2016 Chevrolet Tahoe Antenna Installation

[W4JKW]

We just received a new 2016 Chevy Tahoe and I'm getting ready to install a 2M radio. On the old SUV, I had a mag mount on the roof, but due to the size of the Tahoe, that cable won't reach the radio... I started to put it on the hood, but surprise, the hood and lift gate are aluminum.

I am planning to buy a new antenna and mount, probably the Comet SS680SB SS680SBNMO Mobile Antenna and Diamond K600S Low Profile Trunk Antenna Mount, RF Parts antenna mount. I can't drill a hole to mount it in the absolute ideal manner if I want to stay married. ;-)

So my question is: Can I mount this type of antenna using this type of lip mount on an ALUMINUM hood? Or will the loss/SWR/other be unacceptable?

 

[mmckenna]

Aluminum is a fine ground plane. Many ambulances and fire truck bodies are aluminum and they use NMO mounts without any issues. Newer Ford pickups are aluminum and there are a lot of those in public safety and public works.

The antenna you linked to has an NMO base and the antenna mount you linked to has an SO-239 base. Those are not going to work together without an adapter. Ideally you'd want to stay away from SO-239 as an antenna mount. Not what they were designed for, although I know some in the amateur community are happy with them.

I'd recommend the less expensive "L" bracket. It'll do less damage and get a better ground plane by being directly connected to the body. Those clamp on styles rely on set screws biting through the paint to make a ground connection.

http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/suburban-tahoe-2015-8114.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...oe-silverado-yukon-sierra-2014-2015-7652.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...ounts-296/nmo-bracket-mounts-with-pl-259-500/

 

[03msc]

Aluminum is a fine ground plane. Many ambulances and fire truck bodies are aluminum and they use NMO mounts without any issues. Newer Ford pickups are aluminum and there are a lot of those in public safety and public works.

The antenna you linked to has an NMO base and the antenna mount you linked to has an SO-239 base. Those are not going to work together without an adapter. Ideally you'd want to stay away from SO-239 as an antenna mount. Not what they were designed for, although I know some in the amateur community are happy with them.

I'd recommend the less expensive "L" bracket. It'll do less damage and get a better ground plane by being directly connected to the body. Those clamp on styles rely on set screws biting through the paint to make a ground connection.

http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/suburban-tahoe-2015-8114.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...oe-silverado-yukon-sierra-2014-2015-7652.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...ounts-296/nmo-bracket-mounts-with-pl-259-500/

I highly recommend the vehicle specific mount mmckenna linked to - they fit great and are simple to install. I just put one on my 2015 Silverado for my scanner.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

This isn't going to be the answer the OP wants to hear...but take it to a shop and have them put a NMO mount in the roof. Most shops will charge between $100 and $200 to do that.





Vehicle specific mounts are great and all...but you still have to route the coax into the cab which typically means going through the firewall.





The lip mounts have a bad habit of leaving a 3/8"x1" scratch on the outside of the vehicle (usually the fender for a hood mount) and after opening and closing the hood/liftgate enough will go all the way down to bare sheet metal.

 

[mmckenna]

I can't drill a hole to mount it in the absolute ideal manner if I want to stay married. ;-)

Yep, unless your wife is taller than the vehicle, she'd not know, but I understand keeping things honest.

The truth is W5PKY is correct. Installing (or having someone else install) a proper NMO mount on the roof will not only result in better performance, but a much lower profile installation. Magnets and clip on mounts will eventually damage the paint. Mounting the antenna down below the roof line will impact performance. Mag-mount on the roof will scratch the paint and you'll have to deal with coax routed in through doors or windows.

I've installed a lot of NMO mounts over the years and I've never had one fail. If you are concerned about resale value, put a cap over it or put a cellular style antenna on it. As for lease vehicles, I've never seen it be an issue at the time of turn in.

But, by all means, keep the missus happy.

 

[03msc]

If you could get her to approve you having the antenna properly installed on the roof you could go with something like the Comet B-10 -- it is only 12 inches tall and dual band. Sure, it may not pull in the farthest stations but would be almost stealth and to the untrained eye probably look like a phone antenna. You wife would not see it as much as she would the fender mount.

