Window Mount Antenna

[Stephen]

Just curious how those Window Mount Antennas work for scanning or for mobile amateur use?

I am only thinking for a temporary solution not a permanent one.

Stephen

 

[Stephen]

My Bad on the double post there.

 

[tmfok7]

I have used both the suction cup and the over the window mounts that accept a BNC type antenna! For receiving, they don't work to bad but transmitting can be alittle touchy! If you were using them for amateur radio in a metropolitan area, might not be to bad depending on your proximity to the repeater and your line of sight of course! The antenna can be the biggest part of that as in any radio use! I have used mine here in the area I live, listening to the local Trunked system and some VHF and UHF traffic on a BC-T15 with, what I believe, pretty fair results with the over the window working the best!

Just my experience!

 

[Coastie127]

Are you also asking about the ones which attach to the window with adhesive in my opinion they S@%^ because if you have tinted window the signal is not going to get through that good. Thats my opinion.

 

[kvetreno]

StiCo makes a great glass mount Single and dual band models. They work well with minimal loss, only downfall is they are expensive...

 

[dmckim1977]

my 2 cents

I bought one of the ones that glues onto the winshield before I made a trip from Corpus Christi, Tx to New Orleans. It was supposed to be full band but after swtching from that one to the stock 396T antenna many, many times during the trip I was VERY disappointed.

I came to the conclusion it only helped recieve more weather channels, but it didn't bring them in any clearer. It made air band worse, along with everything else from CB to 800mhz.

I noticed a couple of days ago that the damn antenna fell off! Just the antenna not the glued on base. I even tightened the hell out of that thing because it kept loosening and rattling around on my headache rack which was very annoying.

Worst $30 I ever spent.

 

[Nasby]

Don't waste your money. They don't work. The rubber duckie on your scanner will give you better results.

 

[jonny290]

These are actually worse than a mag mount. Not only do you not have a good omni-ish ground plane, as you would with a mag, but they tie up one of your windows. I know everybody's addicted to A/C in their cars these days, but sometimes I like to drive with the windows down.

I'd rather not have my antenna system be at the mercy of the weather any more than it already is

 

[Dubbin]

These are actually worse than a mag mount. Not only do you not have a good omni-ish ground plane, as you would with a mag, but they tie up one of your windows. I know everybody's addicted to A/C in their cars these days, but sometimes I like to drive with the windows down.

I'd rather not have my antenna system be at the mercy of the weather any more than it already is

LOL most people with half a brain will mount them on a window that doesn't roll down

 

[jonny290]

I was talking about the "over the window" mounts that use the window frame as the clamp mechanism - lower window, insert mount, roll up window till it stops.

The suction cup mounts don't even get honorable mention.

 

[ve1sef]

Re: Glass Mount

I've been using glass mounts on the last three cars. I dispise having drill holes
if I don't have to.
For the scanner it worked great.
For the 2-meter also worked well. Although had one
that was a long whip and it made an annoying whislting sound
at high speeds.
Something to consider if you only want a temportary set up is an
adapter on the exsisting AM/FM antenna.

 

[bee]

Jonny290, are you talking about the "AM800" and or the "AM801" sold by" Universal"? I am using this and am getting good results. But does this deminish the ground plane effect(very much) over a mag mount?