal to keep a mag mount on.
Consider some sort of angle bracket mounted to the rack and then mount a NMO or 3/8x24 mount the antenna to that.

 

[MotoDave]

Is the roof aluminum? If not, why not just use the mag mount antennas on the roof? That probably get you the best ground plane short of actually mounting them properly.

 

[mep1811]

The mag mounts on the roof scratch the roof. I also like the convenience of mag mounts. I was thinking a four inch plate bolted to the rack and hanging over the roof. Wouldn't being over the metal roof serve as a ground plane?

My other idea is to make some sort of mount for the spare tire carrier. It is angled so I would have to fabricate a plate that would place the antennas vertical.

 

[CaliMobber]

For the Ham radio just get a half way antenna( no ground needed) or a mount that go onto the rear hatch? just dont use CB its horrible haha





"haha yea Half/Wave antenna :bike_rider: thanks mm58"

 

[mm58]

Just to clarify, I think CaliMobber means to say 'half WAVE' antenna. And I think 5/8 wave are also no ground plane.

 

[1911]

And I think 5/8 wave are also no ground plane.

Unfortunately not; both 5/8-wave and 1/4-wave antennas need a good ground plane to tune up well.

 

[Martinjmpr]

How about just glue a piece of felt to the mag mount with about a 1/2" overhang on all sides and slap it on the roof?

 

[MotoDave]

Or I was thinking a small piece of clear static-adhering film on that spot on the roof. You'd never see it up there, and if it gets scratched up after a few years of installing and removing the antenna you can throw a new piece on.

 

[4x4junkie]

The mag mounts on the roof scratch the roof. I also like the convenience of mag mounts. I was thinking a four inch plate bolted to the rack and hanging over the roof. Wouldn't being over the metal roof serve as a ground plane?

Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. The antenna needs a direct low-impedance connection to the same ground plane it'll be using (magnetic antennas attain this ground connection through capacitive coupling to the metal where they are placed).

The piece of film idea I think is probably best here. With it adhered to your roof, it shouldn't slip around and scratch it (mounting antennas to the tire carrier is not a good idea due to lack of a ground plane there). If you don't want to use a piece of film, then mounting to your rack is an option, but as was said, make sure it's in good electrical contact with your roof at each of it's mounting points.

For the Ham radio just get a half way antenna( no ground needed) or a mount that go onto the rear hatch? just dont use CB its horrible haha

2002 4Runner 4wd. Dual Yellotops, Yaesu ft7900, Cobra 75, 43qt Edgestar freezer, Hella500's HID, 1000w Xentrex inverter, superflow 12v compressor, Wilson cellphone booster, 60w Roof Mounted Solar Panels

Maybe if you had a better radio, it wouldn't be so horrible.