2 meter mobile antenna help?

[k1agh]

Is there a stealth antenna available? Nothing with a whip?

 

[BrettL]

The Hustler CG-144 is made for ball mount use and its tunable. Just make sure the center conductor of the coax going to the ball mount is as short as possible. It's also a very rugged antenna and I've known people that have run them for 10+ years with no problems. One guy had his on the roof of a VW van and it was always hitting something but never seemed to break.

There is another "secret" antenna out there that might be better than the Hustler CG-144 and this one probably has more gain than any 2m mobile antenna out there. Its 8ft tall and uses a PL-259 mount but I have a PL to NMO adapter on one and it works fantastic.

This antenna has a base coil and fold over feature right above the coil and its also fairly broad band covering more than the 2m band with a great match. Best thing is its only $30 including shipping. The person selling them doesn't really know what they are and after I order another one I'll post a link to them, since there is a very limited supply.
prcguy

This sounds great. I want to purchase one or maybe two of them. Do you have the link or can you PM me something since they have a limited supply and all the ebay'ers find them and run the prices up?

I can make the pl-259 work. I can use a SO-32 chassis mount with a larger plate at the bottom of it for support. At least it has more threads than my NMO mount. More threads per inch is much stronger. I can understand why people tell me to use the NMO for it's universal with a lot of different antennas.

I don't like the folding part of the antenna you are talking about. If I have to I may remake the antenna with some good materials and it not fold. I would have to see what it looks like first before I make that decision. Any extra connectors or weak links I want to avoid. I want to be able to take it off my truck and beat the bark off 10 trees then put it back on and talk. Just like the fishing pole the ugly stick. LOL

 

[kayn1n32008]

I can make the pl-259 work. At least it has more threads than my NMO mount. More threads per inch is much stronger. I can understand why people tell me to use the NMO for it's universal with a lot of different antennas.

There is a reason NMO and not SO-239 is universal in the LMR world for antenna mounts.

I don't like the folding part of the antenna. If I have to I may remake the antenna with some good materials and it not fold. I would have to see what it looks like first before I make that decision.

Yea, I do not like fold over antennas either.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BrettL]

There is a reason NMO and not SO-239 is universal in the LMR world for antenna mounts.

This is my Larsen Mount and this is my 3/8 24 thread mount and I can make a better mount using the SO-239 than the NMO using the right materials. There is a reason they use more threads per inch. My Larsen mount is puny for the application I am wanting.I can see using this NMO with puny antennas it works great. If I am going 8 ft tall and beat on everything it hits I need a little reinforcement on my roof and a little bigger mount. My trash truck I use to haul off trash has a mount I made years ago. Don't mind it's location because it contradicts what I'm doing now but that mount has way more beef than the Larsen. Call it over kill but that's what I want to do. All it will cost me is my time and I can say I made that instead of buying one.

 

[prcguy]

Link sent to your PM and I got the seller to reduce the price to $25 including shipping. This is the highest gain 2m mobile antenna I have ever seen and the $25 price is ridiculous so I bought another. After the OP gets his fill of these antennas I'll post a link to any that might still be for sale.
prcguy

This sounds great. I want to purchase one or maybe two of them. Do you have the link or can you PM me something since they have a limited supply and all the ebay'ers find them and run the prices up?

I can make the pl-259 work. I can use a SO-32 chassis mount with a larger plate at the bottom of it for support. At least it has more threads than my NMO mount. More threads per inch is much stronger. I can understand why people tell me to use the NMO for it's universal with a lot of different antennas.

I don't like the folding part of the antenna you are talking about. If I have to I may remake the antenna with some good materials and it not fold. I would have to see what it looks like first before I make that decision. Any extra connectors or weak links I want to avoid. I want to be able to take it off my truck and beat the bark off 10 trees then put it back on and talk. Just like the fishing pole the ugly stick. LOL

 

[prcguy]

If you look at any old Antenna Specialists VHF hi or low band antenna or just about all base loaded CB antennas from the 60s through maybe the 80s it will have a reverse polarity SO-239 mount.

More threads per inch is not necessarily stronger, depends on how fine or deep the threads are cut and after just a few threads the holding strength is usually near its maximum for most materials.
prcguy

There is a reason NMO and not SO-239 is universal in the LMR world for antenna mounts.






Yea, I do not like fold over antennas either.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BrettL]

Sweet deal! I purchased all I wanted. Thanks prcguy

I'll post more pics when they arrive and I make the roof mount and get it mounted. I still want to make my own antenna, but for now this should pacify me.

 

[AK9R]

This is my Larsen Mount...

The threaded piece in the photo of the Larsen antenna is not the NMO mount. Actually, you have screwed the antenna whip off of the mounting base. The NMO mount is below the base.

