NMO mount for hatchback

[hfxChris]

Hey folks,

I'm wondering what sort of options are out there for an NMO mount for a hatchback? I've got an 08 Mazda3 Sport hatchback and a Larsen NMO150/450/800 tri-band antenna.

I've seen what Comet sells, the CP-5NMO: http://www.cheapham.com/COM-CP5.html
But I'm wondering if I have some other options as far as other manufacturers of the same type of mount, or other mounting ideas I haven't even considered!
Right now I'm liking the idea of mounting it onto the hatchback its self. And to answer the question that I know is going to come up, I'm not drilling any holes I know it's the best option, but I'm just not going down that road. Mag mounts are out too.
Thanks!!

 

[af5rn]

What about drilling un-noticeable holes? An L-bracket hood-groove mount gives you the solid ground and ground plane of a hole mount, without having to actually drill a hole in the roof or body. It just requires two or three sheet metal screws into the metal of the engine compartment, totally out of site.

There are some trunk-lip style mounts out there that can be made to work on hatchbacks, like the one you linked, but frequently, the hatchback itself is not metal, so the groundplane is nil, resulting in horrible performance. If your hatchback is indeed metal, then that is a viable option that will probably work pretty well. But the hood-groove mount would be better.

If you're unwilling to even do a hood-groove L-bracket, and your hatchback is fibreglass, then you're pretty much stuck with a mag mount, which -- as always -- sucks.

 

[KD8TZC]

Chris... I know this is a really old thread, but what did you eventually decide to do? I'm in a similar situation with a hatchback, but was only looking at mag mounts. I too don't want to drill holes and then saw your post. Just curious on what you did and what the results were and what you would do differently (if anything).

Thanks,

jvn