2 meter antenna

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brucear

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What is the best mobile 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna with a good magnetic mount. I have a jeep grand cherokee laredo and i want to place the antenna on top of the jeep.
 

LtDoc

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Pick one. There's not a huge difference between them. Probably wouldn't hurt to find a fairly hefty mag-mount, but other than that, not much difference. 'Best' can mean a lot of things, what you you mean by 'best'?
- 'Doc
 

Rt169Radio

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Well I use and like the Larsen brand for mobile antennas.
 

prcguy

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Most whips are stainless steel, which is not a great conductor for antennas compared to copper, etc. Larsen whips used to be stainless steel plated with copper then nickel, which is supposed to improve radiation slightly.
prcguy
 

N5TWB

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What is the best mobile 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna with a good magnetic mount. I have a jeep grand cherokee laredo and i want to place the antenna on top of the jeep.

What's holding you back from doing a permanent mount? Even the "best" mag mount is still non-optimal. I've used them but their only admirable quality is convenience and they sometimes have a plus in keeping the XYL from squawking. Otherwise, grab the drill!!
 

LtDoc

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-IF- you have the choice, doing a 'permanent' mount is 'better' than using a mag-mount. It's seldom a 'daylight/dark' sort of difference but there will be some. At the very least, it eliminates the differences in where you place that antenna, which can be good. Convenience is the biggy with a mag-mount, but that convenience can also turn around and bite you. Convenience always means you had to 'give up' something to get it.
As for 'looks' and the opinion of a 'significant other', you are on your own bud! I'm silly, but I ain't stupid, I'll agree with her in a 'New York' second! You know??
- 'Doc
 

TheSpaceMan

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What's holding you back from doing a permanent mount? Even the "best" mag mount is still non-optimal. I've used them but their only admirable quality is convenience and they sometimes have a plus in keeping the XYL from squawking. Otherwise, grab the drill!!
I once got 2 months of bloody hell by the other half for putting a permanent mount antenna on a Mercedes. I would have been better off buying a separate clunker just to do my hamming in!
 

KE6CT

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What is the best mobile 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna with a good magnetic mount. I have a jeep grand cherokee laredo and i want to place the antenna on top of the jeep.

I have not set up a mobile yet but I have read that Larsen antennas are really good. Larsen antennas are used by a lot of police and fire departments, as well as ambulances. Good enough for them, good enough for me.
 

n8zcc

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Oakland, Michigan
What is the best mobile 5/8 wave 2 meter antenna with a good magnetic mount. I have a jeep grand cherokee laredo and i want to place the antenna on top of the jeep.

I am curious why you want a 5/8s wave antenna. Are you working simplex or repeaters?
 

kayn1n32008

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n8zcc said:
I am curious why you want a 5/8s wave antenna. Are you working simplex or repeaters?

If I used a monoband 2m radio I would be attached to a 5/8wave regardless if I was using repeaters or simplex. I use a Larsen NMO2/70 (1/2wave on 2m) only because I have a dualband radio. Shortly my APRS(currently on a 1/4wave) will be diplexed with a 6m Alinco, I got at a fleamarket, to a Larsen 5/8wave.
 
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