If you grasp the large plastic mounting base on your Larsen antenna with your hand and apply some torque in the correct direction (righty-tighty, lefty-loosey), it should screw off of the NMO mount. An NMO mount has a 1-1/4 inch thread, I believe. Bigger than 3/8-24. Bigger than a PL-259/SO-239 mount.

The threads you show at the top of the NMO base are 5/16-18, I believe. That threaded connection works just fine for Larsen whips (and Laird/Antenex whips and Maxrad/PCTel whips) because they are flexible and don't present a high bending moment to the threaded connection. Mounts with 3/8-24 are useful for long whips made of stiffer wire with higher bending moments. A Larsen NMO150 antenna is a 5/8 wave antenna so it's about 48 inches long at 146 MHz. That whip is made from wire that's no more than 0.100 inches in diameter and it tapers down to smaller than that. A standard NMO mount will work just fine. OTOH, a 102 inch CB whip is not only much longer, but made from larger diameter wire so it presents a lot bending moment on the mount. A 3/8-24 mount make sense for this kind of antenna.

 

[prcguy]

Here is a link to the 8ft tall high gain collinear 2m mobile antennas for $25 shipped. Form a single file line, only one per customer and good luck!
I have no affiliation with the seller except I'm a happy customer.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-5-Meter-9...n-Fold-Over-Antenna-6-9DB-Gain-/321743406239?

prcguy

 

[BrettL]

The threaded piece in the photo of the Larsen antenna is not the NMO mount. Actually, you have screwed the antenna whip off of the mounting base. The NMO mount is below the base.

If you grasp the large plastic mounting base on your Larsen antenna with your hand and apply some torque in the correct direction (righty-tighty, lefty-loosey), it should screw off of the NMO mount. An NMO mount has a 1-1/4 inch thread, I believe. Bigger than 3/8-24. Bigger than a PL-259/SO-239 mount.

The threads you show at the top of the NMO base are 5/16-18, I believe. That threaded connection works just fine for Larsen whips (and Laird/Antenex whips and Maxrad/PCTel whips) because they are flexible and don't present a high bending moment to the threaded connection. Mounts with 3/8-24 are useful for long whips made of stiffer wire with higher bending moments. A Larsen NMO150 antenna is a 5/8 wave antenna so it's about 48 inches long at 146 MHz. That whip is made from wire that's no more than 0.100 inches in diameter and it tapers down to smaller than that. A standard NMO mount will work just fine. OTOH, a 102 inch CB whip is not only much longer, but made from larger diameter wire so it presents a lot bending moment on the mount. A 3/8-24 mount make sense for this kind of antenna.

Ah I see, That adapter I screwed off is generic and I can see it's made for very small antennas. When I put on the SO239 adapter and the 8' 2'' tall antenna on it, it may put some serious stress on my roof hitting everything it its path. I still will have to reinforce it with a plate. I will order the SO239 adapter for the NMO and will run LMR 400 to the transceiver. Any suggestions on the better SO239 adapter to purchase?

 

[SCPD]

You didn't really say what band you were working.
If it's just 2 meters, in my opinion the Hustler SF-2 antenna is the best ball mount antenna out there. And it's about $16.

And if you got your heart set on a ball mount, go for it.
I read you got an NMO already, but mount the ball and leave the NMO open for another radio in the future if you want. You may want to put a scanner in, or run 11 meters and ham at the same time down the road.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Breedlove has some heavy duty NMO mounts.

The thing about NMO, it's been used mostly exclusively in the public safety field since Motorola introduced it in 1968. It's rare to see one fail for any reason.

 

[BrettL]

I ordered a Breedlove mount and the adapter. The threaded shaft is a little longer so I can put my 1/4'' steel plate underneath it between the locking nut to help reinforce the roof . I got my head liner out today. I recovered my visors and head liner, fixed the rear seatbelt and installed 2 new rear speakers, and managed to clean out some of my old tools I had back there along for the ride. Antenna and parts are suppose to arrive this Thursday. I'll post pics during and after I'm done. If this is not strong enough with using the plate then I will get me a heavy duty SO239 chassis mount and take the guts out of it and weld it to the steel plate then re-insert the guts.

 

[BrettL]

In the middle of weed eating the postman stops me and gives me my package and it does not look like the antenna as described nor in the pic. This antenna that arrived is not 97 inches, it don't have the pl259 end but only a threaded stud, it has some sort of tuners to tunes swr kind of like a antron 99 does, it does not fold, and it is cheaper made than I have ever seen in my life. I contacted the seller not going to give a bad review but, however return the items and get my money back. Now the search continues in finding that tall antenna with high gain to sit on top of roof of my truck. If anyone has ordered any of these in the link to ebay did yours look like this? What I received was a 48'' tunable CB antenna.

