I have a few Larsen NMO-40s and they do work well. Generally, your vehicle serves as the ground plane especially if you drill the hole for the NMO mount. I have an SUV and it's a lot of metal which makes for an excellent GP on the roof where the hole was drilled. On the contrary, I also use one on a mast off my house roof which has marginal results due to a simulated ground plane (four 57" radials) which is just not enough metal for a GP. The challenge is not just a tall (right length) antenna but also a significant GP up in the air. Receiving low band isn't easy to do.