Mag Mount Speeds

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mikie333

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I know mag mounts aren't the best, I'm just not ready nor equipped to permanently install one (yet).

The manufacturer (RS) says its rated up to 50 or 60mph (forget which). Whats peoples real experiences with them? Have they gone faster, especially for a long period of time without them falling out?

Also, kind of a stupid question, but could I place an antenna in the trunk (Honda Element, so it's all open to the car) and get decent quality? This is for a CB radio.
 

LEH

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Depends on the magnet. One of my first external antenna's was an RS mag mount. Had one for the scanner and one for the CB.

Driving down a two lane highway (northeastern MS), doing about 50, went by a semi going the other way. The combined wind flattened both (knocked them over). I found a K-40 for the CB with a bigger magnet. Had the scanner antenna get knocked over a couple of other times, the K-40 never flinched.

How hard do you have to pull on the base to break it loose. The harder it is to get off, the better it will stand up to wind speed (though there will be limits to all).
 

CLTX11

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I have had 2 mag mounts. For a CB was a lil wil and a broadband antenna, Valor PMM3B.

Neither one has fallen off doing 80+. If they were to fall off they would just dangle off the side by the cable. When I first got them I tested them at high speeds without a problem.

I can not tell you about the others.
 

blueangel-eric

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mikie333 said:
I know mag mounts aren't the best, I'm just not ready nor equipped to permanently install one (yet).

The manufacturer (RS) says its rated up to 50 or 60mph (forget which). Whats peoples real experiences with them? Have they gone faster, especially for a long period of time without them falling out?

Also, kind of a stupid question, but could I place an antenna in the trunk (Honda Element, so it's all open to the car) and get decent quality? This is for a CB radio.
the radio shack scanner mag mount blown over a few times on windy days going up certain hill tops at about 70mph when semis pass the other way. I used to use that antenna when first starting out.
Eric Burris
 

Ryfly

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Well, i kinda got my wedged against my spoiler in the back on the trunk.

Uhmmm,

Did 100+.... didn't fall off........ LOL

But really it stayed on.
 

jb872033

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Little trick...

If you are having problems with a mag mount antenna, get a wreath hanger for glass doors, its a magnet in 2 pieces that you put on either side of a glass door to hang decorations, put it on the inside of your car directly under the antenna...not the most sightly solution but it has worked well for me..but i've had trouble with the RS stuff, but i find the fibreglass ones are a little better because they are a little less resistant to the wind...of course the easiest solution to this all is DRILL...lol i know you arent ready to do that yet but its really the best solution...
 

gmclam

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I've used 2 different mag mounts in recent months and had NO problems with them on my truck even in high winds. However, you do have to be careful of some drive-thrus! ;)
 

emscapt9816

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Mag-Mounts at Speed

It depends on the magnet, the location of the antenna on the vehicle, the head wind, the speed, and the whip. I use a Radio Shack MagMount scanner antenna on the trunk of a 2004 Corolla. It has never blown off, even at a sustained speed of 105 mph. (Yes, the Police Officer who pulled me over, once he caught up, did me a HUGE solid by only yelling at me instead of hauling me off to jail). I have also used the K-40 magnet mount on several cars and trucks, on the roof and the trunk, and never had a problem with it coming off at speed. Low branches, on the other hand, were followed by a huge THUD, because the whip was hit close to the base.
 

w0fg

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A good mag mount on the trunk should be secure at any legal highway speed. A roof mount will be more susceptible to being blown or knocked off. I ran a Larsen mag-mount 5/8 wave 2-meter antenna on the rear deck of my old Volvo for something like 12 years and never had a problem unless I ran under the garage door and hooked it on one of the cross braces.
 

robertmac

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Be carefull! Don't forget to add the speed of any wind that you are going into, to the speed of the vehicle. I had a small 3" mag. mount Cell Phone antenna fly off and almost break the passenger side window. Although it did not break the window, it sure sratched it. Also, take into account any mid or top loaded coils. The Cell Phone Attenna I was using was a triband, dual mode antenna and was probably too heavy for the mag. mount. Another thing to take into account is on 2 way roads, depending on wind direction and 18+ wheel vehicles passing you, a high speed draft can occur which can tear off mag. mounts so darn easy. I would say, get the biggest mag. mount base you can. There are some Ham mag. mounts that have 3 or 4 large magnets which might prevent loss of an antenna via wind, passing trucks, etc.. Unfortunately, the only sure way of preventing broken, lost antennas or smashed windows, scratched vehicle paint, is to use a body mounted antenna, period.
 

N1BHH

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I have had numerous mag mounts, still have many, and the two I have on my van are still there, even with 80 MPH travel. I have Larsen NMO-2/70 and NMO-150/450/800 on Larsen rectangular mag mounts. The 2/70 being the biggest of the two has low drag, the 150/450/800 does fine as well, it's stiff, neither one has ever fallen over. They will be remounted permanently in the future I suspect.
 

mikie333

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LEH said:
Driving down a two lane highway (northeastern MS), doing about 50, went by a semi going the other way. The combined wind flattened both (knocked them over).

Well then I'm screwed lol. My car has THE WORST aerodynamics ever. Anytime I pass trucks at decent speeds on highways, it feels like I get sucked in, then pushed out when I pass.

And what about putting the antenna upright in the 'trunk' area of the car.
 
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Swipesy

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bee said:
The "valor pmm3b" is a really good mag mount! I have three!

My experience with this antenna is that when mounted on the roof of the car it consistently blows over at speeds above 50 MPH. When mounted on the trunk, near the back window it is good up to about 65MPH before it blows over. The magnet is just too small to withstand high wind. Too bad because it is a great receiving antenna.
 

bee

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I have never had a problem with the "valor pmm3b", up to about 80 or 90! The wire is so thin there is very little wind resistance!
 

CLTX11

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bee said:
I have never had a problem with the "valor pmm3b", up to about 80 or 90! The wire is so thin there is very little wind resistance!


I haven't either, thing has been on the roof of the truck doing 100, no telling what my head wind was....
 

kb2vxa

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Crocodile Dundee says "You call that a magnet? Now THIS is a magnet!" Never mind the whacker job this numskull made of it, look at the mag mount.
 
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