mmckenna
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Where are you located in Central California?
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Mobile radio transmission interference
- Thread starter Colton25
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Where are you located in Central California?
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
OK I'm out near Monterey. I figured if you were local we could meet somewhere and I could check out the antenna system for you.
I'm going to try and do some more troubleshooting. I want to try a different radio and see if it's still the same. I'm also wondering if it may be because I'm not getting a good ground on the trunk. And I also want to put the antenna on a meter.
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So I tried a different antenna and I found some interesting results. The original antenna (the one causing the issue) is the first 2 pictures below. So I tried a second antenna and I didn't get the noises, it's been cut down so it's not hitting the repeater but like I said I'm not getting the noise. So here are the pictures, maybe you guys can see something that I can't.
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19 inches is what you need to cover the vhf band 17 inches for railroad, 20" will cover 140-150 ham.
kd4efm Evans, sent using TapTALK on my HTC M9
kd4efm Evans, sent using TapTALK on my HTC M9
I completely removed the nmo and I found just the slightest bit of rust. I figured this couldn't be what is causing all this but I still took a dremel tool and removed it. I can't believe it but it hasn't made the noise yet, I hope this was the problem all along, I would have never guessed it could cause such a issue.
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mmckenna
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Yeah, that'll do it.
Preventative maintenance for mobile antennas is an important thing. Many install the antennas and forget them. It's important to remove them occasionally and check and clean everything.
That Laird antenna type is a source of this issue. The whip flexing will deform the rubber cone enough to let a little bit of moisture down into the mount. Over time this will cause corrosion. Sometimes you can hear the results on the transmitted signal, often it'll sound like some crackling in the signal.
I had one of the police cars doing this a few weeks ago. I check the VHF whip and found the corrosion on the mount. I cleaned it up and it's working OK now. Same type of antenna you were using. I'm going to replace the antennas they have with the Larsen NMO-Q style. They have a fully sealed base and the whip screws on the top. Solves the leakage issue.
Glad you found the issue.
Preventative maintenance for mobile antennas is an important thing. Many install the antennas and forget them. It's important to remove them occasionally and check and clean everything.
That Laird antenna type is a source of this issue. The whip flexing will deform the rubber cone enough to let a little bit of moisture down into the mount. Over time this will cause corrosion. Sometimes you can hear the results on the transmitted signal, often it'll sound like some crackling in the signal.
I had one of the police cars doing this a few weeks ago. I check the VHF whip and found the corrosion on the mount. I cleaned it up and it's working OK now. Same type of antenna you were using. I'm going to replace the antennas they have with the Larsen NMO-Q style. They have a fully sealed base and the whip screws on the top. Solves the leakage issue.
Glad you found the issue.
WA0CBW
Member
Also be aware that all NMO mounts and antennas are not interchangeable. It depends on how the mount was installed. Some antennas don't screw down far enough for the antenna base to engage the "button" on the mount. On some NMO mounts the "button" can be raised or lowered to make contact with the antenna base. Check for continuity from the coax center pin to the antenna. Of course the above mentioned corrosion would be the first thing to check.
BB
BB
Motorola.
Also, as to why the new one isn't causing any issues, I bet your SWR is so high on it that the radio is cutting back on the power and your issue is the strong RF field which is not present on the bad antenna. That would also explain why you are not hitting the repeater.
Also, as to why the new one isn't causing any issues, I bet your SWR is so high on it that the radio is cutting back on the power and your issue is the strong RF field which is not present on the bad antenna. That would also explain why you are not hitting the repeater.
mmckenna
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Motorola doesn't make their own antennas. They are usually rebranded from one of the bigger manufacturers. At least that is what I've seen, and I could be wrong (just ask my wife).
I've had really good luck with Larsen. I've got about 50 at work with no issues and have been using them on my own personal vehicles for 25 years.
Antennex, Comtelco, and a few others are respected. Steer clear of Opek, Tram, Browning, etc. They are mass produced Chinese brands and not the best quality.
I've had really good luck with Larsen. I've got about 50 at work with no issues and have been using them on my own personal vehicles for 25 years.
Antennex, Comtelco, and a few others are respected. Steer clear of Opek, Tram, Browning, etc. They are mass produced Chinese brands and not the best quality.
Ok I will get the nmo-q antenna, and I'll just need to cut it down to 19" correct? Also what nmo mount would you use with this antenna I want to make sure and get the one designed for this antenna.
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mmckenna
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Larsen NMO-Q Shouldn't be more than about $15 bucks and will solve the issue. The Larsen's have nice sealing gaskets. Been using them for years without issues. Just spec'd these for replacements for our police cars.
What nmo mount do you recommend from them? I need the bigger sized nmo.
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mmckenna
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mmckenna
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There is only one size NMO mount. http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmokhfudpli-1867.html
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