Antenna Mounting Question

[Hit_Factor]

Years ago as a Police Officer I listened to scanners quite a bit in order to stay on top of things happening in my community. I recently purchased a PSR-500 and after about 3 weeks of programming it I think I have settled on a schema. Reading the forums here provided me with a ton of good ideas and direction, Thanks.

Getting to my question, I'm installing a Comtelco antenna on my car. Here is a link to the exact antenna Comtelco All-Band Low-Profile Scanner Antenna.
If I bend the mast like this one http://misection.org/bent.jpg am I doing anything really detrimental? I'm thinking about using the edge mount (trunk lip mount) base.

I know putting it on top of the car straight up would be best, but my lovely and usually tolerant wife doesn't think it would be best.

 

[dougr1252]

Well, it's detrimental to the whip

As long as you're not transmitting, it's not a big deal, but there are still some issues. If you get air swirling around in back on the freeway, the whip may start smacking your back window. Antennas like to see a piece of metal under them (ground plane), not next to them. Also that mounting puts the vehicle between the antenna and many of the signals you will receive, so it won't work as well for stuff that's in front of you. You could look into an antenna that doesn't need a ground plane, and try to mount it on the hinge for the back hatch so it gets up closer to the roof line, or maybe a glass mount on a side window.

 

[mancow]

Wow, I would think the wife would really complain about that. At least on the roof it's pretty much out of sight but something is better than nothing.

 

[N8IAA]

What kind of car, and where did you want to mount it? If it is a vehicle similar to the one in the pic, using a trunklid mount that you can adjust the angle will make it better. But mounting that far down on the back of the carr will seriously degrade the received signal. A shorter antenna on a magmount on the roof will insure a better signal. The adjustable lip mount will also work if you want to do a top of the door attachment. Did that on my 3 door pickup with great success Waiting for your reply.
Larry

 

[leobgal]

a magnetic mount could interfere with a compass. hope this helps. good luck.

 

[K7CAR]

It will work much better than the stock antenna inside the vehicle, so give it a try. I bet it will work fine for the majority of TX sites you want to listen too. If it doesn't then bend it back and put it on top of your vehicle when your wife isn't looking.

If your wife complains then you need to get a divorce and find a wife that isn't so picky. It's a matter of priorities don't you know!......

 

[kb2vxa]

A mag mount will not even be detectable by a compass even in close proximity while attached to the vehicle body. The magnetic lines of force are shunted through the steel and do not assume their natural positions in free space, flowing through the metal and being confined by it is what makes a magnet stick.

"If your wife complains then you need to get a divorce and find a wife that isn't so picky."
You'd make a good doctor with that attitude, treating the symptoms will not cure the disease so one must get to the root of the problem if the patient is expected to survive. On the other hand maybe she's a Leo (we still haven't cured Cancer) so there may be hope using an old fashioned remedy that never came in a bottle.

That stiff wire on top isn't called a whip for nothing, a good stiff swipe across the buttocks surely will get her attention while the MAN of the house lays down the law. Take a tip from the Scotsman... "Now that's thinkin' wi' yer dipstick, Jimmy!"

 

[Hit_Factor]

Thanks for the input.

The vehicle pictured is the one the antenna is mounted to. I didn't bend it to a vertical position, maybe 60 degrees. It clears the HB window easily.

Turns out the install is working as well as I hoped. I'm picking up CB ch 19 for a few miles, everything else is quite a bit clearer.

My wife is happy and that in turn makes me happy