Antenna for HT mobile reception

[LCRay]

New member here


My Yaesu HT FT- 60R has poor reception in vehicle ( 1999 ford explorer) as expected

Any specific antenna suggestions either magnetic or rear hatch mounted?

Thanks for any help

Ray

 

[Rt169Radio]

Are you looking for NMO antennas only? You could check out the Larsen brand of mobile antennas, their antennas are sturdy and receive/transmit good.

 

[popnokick]

ANYTHING you can get outside the vehicle will be an improvement. There are hundreds to choose from. Everyone has their favorite. Mag mounts are nice for a temporary vehicle, but will eventually mar the finish if you leave them stuck on the car. The rule of thumb when choosing a mobile antenna is: "Fast. Cheap, Good. You get to pick two of those three."

 

[profiledescent]

Have an NMO mount installed, then you'll have more future use options. You'll be amazed at the difference a properly grounded and mounted antenna makes.

 

[W8RMH]

New member here


My Yaesu HT FT- 60R has poor reception in vehicle ( 1999 ford explorer) as expected

Any specific antenna suggestions either magnetic or rear hatch mounted?

Thanks for any help

Ray

I use the Comet M-24M Mobile Antenna M24M with my FT-60R. I have received excellent reports and some even though it was a mobile radio.

I also use a SMC-BNC adapter for easy on-and-off, and occassionally use it as a wide band scanner antenna.

 

[LCRay]

I use the Comet M-24M Mobile Antenna M24M with my FT-60R. I have received excellent reports and some even though it was a mobile radio.

I also use a SMC-BNC adapter for easy on-and-off, and occassionally use it as a wide band scanner antenna.

Thanks,

What type of connection is on the Comet M - 24M antenna ? , a PL 259 ? (UHL )
I am new to this and the SMC-BNC comment is confusing me a bit

Ray

 

[LtDoc]

If I'm not mistaken that antenna can be had with a couple of different connectors. Choose the one that matches your HT.
- 'Doc

 

[kf4uuz]

The FT-60 uses an SMA antenna connector. If the antenna you choose only comes with a BNC connector, you can purchase a readily available SMA to BNC adaptor.

 

[LCRay]

OK, I get it, Thanks to all the above responders

1) Make sure of the terminal connection on antenna feedline
2) Have the appropriate connector/adaptor for the radio

Simple

One last question ( for now)
Do I really have to worry about frequent attach/detaching to the SMA connection on the radio?
In my research on the subject I noted a couple of statements that frequent use can be bad for the connection?

Ray

 

[LtDoc]

I'm not a fan of the SMA connectors. But, they are about as likely to be damaged as any other connector with frequent usage. The idea is to be careful with them, don't put any unnecessary strain on them. I have an HT that's been 'sort of' cared for and no problems with the SMA yet. Not bad for me and the thing going on two years old!
- 'Doc

 

[Rt169Radio]

Yup, as long as you don't rough around the SMA connection it will be fine, I haven't had a SMA break on me yet.

 

[SCPD]

If you want to prevent damage to your SMA connector buy a small extension cable that has a SO-239 on one end and SMA on the other then you will be able to connect/disconnect it without bothering the SMA connection going into the radio....problem solved!!!

 

[Rt169Radio]

If you want to prevent damage to your SMA connector buy a small extension cable that has a SO-239 on one end and SMA on the other then you will be able to connect/disconnect it without bothering the SMA connection going into the radio....problem solved!!!

Also be careful on what type of coax the extension has because sometimes if its to cheap the SMA connection/s will come off after so much use.

 

[VE7WV]

I've had the SMA connector on a Kenwood TH-F6A fail twice thanks to what I'd call light-duty abuse (falling from a desktop to the floor). Two repair jobs later the radio works just fine but I'm not inclined to trust it as a primary radio (it was my wife's, for size reasons). It's a sub-optimal connector but the Kenwood design for this radio I believe makes it worse, causing larger forces than the connector can handle to be transferred with ease.

