bmendez
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Need help best place to mount a anttenta on car
Need help best place to mount a mag mont to n vehicular
- Thread starter bmendez
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highest point center of vehicle.
SteveC0625
Order of the Golden Dino since 1972
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Yeah, absolutely.
If you want the antenna to perform well, you want a permanent mount dead center in the vehicle roof. Anything else is a compromise.
If you look at the chart that Steve posted above, they use permanent mount in the center as the reference. Everything else is going to perform worse.
I have a Honda Ridgeline 2018, where is the best place to put my antenna? I currently have a inside window mount on the front window.
I think Steve's graphic (above) answers your question. The ground plane is important.
The Ridgeline is a pickup truck.
It's not special. Top center is the best. In the bed would be the worst.
I know that. You pretty much have only one useable ground plane: the roof.
SteveC0625
Order of the Golden Dino since 1972
Sigh!
A Ridgeline is basically a four door sedan with a small pickup style bed. If you measured it, the roof is probably larger than many cars like the one in the pic.
Ground plane diameter needs to be at least 1/4 wave length of your lowest frequency. For most scanner folk and two way users, that’s usually going to about 19” to cover the 2M ham band. Going into the lower bands is a compromise regardless of vehicle.
The highest point on the vehicle is always best because it’s usually flat with minimal obstructions. And, as with all antennas, height matters. This fact has been discussed endlessly here on RR. It’s a simple concept.
If it’s a two way radio, having the RF radiation above the vehicle occupants and separated from them by a metal barrier is a very good thing. The higher the power, the greater the need for the separation.
A Ridgeline is basically a four door sedan with a small pickup style bed. If you measured it, the roof is probably larger than many cars like the one in the pic.
Ground plane diameter needs to be at least 1/4 wave length of your lowest frequency. For most scanner folk and two way users, that’s usually going to about 19” to cover the 2M ham band. Going into the lower bands is a compromise regardless of vehicle.
The highest point on the vehicle is always best because it’s usually flat with minimal obstructions. And, as with all antennas, height matters. This fact has been discussed endlessly here on RR. It’s a simple concept.
If it’s a two way radio, having the RF radiation above the vehicle occupants and separated from them by a metal barrier is a very good thing. The higher the power, the greater the need for the separation.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Regardless of the vehicle type, the antenna wants to see a ground plane under it. The antenna wants to see a 1/4 wavelength of metal under the antenna in all directions. Just like was said above, find the exact center of the vehicle roof and install a permanent mount NMO base there. Anything else is a compromise.
Thanks everyone for your response
Exactly, a page out of Antenna 101.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Was that the comic book version, or the soft back version?
I have the large print edition.
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