CB connector to NMO mount?

[Idunnoanything]

One of our departments bought some new Mac roll off trucks that comes pre-wired for a CB. Is anyone aware of an adapter to convert the CB antenna mount to an NMO for our commercial radios? There is not enough slack in the coax to solder on an NMO, and I'm looking for a simpler solution that "anyone" could do. It is also difficult to re-run the coax for a few different reasons.

 

[ka3aaa]

pix please

 

[prcguy]

If the coax runs to something like a 3/8-24 stud mount with lugs, no. If you have a PL-259 connector at the mount then yes.

 

[mmckenna]

One of our departments bought some new Mac roll off trucks that comes pre-wired for a CB. Is anyone aware of an adapter to convert the CB antenna mount to an NMO for our commercial radios? There is not enough slack in the coax to solder on an NMO, and I'm looking for a simpler solution that "anyone" could do. It is also difficult to re-run the coax for a few different reasons.

If it's the 3/8"x24tpi mount common with CB antennas, no.
The challenge is that the 3/8x24 mounts don't provide a ground connection. The ground is necessary for most of the antenna coils to work correctly.

For most antennas, you'd also need to address the ground plane, which if this is a mirror mount, is going to be a challenge.

New mount, new cable, do it right. Pain the butt.

 

[krokus]

Would the AD-35M help? (I know it would require an NMO adapter.

Adapters/Jumpers | Comet Antenna

wireless mobile and fixed station voice and data

cometantenna.com

 

[smittie]

I agree with @mmckenna in principle. However, if lacing new coax is out of the question, could you cut the existing coax six inches or a foot back, install a PL-259 and then run a short jumper from there to the newly installed NMO?

 

[mastr]

...New mount, new cable, do it right. Pain the butt.

This is good advice. The time you "save" by adapting, adding connections or similar will be more than used up by later responses to repair same.

 

[Idunnoanything]

Thank you guys for your responses. I recently found out the pre-run coax in our MAC trucks uses a barrel connector inside the middle of the A pillar that will vibrate loose. I'm assuming this was to make the manufacturing easier, but they could have at least used some electrical tape on it. Looks like I have some work to do.