Despite this bad taste I would not be concerned about repeated use of the connector so much.

My current plan is to avoid buying HT's with SMA connectors. The last two I bought however are Motorola units with a proprietary connector - that doesn't bother me near as much as it would, provided they are robust and I'm inclined to give Motorola the benefit of doubt. So far so good.

 

[VE7WV]

Back on the primary topic, in my old Ford explorer I had two Larsen NMO mount antennas, one on each front fender using stainless L plates; I moved that same set up to my Volvo wagon when we sold the Explorer. For certain front hood designs these work very well; I found I had clearance such that the underside connector was free and clear of the fenders. The three mounting holes are hidden inside the hood area, but you need to pay attention to them with regular maintenance as I found the despite the use of stainless hardware that eventually a little non-destructive rusting would occur (from the vehicle sheet metal) - and this affects the conductivity and antenna system performance. I also had to use larger screws after a few years of service. Roof mounted NMO installations appear to be more maintenance free.

Currently I'm debating where to mount a UHF or dual band antenna on our 2012 F-150; time for me to stop debating roof vs fender mount and get on with it.

I'd prefer the roof mount for better performance, but am a little concerned about catching the tree in front of our house, and parking structures that are tall enough for the truck but not *that* tall, if you know what I mean. We live in an urban area. Anyone else in my situation with a roof mount?

For a dual band rig my antenna of choice is the Larsen 2/70 with the open air coil. They are simple, perform well, and fairly indestructible. My main concern is that, IIRC, at about 33 inches on top of our already tall F-150 FX4 4x4, I wonder if I'll regret the additional height.

Stake pocket mount isn't an option for me, I have a roll away truck bed cover that obscures the stakes, plus we often transport bikes on a over-the-bed rack (that mounts on top of the truck bed cover side rails).

 

[LtDoc]

I think you've made your choice and are just looking for some reassurance, maybe. I can't say for sure that any tree may not harm your antenna of choice, but I can say that if you don't mount that antenna you ain't gonna do much listening or talking. So, pick your location and mount the thing. Doing that hood 'lip' mount first may be a way of going about it. If it works to your satisfaction then leave it alone. If you start to wonder, just can't help wanting to try the roof mount, who says you can't? If your tree knocks the thing off then cap the roof mount and go back to the hood mount. Have I ever made that 'mistake' before? Not more than twice on the same vehicle. I figure I'm about normal...
- 'Doc

 

[dksac2]

I did what you are doing for a while with an FT-60 and no problems. I put an NMO mount on the roof, the perminate mount right in the middle of the roof gets you so much better grounding and signal, it makes a huge difference. Be sure to remove all paint down to the metal on the inside of the vehicle where the mount bites to hold onto the metal so you get the best ground possible. An adapter from the radio to the 259 connection on the antenna wire was all it took and care when taking it on and off. A fender mount will work, but will have an uneven radiation pattern and will chip the paint on the fender. The NMO mount, you just remove when selling the car and put a cap over the hole, hardly is noticed, especially if it's a pick up truck, it can't even be seen.
I have found the Comet CA-4X4 antenna to be the best I've come across, better than the Larson which is a great antenna. It has a lot of gain and is very wide banded, so if you want to use it with a GMRS radio, there is no SWR problem. It's made for EMCOMM work and also folds over. I have had no problem hitting trees with it even though it is a taller antenna. I bought a 1/4 wave antenna to put on when off roading where trees are low.
Your best bet is to get a radio that you can mount in the vehicle that will stay there. If you use mostly VHF, a pull out radio that will not narrow band is a cheap way to go such as a Kenwood or Motorola, but you will have to find someone to program it, otherwise the Yaesu FT-7900 duel band is one of the better deals.
Doing the HT thing is a real pain and you are likely to damage the radio at some point. Stay away from the new China duel band radios, they have problems.

73's John