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Radio antenna installation in Ford Expedition
- Thread starter AK9R
- Start date
I’d love to make a couple of these, do you have more detailed measurements?
I have several I can sell you, my originals, at my cost to have made, $25 each with bolts. These were primed and painted flat black.
I'd be interested in learning more on these. Just bought a 24 Expedition Timberline.
They are steel, and wide enough for a round and rectangular mag mounts. You can install in the existing holes for the crossbars. For more clearance, they can be mounted upside down for more overhead clearance. For more particulars, just ask.
KF0NYL
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My 2010 F150 is so bad that anything below 10m is useless while the engine is running. I've narrowed it down to the injectors causing most of the issues.
I have a 2023 Escape ST-Line AWD and am running a Comet SSB-1 in the middle of the roof. It just barely clears the garage door.
pappaalphatango1
Newbie
Traveling with 2021 Ford Expedition Max cross country. I have a couple of radios. My destination is a 7'0" parking garage where there is little to no margin for error. I KNOW that I've made it into these 84" garages at my 76.2". 7.8 clearance remaining though I rubbed something last time.
I am about to purchase a 2025 Ford Expedition Platinum. I am accustomed to placing mag mount NMO antennas on the roof of vehicles, but apparently the roof of the Expedition is aluminum, so that is out. I have also learned that the roof rack is mounted with rubber gaskets/washers. I do not want to drill to permanently install an NMO and in view of the above posts I don't want to do a fender mount (which was my original thought).
I like the idea AKNR has come up with, and I have learned that Sherpa sells roof rack rail mounts that are designed to mount NMO and are not for mag mount antennas (they are screw mounted to the rails).
I have also learned that there are dual band no ground plane dual band antennas. I have a number of NMO mag mounts available to me, and I already have a variety of antennas. None are no ground plane.
I will be installing one antenna for use with my SDS150 scanner and one antenna for the dual band application.
Given the above information, how would the performance of a roof rail mag mount bracket in the dual band application rate? (I know it is not as good as a permanent installation to the roof) Should I look into purchasing a no ground plane antenna?
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
The roof rack/bracket is not going to provide a suitable ground plane.
It might work "well enough" for your specific use, but it's not going to work to its full potential.
For 2 meters, you ideally want a 38" diameter ground plane directly under the antenna mount. Hovering the mount a few inches above the roof isn't sufficient. The lack of proper ground plane is going to impact performance, make it difficult to tune, and likely result in the antennas being partially directional.
As noted, permanent mount on the roof is going to be ideal.
But if that is completely out of the question, then the 1/2 wave antenna is the way to go. Don't forget about getting coax into the vehicle. Pinching coax in doors/windows is going to be a long term issue.
I've not ever seen any 'true' dual band no ground plane antennas. Usually they are half wave on VHF, which will work, and UHF is some other design. Ideally a separate 1/2 wave VHF and 1/2 wave UHF antenna would be the way to go.
And then the scanner antenna, but likely not much of a concern for receiving only.
By the time you buy all new antennas, brackets, mounts, hardware and then deal with getting the coax into the vehicle, you might find you'll spend more money than just going to a local 2 way shop and having a professional do the permanent NMO mounts for you.
In my continued research I have found the LARSEN KG2/70CXPL glass mount. Seems to have very high ratings, but there are cautions about heavily tinted windows. My plan would be to mount two of them, one on each side on the rear side windows.
Very pricey indeed, but as I plan to keep this vehicle for a long time and also these antennas can apparently be transferred to other vehicles successfully, this might be the answer.
The question is how heavily tinted the OEM rear side windows might be and if they will create an issue.
Very pricey indeed, but as I plan to keep this vehicle for a long time and also these antennas can apparently be transferred to other vehicles successfully, this might be the answer.
The question is how heavily tinted the OEM rear side windows might be and if they will create an issue.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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My 2013 Expedition has side windows that crank out like vents with a motor and also the passenger side has an AM/FM antenna plated onto the interior. Check yours before going that route. As far as the tint/metallization maybe you can measure with a UHF receiver inside and outside the vehicle at the glass.
RFI-EMI-GUY
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Take MK's advice and drill the damn hole....
Kind of out of my league with this, but wouldn't one of those 5/8 wave J-pole mobile antennas work without a ground plane?
I know there are (plans at least) for DB J-poles. Of course the feed would/should still be from/through an NMO mount, so in any case, a hole has to be drilled somewhere.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Larsen sells remount kits. The antennas take a bit of work to remove, and then you have to clean all the adhesive residue off the glass and antenna base. Larsen KGREINSTALL
Denatured alcohol works pretty well for removing the adhesive residue.
One of the challenges with them on SUV's with near vertical glass is that you can end up with the radiating element close to body metal, which can throw off tuning/pattern.
One of our captains had a VHF glass mount on a take home car. They are tall antennas and don't hide well. They work OK, not great performers, but fine for most hobby use.
I ran a KG-450 Larsen glass mount on a car about 20 years ago. Long sloping glass on the back and no tinting/defroster wires. Worked OK.
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
J-Pole antennas are half wave, not 5/8ths. Might as well use a standard half wave antenna on an NMO. It's going to be more durable.
I was thinking more of a case where the actual antenna couldn't be mounted close to the roof, like due to a desire to have the antenna higher (like on a luggage carrier, rack, or box or something else to get it higher), would a J-pole allow it to work ok without a proximate ground plane, or maybe even help out with reducing position problems (like needing to drill the hole off center to avoid a sunroof), but putting the antenna on a crossbeam of a roof rack in the center of the roof, (higher than the sunroof)?
Thanks
Joel
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
It's still a half wave antenna, so it's going to be essentially identical to one of the commercially available 1/2 wave antennas. In a situation like this, a half wave might be a good choice, but there's nothing magical about a J-pole that is going to make it work better. On the other hand, being able to mount it on an appropriate NMO mount will just make life easier in the long run.
This is my latest idea.
I am now thinking about having a 48.5" x 16" steel plate made up, 3/16 thick. I will have them make uprights out of the same material welded to each end of the plate at 90 degrees. This will then fit "down" inside the roof rack rails. I will drill holes in the uprights to facilitate mounting to the roof rack rails with T bolts (or fender washers inside the rails).
Then I will place my mag mount NMO antennas on the plate (whatever models and combination I choose with whatever spacing I choose) which will sit lower than the top of the roof rails, just up off the roof.
Last of all I will prime and paint the plate or get it powder coated.
Coax will run down from the top, outside the rear hatch rubber until the bottom, then into the cab at that point.
Until I come up with a better idea....
I am now thinking about having a 48.5" x 16" steel plate made up, 3/16 thick. I will have them make uprights out of the same material welded to each end of the plate at 90 degrees. This will then fit "down" inside the roof rack rails. I will drill holes in the uprights to facilitate mounting to the roof rack rails with T bolts (or fender washers inside the rails).
Then I will place my mag mount NMO antennas on the plate (whatever models and combination I choose with whatever spacing I choose) which will sit lower than the top of the roof rails, just up off the roof.
Last of all I will prime and paint the plate or get it powder coated.
Coax will run down from the top, outside the rear hatch rubber until the bottom, then into the cab at that point.
Until I come up with a better idea....
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Whatever floats your boat. I've seen other hams do similar installs.
If you are going to go that far, why not just have them pop a few 3/4" holes down the center so you can install an NMO mount and skip the mag mount? That would let you use stainless (expensive) or aluminum (lighter, won't rust).
Or, by the time you do all this, you could pay a professional to install some NMO mounts and never have to worry about this again.
But I get it, not everyone wants to drill holes in their vehicle.
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