If you absolutely cannot have it on the roof via a nmo then the vehicle specific mount will work and is your next bet for a clean mount.

 

[W4JKW]

I can't afford a divorce, so drilling into the roof is not an option.

As such I'm now considering the following after your comments:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/suburban-tahoe-2015-8114:c800054a4845d9a4ea9f293d0433579d.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-qwb144-719.html

Thank you all for the comments and opinions!

 

[mmckenna]

I can't afford a divorce, so drilling into the roof is not an option.

Good plan.

As such I'm now considering the following after your comments:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/suburban-tahoe-2015-8114:c800054a4845d9a4ea9f293d0433579d.html
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/laird-technologies-qwb144-719.html

Thank you all for the comments and opinions!

That should work. You'll have some shielding from the cab, but that's not going to be easy to get around without a taller antenna or finding a way to mount on the roof.

So, the other big issue is that the NMO mount is designed to go through a vehicle roof. The soft underside where the coax cable is exposed is intended to be inside the nice dry and warm vehicle. When you mount them on these brackets you need to make sure that you seal the coax at the mount very well. Water will get up under the mount and start wicking up the braid. That'll lead to corrosion and all kinds of nasty issues.
The mounts come with a plastic boot over the cable connection, but you'll need more than that.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Good plan.



That should work. You'll have some shielding from the cab, but that's not going to be easy to get around without a taller antenna or finding a way to mount on the roof.

So, the other big issue is that the NMO mount is designed to go through a vehicle roof. The soft underside where the coax cable is exposed is intended to be inside the nice dry and warm vehicle. When you mount them on these brackets you need to make sure that you seal the coax at the mount very well. Water will get up under the mount and start wicking up the braid. That'll lead to corrosion and all kinds of nasty issues.
The mounts come with a plastic boot over the cable connection, but you'll need more than that.

Larsen NMOHF mount. It's a crimp on style mount designed for Giga-Squiggle frequencies. Like coax terminations it has a crimp sleeve that one can simply add some marine grade heat shrink over the sleeve to help seal it up.

OP. it took my wife a full month to realize I had added an antenna to the roof of the truck I bought in July (I mounted the antenna a whole 3 days after buying the truck). The truck is GM off-white/pearl, the antenna is black (black whips blend in with background better than chrome). However, to the untrained eye it looks simply like the LTE/GPS/Satellite antenna mounted on the newer Colorado/Canyon (even though the OEM fin is still next to the diver's A-pillar). She cared more about it looking professional and not porcupined like my Trailblazer...then again, being the first truck I've actually gone to a dealership and picked out...my truck, my rules because I'm the one who drives it 1000 miles a week.

 

[mmckenna]

Larsen NMOHF mount. It's a crimp on style mount designed for Giga-Squiggle frequencies. Like coax terminations it has a crimp sleeve that one can simply add some marine grade heat shrink over the sleeve to help seal it up.

Yes, one of the reasons I prefer to use those. Might be worth the OP spending a few bucks extra on the HF mount and a few inches of marine grade heat shrink. That's going to work much better.

 

[mmckenna]

NMO-HF: http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...unts-266/nmo-3-4-hole-mount-hi-frequency-291/

You'll need to supply/install the connector of your choice, or order the FME pre-terminated model and purchase the FME adapter to fit your radio.

 

[KB7IWO]

Question

So, the other big issue is that the NMO mount is designed to go through a vehicle roof. The soft underside where the coax cable is exposed is intended to be inside the nice dry and warm vehicle. When you mount them on these brackets you need to make sure that you seal the coax at the mount very well. Water will get up under the mount and start wicking up the braid. That'll lead to corrosion and all kinds of nasty issues.
The mounts come with a plastic boot over the cable connection, but you'll need more than that.

Hello mmckenna-
What would you recommend to seal the coax at the mount?
Thanks
nv

 

[SirJ]

not to hijack but I am asking here since no one has responded to my thread about wheather there is a hole in the firewall to rout wires through or will need to drill my own?

