Delivers1234
Member
Hi. I’m reinstalling my cb antenna. What nmo size do I use? 3:8 or 3/4? I don’t know the difference.
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Nmo mount size for car
- Thread starter Delivers1234
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mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
The difference is the size of the hole.
The 3/8" mounts require access from the underside of the roof. That can be useful in some applications.
The 3/4" mounts do not require access from the underside of the roof and are much easier to install in most applications.
Unless you have no headliner in your car, go with the 3/4" mounts.
Delivers1234
Member
We one more thing. So I have a hood mounted cb antenna with the nmo lip mount. I used to have an nmo mount on the rear roof. Am I losing a lot of reception and transmission if it stays o. The good. The swr is 1.3 on the bearcat.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
I dunno. There is absolutely a drawback to mounting it off to one side like that.
While you'll never get a perfect ground plane on CB with any road legal vehicle, having it offset like that will make it slightly directional. Might be noticeable, might not. Putting it in the center of the roof will at least make it work equally well in all directions.
If it works where it is, and you are generally happy with it, leave it there. If you love to experiment and want to try your hand at installing your own, then move it onto the roof.
While you'll never get a perfect ground plane on CB with any road legal vehicle, having it offset like that will make it slightly directional. Might be noticeable, might not. Putting it in the center of the roof will at least make it work equally well in all directions.
If it works where it is, and you are generally happy with it, leave it there. If you love to experiment and want to try your hand at installing your own, then move it onto the roof.
slowmover
Active Member
Tallest is what’s best. Longest antenna to fit 14’ clearance is maximization. (How I set up a big truck or my pickup). 5’ minimum length, as a rule of thumb.
Center of mass of metal (rooftop) isn’t just TX, it’s also RX. Unobstructed.
Distance is the goal I use as a truck driver to try and stay informed of problems on the road. Lesser antennas + poor mounts + poor location goes against this.
Many warnings are faint. Thus, to meet the above goal it’s a matter of my radio system being best in overcoming the deficiencies of the radio systems of other men.
Hearing, and being heard, are worthy ends.
Citizen Band isn’t passive, it requires participation to get what’s promised.
To that, best radio (AM/SSB with NRC), makes both TX & RX “better” at both ends of conversations. Easier to understand others and for them to understand you.
— NRC-integrated just became available last year. Biggest change since intro of 40-channels. See:
forums.radioreference.com
Digital Signal Processing (NRC) is such that faint signals previously unheard can now be filtered and understood. My changing from 6’ to 7’antenna means not only can I hear that faint signal NRC made legible, now I can legibly hear the even fainter signal with whom he’s speaking given last bit of antenna height.
— What effort one puts forth will be repaid proportionately.
Antenna mount + location is the decision from which all other performance will descend. Get that right and do the rest as time, budget and desire allows.
In a sense it’s fairly quick to maximize what’s possible. Hard for me to see why stop short given risk while on the road. CB is the likeliest radio service to encounter all across the country.
And,
on the day one wants greatest distance on Sideband so ET can phone home to that family base station, . . is yet another incentive.
A SIRIO Performer 5000 on a Breedlove NMO mount is fair description of “best”. It’s what I gave my airline captain/ex-military flyer son, it’s what I now run on the big truck.
Read, research, ask questions.
Mobile Radio Installation Reference
.
Center of mass of metal (rooftop) isn’t just TX, it’s also RX. Unobstructed.
Distance is the goal I use as a truck driver to try and stay informed of problems on the road. Lesser antennas + poor mounts + poor location goes against this.
Many warnings are faint. Thus, to meet the above goal it’s a matter of my radio system being best in overcoming the deficiencies of the radio systems of other men.
Hearing, and being heard, are worthy ends.
Citizen Band isn’t passive, it requires participation to get what’s promised.
To that, best radio (AM/SSB with NRC), makes both TX & RX “better” at both ends of conversations. Easier to understand others and for them to understand you.
— NRC-integrated just became available last year. Biggest change since intro of 40-channels. See:
2023 Best Mobile CB
Via mobile experience as an OTR truck driver. Several thousand hours annual use. Earlier references to the Qixiang factory’s new circuit board elsewhere. Several brands. The above possibly the best known example at present. Paired with the equally new Driver Extreme DRX-9010 External Speaker...
Digital Signal Processing (NRC) is such that faint signals previously unheard can now be filtered and understood. My changing from 6’ to 7’antenna means not only can I hear that faint signal NRC made legible, now I can legibly hear the even fainter signal with whom he’s speaking given last bit of antenna height.
— What effort one puts forth will be repaid proportionately.
Antenna mount + location is the decision from which all other performance will descend. Get that right and do the rest as time, budget and desire allows.
In a sense it’s fairly quick to maximize what’s possible. Hard for me to see why stop short given risk while on the road. CB is the likeliest radio service to encounter all across the country.
And,
on the day one wants greatest distance on Sideband so ET can phone home to that family base station, . . is yet another incentive.
A SIRIO Performer 5000 on a Breedlove NMO mount is fair description of “best”. It’s what I gave my airline captain/ex-military flyer son, it’s what I now run on the big truck.
Read, research, ask questions.
Mobile Radio Installation Reference
.
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