Antenna mount idea

[Radio Guy]

so not totally true the manufacturer advised to make sure that the heater wire goes through the center and there will be no issues with it

The person you talked to is incorrect and probably a salesman. If the heater wire spacing is wide it can sometimes work when put between the wires but when its right over the wire the RF couples to the wire the same is to the antenna base. I tested some of the very first window glass antennas made in the early 70s and have installed a lot of them over the years. I've also peeled a number of them off and remounted when the owners didn't mount them in appropriate places.

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[Haun6129]

I mounted mine on the passenger side in this area. It's a shorter antenna but I get good reception on the trails.

 

[dcmdon]

Why haven't I seen this one ..... Really like this mount

Ha. 1995 called. They want their antenna back. (It worked well then, it works well now)
;-)

 

[Radio Guy]

Here is one of my trunk lip NMO mounts on the drivers side hood with a 6" spike for GMRS and 440 amateur. This spot provides a better ground plane than the circled spot in the first post and doesn't require a hole. Mounts with coax are available from Larid, larson, PCTEL, Tram and others with some going around $20 on Fleabay.

 

[Simple Man]

Here is one of my trunk lip NMO mounts on the drivers side hood with a 6" spike for GMRS and 440 amateur. This spot provides a better ground plane than the circled spot in the first post and doesn't require a hole. Mounts with coax are available from Larid, larson, PCTEL, Tram and others with some going around $20 on Fleabay.

Really like this one

 

[Drock67]

I bought a glass mount antenna hoping I could find a good place to mount it. I have not settled on the location yet, but wonder if it would carry a signal through the freedom top. There is a place on the back corner that seems like it might work and keep the antenna generally away from where I'll be loading an tying kayaks.

Does anyone have knowledge or theory whether a glass mount pad would work through a fiberglass top?

 

[Radio Guy]

I bought a glass mount antenna hoping I could find a good place to mount it. I have not settled on the location yet, but wonder if it would carry a signal through the freedom top. There is a place on the back corner that seems like it might work and keep the antenna generally away from where I'll be loading an tying kayaks.

Does anyone have knowledge or theory whether a glass mount pad would work through a fiberglass top?

They can work through fiberglass, plastic and other RF transparent materials. A through the glass antenna is designed to match and work well with a capacitor at the base and the large foot of the antenna and the tuning box face are the plates of the capacitor with the glass being the insulator.

You would have to temporarily tape down the whip and tuning box then see if it will tune up and work. Having the tools and equipment here I would first do a temporary mount on the glass per instructions then take a few accurate readings of signal strength from distant stations, then repeat the test mounted on fiberglass. If the antenna tunes and matches and you don't detect any noticeable degradation in performance then your good.

Solid colors other than black might be ok but black and metallic paints may not be RF transparent.

 

[Drock67]

Thank you RG. I have a friend with a SWR meter and hope to ask him to help me with a test of the glass-mount through the Freedom Top. The Freedom Top that I have is black on the outside / white on the inside, so that may be a factor. I'm also looking into a CompacTenna as an alternative option. Mounting on the front gunnwale of the truck bed seem the least vulnerable location, but on the front-right cowling near the radio AM/FM radio antenna seems like it might benefit a bit from hood ground plane.

Suggestions welcome.

 

[Coolant113]

I use this one with an NMO mount and absolutely love it.

https://www.ruggedradios.com/products/antenna-mount-for-jeep-jl-jk-tj-jt

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