 

[mmckenna]

On a Tahoe?

Sure. There's a few holes you can use. It's going to take some crawling around under the dash, in the engine compartment, etc. to locate them.

The popular one to use is usually just behind the brake master cylinder. It's usually a large grommet with a large wiring harness running through the center. There's a lot of unused space you can utilize. You'll need to __carefully__ poke a screwdrivers or similar object from the engine compartment towards the inside of the vehicle. Make sure you are well away from the wiring harness. Leave the screwdriver in there and go look under the dash. You should see it above the brake pedal. You may have to gently move insulation, carpet, etc. out of the way.

You'll need to fish your wiring back through the hole. A coat hanger straightened out will work fine.

Reseal around the cable with some RTV type sealer. Make sure you secure all your wiring afterwards, and be sure to put the insulation/carpet back in place.

You can drill a new hole yourself, but a lot of these trucks have double walled firewalls. You need to be 100% sure where you are drilling and you must use grommets to protect the wiring.

 

[random250d]

With the Antenna Farm site being down, any chance we could get the vehicle specific mount links from another site, or manufacturer and catalog number? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[03msc]

With the Antenna Farm site being down, any chance we could get the vehicle specific mount links from another site, or manufacturer and catalog number? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I found out The Antenna Farm is currently closed due to family issues (illness) and they aren't sure if/when they will be open again. I did Google the other day "vehicle specific antenna mount chevrolet" (or ford) and a retailer's site came up but I don't remember the site off-hand. Give it a shot - they were available for many of the popular trucks/SUVs and maybe a few cars.

 

[SirJ]

On a Tahoe?

Sure. There's a few holes you can use. It's going to take some crawling around under the dash, in the engine compartment, etc. to locate them.

The popular one to use is usually just behind the brake master cylinder. It's usually a large grommet with a large wiring harness running through the center. There's a lot of unused space you can utilize. You'll need to __carefully__ poke a screwdrivers or similar object from the engine compartment towards the inside of the vehicle. Make sure you are well away from the wiring harness. Leave the screwdriver in there and go look under the dash. You should see it above the brake pedal. You may have to gently move insulation, carpet, etc. out of the way.

You'll need to fish your wiring back through the hole. A coat hanger straightened out will work fine.

Reseal around the cable with some RTV type sealer. Make sure you secure all your wiring afterwards, and be sure to put the insulation/carpet back in place.

You can drill a new hole yourself, but a lot of these trucks have double walled firewalls. You need to be 100% sure where you are drilling and you must use grommets to protect the wiring.

yukon but same thing as a tahoe. OK thanks was able to find the hole! lol

With the Antenna Farm site being down, any chance we could get the vehicle specific mount links from another site, or manufacturer and catalog number? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm using a L bracket on my truck. it's a little ugly but atleast it works. it is also vehicle specific. uses existing bolt from hood. I may end up installing a NMO on the roof once the weather clears up.

 

[12dbsinad]

I'm using a L bracket on my truck. it's a little ugly but atleast it works. it is also vehicle specific. uses existing bolt from hood. I may end up installing a NMO on the roof once the weather clears up.

That phantom is designed to be used with an adequate ground plane. For a fender mount like that, you'd be better of with a no ground plane required half wave.

Your best solution of course would be a roof mount NMO. I had that same phantom on my roof NMO, swapped it out with a black quarter wave. I found it to work better, with a lot lower VSWR. I don't use phantom style antennas any longer.

 

[SirJ]

That phantom is designed to be used with an adequate ground plane. For a fender mount like that, you'd be better of with a no ground plane required half wave.

Your best solution of course would be a roof mount NMO. I had that same phantom on my roof NMO, swapped it out with a black quarter wave. I found it to work better, with a lot lower VSWR. I don't use phantom style antennas any longer.

yeah, I plan to install a single NMO on the roof soon and do away with the fender mount. the mount makes my truck look trashy.

 

[ki4dfg]

Question: Is there a ready made hole in the floor of the rear of a Tahoe to run coax through? I have an HF antennae mounted on a trailer hitch mount (yes, I know - least best) and need a place to run coax through.