Help with mounting a Highland™ Tall 6.6dB Gain Heavy-Duty Bull Bar Antenna

[Alpine Warthog]

Looking for some alternatives for mounting this ridiculously big antenna:
Midland Highland antenna

NOT a fan of having this antenna in my face 24/7 so I'm trying to figure out an alternative mounting solution.
I already have the little ghost 3.db antenna for my MXT275 but I seem to go unheard (maybe ignored lol) and I get a lot of static so I have to run a really high squelch to keep from getting blasted constantly.

Changing to the 6.6dB, taller antenna to hopefully clean up some of that static. I'm in the Forest and Hills so I can't just mount this guy just anywhere.
Oh and 6 months of the year, I'm running a camper shell. I don't really want to mount to the shell.

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[ChrisNLA]

Ooof, that thing is thiccc.

Not really an answer to your question, but when I finally settle back into radio stuff and get a mobile ham for my truck, I was planning to run this antenna:

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-ca-2x4srnmo

Still tall, but not the diameter of a log. Friend of mine runs this on his ham and on GMRS frequencies and says its been by far the best one he has used.

Otherwise given your setup you're limited to one side or the other of the hood, or the front bumper.

I don't run a topper so mine was going to go on the bed rail behind the cab.

 

[kb5zcr]

How about get one of those "quick release mounts", that way you can take if off for in town driving and put it on once out on the trail.

 

[Zapper]

Not really helping here but that antenna seems a little off. Like the bottom 3 feet are probably not actually antenna, just feedline. Because it’s for 460mhz the wavelength is around 1.5 feet and a half wave dipole would be 9 inches or something. Translation: the active part of the antenna is likely only the top 5-9 inches.

You will probably get equivalent results with a shorter antenna mounted high. I suspect the main source of efficiency in this antenna design is the height of the pole putting the active element higher over the body.

Not disrespecting the choice, it looks cool and I run a 10ft as-1729 antenna so I appreciate the look. But if performance is the key factor you might have some other options.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Ooof, that thing is thiccc.
Not really an answer to your question, but when I finally settle back into radio stuff and get a mobile ham for my truck, I was planning to run this antenna:
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-ca-2x4srnmo
Still tall, but not the diameter of a log. Friend of mine runs this on his ham and on GMRS frequencies and says its been by far the best one he has used.
Otherwise given your setup you're limited to one side or the other of the hood, or the front bumper.
I don't run a topper so mine was going to go on the bed rail behind the cab.

I checked out that antenna and it looks flexible but with no spring base I'd hesitate taking it into the woods.
This thicker one should be able to take the abuse of tree branches that I face here in PA, although I do fear the spring back smacking my shell or glass. Maybe that's why they market it being mounted to the front bumper

How about get one of those "quick release mounts", that way you can take if off for in town driving and put it on once out on the trail.

I'm looking that direction too. Haven't found anything that works with a base this big. There is a folding mount but a 4 foot antenna is really too long to fold over. May have to try it anyway

Not really helping here but that antenna seems a little off. Like the bottom 3 feet are probably not actually antenna, just feedline. Because it’s for 460mhz the wavelength is around 1.5 feet and a half wave dipole would be 9 inches or something. Translation: the active part of the antenna is likely only the top 5-9 inches.
You will probably get equivalent results with a shorter antenna mounted high. I suspect the main source of efficiency in this antenna design is the height of the pole putting the active element higher over the body.
Not disrespecting the choice, it looks cool and I run a 10ft as-1729 antenna so I appreciate the look. But if performance is the key factor you might have some other options.

I used to be a radio troop but it's been 20 plus years since I was in it so I'm really rusty with the details of Radio theory, but...
I'm currently running a little 3 dB stubby at the top of the light bar. I just hope the ground plane is sufficient up there.

I agree that the real value of the antenna is in the top 3rd, and If I'm not mistaken, they want it mounted on the bumper to take advantage of the ground plane provided by the engine bay area, and the beefier steel "bull bars" It's thick to take abuse and the height gets it over the roof for better signal.
The part that is murky to me, is the difference between 3dB and 6.6dB. It doesn't increase transmit power, so I'm guessing it changes the shape/orientation of the radio wave going out?

