Is a external antenna really necessary?
- Thread starter lcat06
- Start date
mmckenna
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The HAF4013 probably claims 3dBi of gain. I've found those claims to be dubious. Running similar antennas on my 800MHz trunked system, I just don't see enough different to pay the extra cost. Plus, the 1/4 wave whips are ultimately a lot lower profile than the can antennas. Just my opinion.
mmckenna
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I understand looks being part of the goal. Do what makes you happy. It's your car. Getting just about any antenna outside the vehicle is going to make a noticeable improvement no matter what. So pick what you like and install it. The nice thing about the NMO mounts is that they are standard and you can easily swap antennas out later if your tastes/needs change.
Gotcha. Thanks for the help. My mom said I cannot drill through my roof. For the ham antenna I’m gonna go mag mount. For the scanner antenna I’m either thinking do a fender mount or ditch light bracket mount I don’t want a mag mount with a scanner antenna
What do you think
mmckenna
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About what?
About the ditch light idea
mmckenna
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Well, sounds like your only option. It'll work, just not ideal. The mount will throw the ground plane off, so it'll make it a bit directional. Having the antenna down lower than the roofline will also cause some shadowing.
How noticeable of loss? Still better than stock antenna?
mmckenna
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Based on your situation and limitations, I'd say that getting the antenna outside the vehicle is your main goal.
A magnet mount antenna on the roof is going to work better. If that is not one of your options, then the fender bracket is the way to go.
Let me ask you something… does the antenna have the be physically connected to the ground plane? My idea is to buy a ditch light bracket and mount it underneath the stock roof rack so it can get over the roof would I just need a grounding strap?
mmckenna
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There's two things here:
1. Direct Current (DC) Ground. That would be the physical metal to metal connection, either directly through the mount/screw/body or a grounding strap. That's fine for DC, like powering a light, etc. Not necessarily good for RF.
2. Ground Plane. That's the metal under the antenna. For the ground plane to be efficient and work correctly, it needs to be directly under the antenna base. Not a few inches under, or offset to one side, but directly under the antenna.
A bracket will likely give you a DC ground if installed correctly. It's not going to necessarily give you a good RF ground plane.
Well it still would be better than what I currently have correct? Mag mount for the scanner antenna isn’t really pleasing to look at in my opinion… are there any super low profile mag mounts? If not I might just have to do the ditch light bracket off of the rack
mmckenna
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Yes, it would still be better than the hand held antenna inside the vehicle.
There's a lot of small mag mount scanner antennas out there. I don't have any feedback on them other than most of them are pretty low quality. Challenge with any antenna that isn't permanently mounted is that you still need to get the cable inside the vehicle, and that's is usually a challenge to do without damage to the cable.
Gotta pick the lesser of the evil's.
There's a lot of small mag mount scanner antennas out there. I don't have any feedback on them other than most of them are pretty low quality. Challenge with any antenna that isn't permanently mounted is that you still need to get the cable inside the vehicle, and that's is usually a challenge to do without damage to the cable.
Gotta pick the lesser of the evil's.
I found a way to get it in without damaging thankfully… tell me small crappy mag mount of ditch light bracket on the roof
I will send final pics thanks so much
Let me ask one final question I’ve pretty much narrowed down my options. One option, Motorola haf4013 on a lip mount on the hatch (still on the roof probably most aesthetic looking mount). Another idea is using a ditch light mount on the roof rack (either towards the front of the roof rack or rear) with the em wave 700-800mhz antenna you linked. Another idea is using a ditch light mount on the fender using the Motorola haf4013. Another idea is to do a fender lip mount with the em wave 700-800mhz antenna. Another is to do fender lip mount but with the Motorola. Another idea (least desirable) is to use the em wave on a mag mount on the sorta middle of the roof. Let me know what the best three would be in order in your opinion.
mmckenna
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If they don't want you drilling holes in the van, they probably are not going to like what a lip mount is going to do. To get those to work properly, you have to crank down on the set screws hard enough to bite through the paint on the hatch. That's not a good option.
Meh, not a fan. Not a fan of any of these either, but not my van, not my scanner, not my antenna, so do what you like:
Except for this one:
That's probably going to work marginally better than all the others. Center of the ground plane with a proper antenna is going to work. Short of the permanent mount, everything else is some amount of compromise.
My parents are fine with lip mount what would you say is the “best” compromise?
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