NMO Mount question

[KD8TZC]

SO I purchased an NMO mount antenna the other day and attached it to a hatchback mount on my car. Do I just want to hand tighten it down to the mount, or so I want to use a wrench and really give it a tight fit? I would think a loose fit would be a bad thing for the radio and reception.

A bigger question I have is how do I make sure someone doesn't just unscrew it and take it? I guess there is no way to completely safeguard against that, but looking for suggestions to prevent the casual thief.

 

[Rt169Radio]

You should aways hand tighten a NMO antenna, a wrench would grind up the antenna.

 

[KD8TZC]

Thanks... should I use Loctite on the threads to keep the unit from vibrating loose from road vibrations?

 

[nd5y]

Tighten the mount itself with a wrench but not too tight. That's why it has flats on each side.
Screw the antenna onto the mount only hand tight.
If the antenna is too tight it will bind to the mount's outer ring and the next time you unscrew the antenna it could take the mount's outer ring with it and the inner part of the mount could fall down below the mounting suface.
Don't put loctite on it. I have used NMO type antennas for about 30 years and have never had one vibrate loose.

 

[W2NJS]

I endorse ND5Y's statements 100%, based on my years of experience with NMO mounts.

 

[k3td]

How does the NMO Mount attach to the vehicle? The best way is by drilling a hole, but trunk lip mounts with a couple of set screws work OK. If you are using a trunk lip mount, carefully remove a small amount of the paint on the underside of the trunk lip where the set screws seat against the trunk lip - just big enough for the set screw. This will help performance by getting a good bond between the screw and trunk lip for using the trunk lip as a ground plane for the antenna. Modern vehicles have treated steel so you don't have to worry about it rusting.

Of course, drilling a hole in the roof or trunk is best. A good quality NMO mount properly installed will never leak. The small hole when you trade in a vehicle, or turn in a lease vehicle, is a non-issue. I speak from 25+ years experience with NMO mounts permanently installed.