I did find that some companies offer mounts that come off the back corner of the tailgate. XJs can mount them on the tailgate gap. Tacoma's seem to like off the bed by the tailgate, which would facilitate the camper shell..

However, I worry about snap back of the antenna and if the mount would be stout enough for an antenna with a 1/2 inch stud?

 

[Pliny]

From the Midland page for that antenna:

Seems difficult on a gladiator to come up with a sturdy enough mounting location for that large of an antenna that is also an adequate ground plane.

How do you have your 3.3db Ghost antenna mounted?

I used to be a radio troop but it's been 20 plus years since I was in it so I'm really rusty with the details of Radio theory, but...

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...nd-their-ghost-3db-antenna.55490/post-1490192

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...nd-their-ghost-3db-antenna.55490/post-1490437

I went with a Laird Phantom antenna and NMO trunk lip mount on the hood on the passenger side so that it is out of my field of view.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

From the Midland page for that antenna:

Seems difficult on a gladiator to come up with a sturdy enough mounting location for that large of an antenna that is also an adequate ground plane.

How do you have your 3.3db Ghost antenna mounted?

I went with a Laird Phantom antenna and NMO trunk lip mount on the hood on the passenger side so that it is out of my field of view.

I've had the ghost mounted a few places, I used to have it mounted on top of my light brackets, it seemed to be ok up there. nothing spectacular. I eventually got rid of the light bar and the ghost got moved to the Cowl. Lots of people seemed to be happy with it there so that's where I moved it. Still ok(ish) I've since gotten the KC light bar and moved the antenna back up there.

My worry is that it's running along side the light bar wire. So, I don't know what kind of interference I'm getting with that. The hope for the new antenna is to find a way to separate the antenna from the light bar power, get the transmitter up in the air AND change the transmission shape to go out a little farther since I get out and wheel in Texas and more wide open areas and not just the forested hills of PA.

If I mount the antenna on the back corner of the steel bed, I know it will influence to be stronger towards the front of the truck but how much does a fiberglass camper shell affect that? And what happens once I put a metal roof rack on top of the Camper shell?

 

[Radio Guy]

Looking at the size of the Highland antenna I would estimate its gain in the 4dBd range, it’s not possible to have 6.6dBd gain in a roughly 4ft tall antenna. That takes about 7ft in a vertical stacked collinear array which is what’s under the plastic radome. Also, the short stubby ghost antennas are sub zero dBd gain and a full quarter wave 6” whip for GMRS works a little better and has close to 0dBd gain.

With that out of the way the Highlander antenna does not need a ground plane, it’s all self contained like a fiberglass base antenna and you could clamp it to various points on the roof rack or pillars that hold it up. With the Highlander mounted as in the picture you would get very similar gain and coverage with a 5/8 over 5/8 mobile whip on an NMO trunk lip mount on the hood to the outside of a hood hinge. A Laird B4505 mobile 5/8 over 5/8 whip is about 33” tall and works really well on the hood as described and is a similar height to what you have.

 

[Radio Guy]

Ooof, that thing is thiccc.

Not really an answer to your question, but when I finally settle back into radio stuff and get a mobile ham for my truck, I was planning to run this antenna:

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-ca-2x4srnmo

Still tall, but not the diameter of a log. Friend of mine runs this on his ham and on GMRS frequencies and says its been by far the best one he has used.

Otherwise given your setup you're limited to one side or the other of the hood, or the front bumper.

I don't run a topper so mine was going to go on the bed rail behind the cab.

The Comet CA-2X4SRNMO works well and covers 2m amateur, commercial VHF, 70cm amateur and GMRS but a dedicated UHF antenna like the Laird B4505 works a little better On GMRS. I have several of each and swap them around with a dozen other antennas when I get bored.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Looking at the size of the Highland antenna I would estimate its gain in the 4dBd range, it’s not possible to have 6.6dBd gain in a roughly 4ft tall antenna. That takes about 7ft in a vertical stacked collinear array which is what’s under the plastic radome. Also, the short stubby ghost antennas are sub zero dBd gain and a full quarter wave 6” whip for GMRS works a little better and has close to 0dBd gain.