 

[prcguy]

That's not the right antenna! The antenna in question was originally advertised as an NMO and I ordered one knowing it was PL-259 and when I questioned it later the seller refunded some of my $$. I'm sure they will take care of you and get the right antenna shipped.
prcguy

In the middle of weed eating the postman stops me and gives me my package and it does not look like the antenna as described nor in the pic. This antenna that arrived is not 97 inches, it don't have the pl259 end but only a threaded stud, it has some sort of tuners to tunes swr kind of like a antron 99 does, it does not fold, and it is cheaper made than I have ever seen in my life. I contacted the seller not going to give a bad review but, however return the items and get my money back. Now the search continues in finding that tall antenna with high gain to sit on top of roof of my truck. If anyone has ordered any of these in the link to ebay did yours look like this? What I received was a 48'' tunable CB antenna.

 

[BrettL]

That's not the right antenna! The antenna in question was originally advertised as an NMO and I ordered one knowing it was PL-259 and when I questioned it later the seller refunded some of my $$. I'm sure they will take care of you and get the right antenna shipped.
prcguy

After talking with them over the phone they seemed like good people. He has sent the 3 correct antennas my way. I'm returning the others to him. His wife pulled the wrong antennas and boxed them. He has only 3 of the antennas left I ordered. Also he said he would give me more than what I asked for and make it better. I don't care to get anything more. All I want is what I ordered. We will see. I want to see the antenna put together and see how sturdy it is.

 

[teufler]

Brett, i th truck lik th one that shows on your name. If its taller, from the ground up, than 6 ft, 72", then you add a 97" antenna, Thats 14.08 feet tall. Most over passes on thhe Interstates are less than 14 ft clearance. You are going to hit one and snap the antenna. I think 48 to 60 inches is what you want to stay with. The times I loaned out my tall Mahdol antennas, they came back broken each time. Mahdol is part of Diamond Antyennas now and I think the tall co-linear design has been discountined.

 

[prcguy]

I use my 8ft tall 2m collinear on a truck but at bed rail height and have no problems. If the top foot or so of these hits an overpass at high speed it might bend the whip but not break it.
prcguy

Brett, i th truck lik th one that shows on your name. If its taller, from the ground up, than 6 ft, 72", then you add a 97" antenna, Thats 14.08 feet tall. Most over passes on thhe Interstates are less than 14 ft clearance. You are going to hit one and snap the antenna. I think 48 to 60 inches is what you want to stay with. The times I loaned out my tall Mahdol antennas, they came back broken each time. Mahdol is part of Diamond Antyennas now and I think the tall co-linear design has been discountined.

 

[BrettL]

Where I live there are not any overpasses. I don't plan on traveling to big cities in this vehicle. I have a more economic vehicle for that. This green truck I drive it a truck I bought to go hunting in only. My transmission went out in my white truck and I currently started driving this one. I just like the feel of this truck now. So I driver this truck to work and in the woods.

When driving to work or driving around town there are no obstacles to hit. I just have to worry about low lying tree limbs. When I got hunting I most likely fold antenna when going down certain roads. Where I do hunt at it is the highest altitude in my state. I would like nothing more than to be at that altitude and see how far to a repeater I could talk . I got to show every one that I will be walking the dog and kicking the cat on a 4 watt HT. He He.....

I had a guy tell me the other day that he was getting into repeaters 30 miles away from his house using his newly built j-pole 30+ feet in the air and his HT. I told him that was nothing.......I can access repeaters on certain days 50+ miles away sitting in my truck in the driveway using my HT with 4 watts and using the Comet 5/8 wave mag mount or my 1/4 wave Nagoya. There is the Fort Payne repeater 67.5 miles north of me and I get into that one with ease.

After I get this mobile antenna topic squared away with my the next project will be the antenna for the house.

 

[BrettL]

Well I finally got it finished. My project was delayed due to extensive amount of hours at work and weekends. The only thing I don't like about the antennas is that you put it together, seat everything to the bottom and tighten it up. The set screws are cheap. The antenna itself is not tunable. It need to allow some room to make adjustments.

The reason I say this because it tunes out perfectly at 148.300 Mhz. x=0, swr=1.0, 99% match, 52 Ohms. It holds good readings from 145 Mhz-149 Mhz. Swr from 1.0-1.7....The antenna needs to be a little longer to get the center frequency down. So I may substitute some longer sections to achieve this.

I'm not sure what the length of my LMR 400 coax is but I ran it the shortest distance possible. It may be about 10 ft guessing at it. I reinforced the roof with some 3/8'' thick plate on the bottom side of my roof hidden above my headliner. I have took pics along the way and lost some of them. It was dark also when I got finished.

Now I am waiting on my Yaesu FT-8500fs10 to get here tomorrow so I can get use to the programming. I hope the FT-8500 is a good choice for a radio once I get use to it. Sorry for the terrible pics.........