Antenna question

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Sccafire

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I will be mounting a FT-2900R in to my 07 CTD. I want to do a permanent mount thru the roof. Antenna height is a concern. I'm not worried about drive thru's ( I can go inside.) My main concern is that my wife has to park in a parking garage.

Is their such an antenna that can be permanently mounted ( roof of truck) but the antenna portion removable?
 

popnokick

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There are several, including fold-over types. I had one permanently mounted in the center of my Jeep's roof. It was great. I would stop before I went in the garage and diligently fold it down. One day after having it about 3 months I forgot and drove straight into the garage with antenna fully extended. My mounting work on the NMO and hole drilled in the roof were rock solid... And when the antenna struck the low garage door sill it ripped open the roof of the car like a can opener to a tuna can.... Jagged edges of sheet metal and all.
I learned my lesson and now have a flexible dual band antenna. It hits the garage sill and just flexes over. Not much less gain than the tall folding antenna, either.
So... Do you feel lucky and will never forget to remove the over height antenna?
 

rfguygg

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Since you're only doing 2m I would put a cheap 1/4 wave up there and call it good. It usually gives me enough garage clearance with my jeep liberty. If not you can easily unscrew it and put a cap on the NMO. As mentioned you can get the fancy mounts too. I ran the 1/4 for quite a while when my wife often drove my jeep. :). I'm only out $7 if it gets bent. With the excellent ground plane provided by the roof mount performance was pretty good.
 

Sccafire

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Thanks for the advice. Both of you commented on Jeeps. I belive my truck sits higher than a Jeep. It is a Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 with CTD (Cummins Turbo Diesel)
 

mass-man

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Still go with the 1/4 for two meters...with the good groundplane provided by your large roof, it will work just fine. Do the math and you will find it will be about 17 inches or so which even if it scrapes won't be a big deal...
 

n5ims

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The main question isn't what kind of truck you have (there are really too many factors there), but just how much clearance do you have. The same make & model truck with different tires, suspension, or other options can be way different in height.

You could do a standard NMO "L Bracket" mount for a standard 1/4 wave VHF antenna. That wouldn't stick up any higher than your roof. You could then even go with something a bit longer if you want. There are also springs available for many antennas that will allow some movement without damaging the antenna (although it may still break overhead fluorescent lights!). Be sure to trim the antenna whip as instructed if the spring is added since it will probably be part of the antenna.

There are also low profile antennas that are under 6" for VHF-Hi band (but watch the power ratings, many max out at 60 watts, not the 75 of your Yaesu). Also note that the low profile antennas are for smaller frequency ranges (and not easily tunable, if at all) so you'll need to get one designed for 144 - 148 MHz.

You could also get a through-the-glass mount, which would lower the mounting point for the antenna. These may be affected by window tinting or defroster wires that may be in the window so check this out before you go that route. They also have power limitations you'll need to check out as well.

Hopefully these suggestions give you some directions to start looking.
 
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