With that out of the way the Highlander antenna does not need a ground plane, it’s all self contained like a fiberglass base antenna and you could clamp it to various points on the roof rack or pillars that hold it up. With the Highlander mounted as in the picture you would get very similar gain and coverage with a 5/8 over 5/8 mobile whip on an NMO trunk lip mount on the hood to the outside of a hood hinge. A Laird B4505 mobile 5/8 over 5/8 whip is about 33” tall and works really well on the hood as described and is a similar height to what you have.

I clearly dont know antennas well enough. How does midland get away with the 6.6 dB claims? Why.might they want to claim that?

Last question, why would they claim they need to be ground plane? CYA?

 

[Radio Guy]

I clearly dont know antennas well enough. How does midland get away with the 6.6 dB claims? Why.might they want to claim that?

Last question, why would they claim they need to be ground plane? CYA?

Commercial/professional antennas typically have real measured gain but CB companies and most foreign antenna mfrs calculate and stretch the truth or simply make up numbers that sell. Midland has been doing this since the 1970s. There are two gain standards that are different by 2.14dB and either one is fine as long as you say which one is used. The gain claims on the Highlander are too high for even the looser standard.

The design of the Highlander is similar to some base antennas that mount on a mast and don’t require a a ground plane. The active part of the Highlander antenna starts above the metal section above the spring and the spring can be grounded or floating since it’s not really part of the antenna and SWR should not depend on it being mounted over a ground plane. However, It does look like an OK solution where no ground plane or typical mounting locations exist and that antenna will operate independently from whatever it’s mounted to, unlike most mobile whips.

I think the Midland marketing department has no clue how things actually work and they are too cautious on some things and inflate specs on other things in their advertising.

 

[Radio Guy]

If you go here and scroll down to the colorful lineup of antenna models, the Highlander would be basically like an MXTA26 whip with a 1/4 wave decoupling stub at the base to try and isolate it from the coax, then stuffed inside a plastic or fiberglass pipe. The entire length of the plastic pipe would be the active antenna and not just the top foot or so. Midlands explanation of antenna gain is not very complete or accurate. I would be embarrassed if I worked there.

https://midlandusa.com/blogs/blog/g...MIiMGgrrTbjgMVgTtECB24nyrhEAAYASAAEgLPufD_BwE

 

[Alpine Warthog]

If you go here and scroll down to the colorful lineup of antenna models, the Highlander would be basically like an MXTA26 whip with a 1/4 wave decoupling stub at the base to try and isolate it from the coax, then stuffed inside a plastic or fiberglass pipe. The entire length of the plastic pipe would be the active antenna and not just the top foot or so. Midlands explanation of antenna gain is not very complete or accurate. I would be embarrassed if I worked there.

https://midlandusa.com/blogs/blog/g...MIiMGgrrTbjgMVgTtECB24nyrhEAAYASAAEgLPufD_BwE

OK, so pulling the marketing BS out of the scenario what I REALLY bought was an overbuilt 4 dB antenna that doesn't need a ground plane?

I thing I can say is that the base seems to be very stout and reminds me a lot of the military antennas I had on my HMMMWV for the GRC-206 radio pallet. I don't know how much abuse this plastic mast can take though. Another reason I want to mount it more towards the rear

 

[Radio Guy]

OK, so pulling the marketing BS out of the scenario what I REALLY bought was an overbuilt 4 dB antenna that doesn't need a ground plane?

I thing I can say is that the base seems to be very stout and reminds me a lot of the military antennas I had on my HMMMWV for the GRC-206 radio pallet. I don't know how much abuse this plastic mast can take though. Another reason I want to mount it more towards the rear

Yes, you basically have a small UHF base antenna on a spring which can have some performance advantages and mounting disadvantages. I have a HMMVW mount on my Mojave inside bed wall behind a wheel well and use adaptor plates for various military and commercial antennas, HF through UHF.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Yes, you basically have a small UHF base antenna on a spring which can have some performance advantages and mounting disadvantages. I have a HMMVW mount on my Mojave inside bed wall behind a wheel well and use adaptor plates for various military and commercial antennas, HF through UHF.

View attachment 436183

That's sexy. I was originally thinking the same set up but can't imagine how I'd mount one on the body where it wouldn't get taken out by an obstacle. The camper shell really limits mounting locations!

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