Project: 2m-70cm Mobile setup on Black Dodge Challenger. Yaesu FT-8800R - Need help with mount location without drilling and no mag mount.

[Fallout717]

Ever walked around your vehicle too many times to ponder modification options? That is where I am at the moment. I am hesitant to pull the trigger on a mount and antenna without some feedback from some more experienced hams. See, my predicament is that I don't want to drill holes into the Challenger for a center-roof mounted whip and do not want to scratch it up with a mag mount (plus speed is a factor. *wink wink*). I understand that option would provide the best ground plane but...it's a Challenger. That is my road warrior, man! Now I will try not to be too much of a princess about it. I would like a lip mount of some kind that is of a lower profile than some of the adjustable lip mounts that I have seen out there. Some of those things are just bricks. I have been eyeing the MFJ 346M Trunk Lip Mini-Mount on DX Engineering's site but there is a bit of a slope on the trunk and hood so the minimal adjustability on the mount would mean a slanted vertical whip which I of course don't want either. I saw another method that perhaps one of you can give me a little feedback on. I saw someone remove their shark fin antenna on the roof (rear-center of roof) and replace it with a fairly sleek looking nmo mount that has a shark fin'ish look. That was the EM Wave EM-MG11006-SP on theantennafarm.com. I would need to drop the headliner a bit to access the existing hole to replace the sharkfin with that EM Wave mount. It covers the existing hole and has a gasket to seal it all to avoid leaking. I know this effects the ground plane but perhaps someone can think of a nifty counterpoise method to regain the ground plane a bit while also maintaining a sleeker look. Wondering if I can run some wires from the mount between the roof and the headliner to achieve that idea or if I am overthinking it.

Regarding antennas, if I am going to go with a lip mount of some kind, I would probably go with a higher gain antenna since there is that space from the hood/trunk to the top of the roof. If I go with the shark fin replacement method, I am thinking of sporting a shorter dual-band whip (most likely 1/4 VHF and 5/8 UHF) for on the move operation and swap that out with a larger antenna if I am in a location where I can be idle for a while or if I need more gain on the move. I have also seen the Compactenna but I see conflicting reviews all over the place. Some guys love it and some say it is junk. It is pricey but might be a nice sleek option if it is worth it. Not sure if some of the negative reviews are just fuddish and $140+ is a little steep for me to burn at the moment.

I am utilizing a transceiver a friend gifted me a while back. The Yaesu FT-8800R (50W at high power). I would like to get the separation cables and bracket for headless unit operation. Mount and antenna options would also dictate where I mount the transceiver in the car. I can access terminals for the battery in both the front and back of the car (battery physically in the trunk but remote battery terminals under the hood as well)

Take a good look at a Dodge Challenger's dimensions and let me know your thoughts based on what I just threw at ya. Pictures included of car and a few of the mount options I am pondering.

EM Wave EM-MG11006-SP - Antenna w/GPS Mounts

NMO/GPS Combo Mount: Radio Antenna Cable = RG58/U, GPS Cable = RG174.

theantennafarm.com

-KE2DPW

 

[AK9R]

The Laird TM mounts are pretty low-profile. Trunk Lip Mount NMO Antenna 17' RG58/U Coax Cable TE Connectivity TMB8

 

[Fallout717]

I definitely like that better than the MFG chrome mount. What are your thoughts on the mount location?

 

[AK9R]

Center of the trunk lid just below the window.

Get a black quarter-wave whip like this one: 118-970 MHz Field Tunable Mobile Antenna NMO Two Way TE Connectivity QWFTB120 Tune the antenna for the 2m band (it will be about 19.5" long). It will do OK in the 70cm band. It will be very difficult to spot on a black car.

 

[cbehr91]

The Laird TM mounts are pretty low-profile. Trunk Lip Mount NMO Antenna 17' RG58/U Coax Cable TE Connectivity TMB8

+1 on the Laird TM mount. Since it's low profile it gets the antenna closer to the ground plane. I've had one on my Ford Fusion for three years and haven't had to re-tighten it (yes I check). I have a sunroof that takes up way too much real estate to do a proper NMO.

 

[steve9570]

I have one too for the last 2years so far so good. Like the low profile.

 

[mmckenna]

The trunk lip mount with a black VHF 1/4 wave would be a good middle ground. EM Wave 1/4 wave would be my choice. The black would blend in nicely.

The shark fin antenna with a 1/4 wave whip on it would be an interesting set up. We have an 'unmarked' Ford Utility set up like that, and it looks close enough to stock to get away with it. You'd loose your AM/FM/XM/etc. stuff, but it would look nice.

 

[Fallout717]

The trunk lip mount with a black VHF 1/4 wave would be a good middle ground. EM Wave 1/4 wave would be my choice. The black would blend in nicely.

The shark fin antenna with a 1/4 wave whip on it would be an interesting set up. We have an 'unmarked' Ford Utility set up like that, and it looks close enough to stock to get away with it. You'd loose your AM/FM/XM/etc. stuff, but it would look nice.

