I did the same to my NMO mounted antenna on my RAV 4. My neighbor was in the market for a new car a while back and wanted to know how a RAV would fit in her garage. The RAV fit fine, the antenna didn't. As such, the "polarization" on my antenna was changed substantially. Not quite as bad as yours but I did bend it back and it works fine. Lesson learned: Don't park in the neighbor's garage.
-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
Mobile antennas and parking garages
- Thread starter mmckenna
- Start date
slowmover
Active Member
On an NMO mount even a 6.5’ 11M antenna can conveniently be caused to pass into structures.
SIRIO 5000 (several models).
My PRESIDENT TEXAS 1800 (at 7’) on a puck mount has the same tilt feature, but needing a wide-blade screwdriver.
Both of these antennas have very flexible whips being able to take 60-70/MPH strikes across the upper half without issue.
No good substitute for roof, center-mount.
.
SIRIO 5000 (several models).
My PRESIDENT TEXAS 1800 (at 7’) on a puck mount has the same tilt feature, but needing a wide-blade screwdriver.
Both of these antennas have very flexible whips being able to take 60-70/MPH strikes across the upper half without issue.
No good substitute for roof, center-mount.
.
In June I got a call from from the ambulance I help with and they said the radios were all not working well when they returned from a call. I climbed up a ladder and found the issue.
Station personnel had been putting the door up and stopping it to keep the auto close feature from shutting the bay doors on nice days. You can see it partially down again in the picture.
4 Stico antennas reside there along with a new rule about stopping the doors part way up. 4:15 on a Friday so was looking at weekend rates but fortunately, one of the techs lives 10 miles away and was able to do the job on the way home. Also, these broken antennas went for a 30 mile ride and stayed up on the box and were found just like this. There was likely a weak point that allowed them to all snap off rather than rip out the NMO mounts. There was a ring from the antenna still screwed on the mount.
Station personnel had been putting the door up and stopping it to keep the auto close feature from shutting the bay doors on nice days. You can see it partially down again in the picture.
4 Stico antennas reside there along with a new rule about stopping the doors part way up. 4:15 on a Friday so was looking at weekend rates but fortunately, one of the techs lives 10 miles away and was able to do the job on the way home. Also, these broken antennas went for a 30 mile ride and stayed up on the box and were found just like this. There was likely a weak point that allowed them to all snap off rather than rip out the NMO mounts. There was a ring from the antenna still screwed on the mount.
speedway_navigator
Member
I had an ambulance come in after their VHF quarter wave whip torn down a fluorescent light fixture at a drive up window for a burger place.
bert-rob
Member
I'm curious anyone on here ever used the diesel Bros break light mount the one on the roof for their antenna's I'm looking at that as a mount on a Chinese Mini truck in particular the 4 door change li
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Never used one. Here's why I never would:
They don't provide a ground plane. Yes, they are 'grounded', but that's different than having a proper ground plane under the antenna. It does make a difference in performance.
A lot of newer vehicles use LED's instead of incandescent lamps. Some LED's are noisy and having the antenna mounted right on top of it can cause all kinds of noise issues.
There's also a lot of reports of water intrusion, as in they don't always seal well.
Plus, they are really expensive. For the price of those things, you can buy a real NMO mount, a hole saw, plus coax connectors, crimpers, strippers and everything you need to do it right and have money left over for a cold 6 pack when the job is done.
bert-rob
Member
Not really worried about grounding issues as i intended to mount a ptt cell based radio in it instead of a vhf/UHF mobile/portable have never heard that much of the leak issues but some of the ones that i have heard were more cracks in the seals due to over tightened bolts for that light i will probably have the manufacturer install a normal non LED light
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Probably a sufficient ground plane for cellular use.
Still an expensive option, but if it works for you, then it's the right choice.
bert-rob
Member
Most trucks these days are aluminum so you don't get much of a good ground plane anyway will see what options i can get won't be getting it for a little while anyway but creating a plan of action for it is better than nothing
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Aluminum isn't an issue and is commonly used on fire engine and ambulance bodies. Ford has been using aluminum bodies for years, and I've got a lot of Fords at work that we've installed permanent mount antennas on. Aluminum is a better conductor than steel.
bert-rob
Member
Strange because every thing i have heard over the years was aluminum sucks for radio unless they made a mistake and it was composite roofs on vehicles could just be the different types of vehicles to that they say get less than perfect results for antenna ground plane i don't know the last really good radio i had was removed from my car in 1999 when i decided to deal it in on a newer one that also was the last mobile i had i switched to portables after that
Last edited:
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
The aluminum statement pops up every now and then. "I heard that aluminum can't work". "You can't install antennas on aluminum vehicles".
Reality is that none of that is true. Like I mentioned above:
-Ambulance bodies have been aluminum for decades now. They all have many antennas installed on the roof, and there's no issues.
-Fire truck cabs are often aluminum, and have been for decades. Many antennas installed on those, no issues.
-I've installed a lot of antennas on Ford pickups with aluminum bodies, and there's zero impact on performance. That's not a guess, that's a statement based on real world installations on public safety and public works vehicles. I just set up radios on a 2025 Ford Utility Interceptor for our PD yesterday. Aluminum is not an issue.
-Antennas on aluminum vehicles tune up just fine. Not with a $25 Chinese SWR meter, but with $18,000 analyzer. Radiation pattern is fine, and performance is identical to our older steel body trucks.
Aluminum is a better conductor than steel. Less resistance.
If you don't want to drill a hole in your trucklet, that's fine, no argument from us. But aluminum isn't the reason.
Probably because they're wanting to run magnet mounts instead of just "drilling the damned hole".
speedway_navigator
Member
I did a test on my dual band mag mount on a 9" square cable pedestal and a piece of aluminum foil about 11" square on a card table. Not a perfect comparison since the foil is a little larger and the pedestal is slightly peaked at the center but still shows the RF hardly knows the difference.
Attachments
Pretty good reason why emergency vehicles should never use drive through service.
Similar threads
