Thank you all for your information. I appreciate it and now I know what I am getting!
Good choice.
You can certainly go with the hobby brand antennas, and they'll work.
But there is no "magic" pixy dust that makes antennas function. It's all about physics. No manufacturer can cheat those laws.
So, you find an antenna that is a know good performer, and you buy the quality.
I'm running Larsen antennas that are 30 years old. Those antennas have taken tree branch strikes, low parking garages, one bird strike, miles and miles of washboarded roads, heat, ice, snow, mud, rain… And they are still working like the day they were new. If something ever happens to them, I can get replacement parts.
While they may cost a bit more than the low end Cheap Chinese Antennas, they'll outlast your car, and probably the car after that.
Plus, they look better. A well installed professional antenna will look good and work well.
Ideally you really want to do a permanent (drilled) NMO mount dead center in the roof of your car. It can be a hard decision for some, but it really does work better. Having the antenna up on top avoids shadowing and gives it the ideal ground plane to work to its full potential.
Don't buy a good antenna like the Larsen and then install it on a cheap mount, either. While NMO's are interchangeable for the most part, some of the cheap Chinese stuff will give you problems. Stick with the Larsen, Laird, Antenex, Maxrad NMO mounts. Do not buy Browning, Tram or any of the amateur/hobby grade crap. The few bucks you'll save will bite you in the rear.
Also, cut the coaxial cable to length and install a proper connector on the end.
You're going to be happy with this, you'll be glad to put the effort into the install.