Thank you. Yeah, I keep jumping back and forth between those options. Must have looked at the car a dozen times today after my post. @AK9R 's recommendation about the low profile lip mount centered on the trunk right below the rear window grabbed my attention so I went out to take another look at the car. Unfortunately, the trunk lid flares up to meet the slope of the rear window at that lip so that fixed mount would tilt the antenna on probably close to a 45 degree angle. There are a number of aerodynamic flares and slopes on this car that make solid non-adjustable mounts difficult in the usual ideal locations but it is also what is making this an interesting project to ponder over. I would need to offset the mount on one of the side lips of either the trunk or hood at the least sloped point if I am to used that Laird mount. Unless I am missing something. Or I could utilize the larger adjustable mounts and deal with it if I have no choice mounting on one of those flares or slopes. That is also why I keep playing with the shark fin option in my head here. However, that also provides limited adjustability and the roof just starts to slope into the rear window a bit right before the drop-off point right behind that antenna position. I don't mind losing the AM/FM/XM capability since I rarely use it anymore. If I do end up trying to use the shark fin option, maybe I can find a small rubber wedge under the mount to adjust any slope the the antenna.

 

[mmckenna]

If you go with the trunk lip mount and the 1/4 wave, just bend the antenna whip so it's vertical.
I wouldn't use the taller adjustable mount, looks dorky and puts the antenna above the ground plane.

If you go with the shark fin, I wouldn't get too hung up on it not being perfectly vertical. It'll still work much better than having a hand held inside the car, or some other compromise mount. Getting the antenna up and in the clear (as well as over a good ground plane, is going to help it work well.

Short of drilling a hole in the center of the roof, anything else is going to be some amount of compromise. Pick what compromise you are comfortable with and go for it.

 

[mrweather]

Replacing the shark fin should only impact XM since the FM antenna (AM too I guess) is embedded in the rear window. Or at least that's been my understanding.

I'm just gonna say it: drill a hole. I've got a black 2018 Charger R/T with NMO mounts on the trunk and roof. I use black antennas too and they blend in well.

 

[Fallout717]

Replacing the shark fin should only impact XM since the FM antenna (AM too I guess) is embedded in the rear window. Or at least that's been my understanding.

I'm just gonna say it: drill a hole. I've got a black 2018 Charger R/T with NMO mounts on the trunk and roof. I use black antennas too and they blend in well.

What antennas are you using and for what bands?

 

[mrweather]

I'm a big fan of Larsen products. The roof antenna is a simple NMOQ cut for 70cm and the trunk is a NMO150HW. The latter gives me better performance on 2m than a 19" whip without the added height that a 5/8 wave antenna (NMO150) would have.

My radio is a FTM-300DR.

 

[ladn]

Stick with Larsen/Laird and other professional quality mounts and antennas (EMWave is also an antenna brand worth checking out), Avoid MFJ and other "hammy" stuff.

There's also the possibility of using an "undercover" antenna like these from Sti-Co (Products - Page 1 - STI-CO).

As for your radio, the FT-8800 is a great radio (I have one), but it's a 20+ year old design. You might want to have it tested before putting it in service.

 

[Fallout717]

Stick with Larsen/Laird and other professional quality mounts and antennas (EMWave is also an antenna brand worth checking out), Avoid MFJ and other "hammy" stuff.

There's also the possibility of using an "undercover" antenna like these from Sti-Co (Products - Page 1 - STI-CO).

As for your radio, the FT-8800 is a great radio (I have one), but it's a 20+ year old design. You might want to have it tested before putting it in service.

Thank you for that! Regarding the testing, you mean send it in to Yaesu to be testing or bring it to a ham shop?

 

[cbehr91]

Replacing the shark fin should only impact XM since the FM antenna (AM too I guess) is embedded in the rear window. Or at least that's been my understanding.

I'm just gonna say it: drill a hole. I've got a black 2018 Charger R/T with NMO mounts on the trunk and roof. I use black antennas too and they blend in well.

That's how it was on my Charger (except no sharkfin). The AM/FM radio antenna was, indeed, embedded in the rear window.

 

[ladn]

hank you for that! Regarding the testing, you mean send it in to Yaesu to be testing or bring it to a ham shop?

Your choice. Personally, I'd send it to Yaesu for factory service (they're in Cypress, CA, unless you have a local ham service shop that you trust. Check with Yaesu first if they will still work on the radio since it's been out of production for some time. What you want is called "PM/FCC" which is basically preventative maintenance to bring it back to factory specs.

You may also need a new microphone cable. The outer coating on mine started to decompose after about 10 years.

 

[jeepsandradios]

I really want an antenna on my Challenger but wife says no. LTE is my friend now. Personally I'd drill as well. Done right it looks good and will work 100 times better than anything else. I planned a 1/4 wave on the trunk lid for VHF but as said was vetoed...maybe some day.