Trunk mount on hood?

[h00sierdaddy]

Can a trunk antenna mount be used on a vehicle hood? Silly question, but it would be my luck that it wouldn't work. The mount I am looking at is:

Antenex TMB8 [TMB8] - $24.95 : The Antenna Farm :: , Your Two Way Radio Source!

Thanks!

 

[kc8mvw]

Yes, it'll work.

I have a diamond trunk mount on the hood of my pickup. Been there for almost 10 years now (I've rebuilt the coax twice) without any problems.

Ensure you change out the set screws for longer, stainless versions. The stock screws were too short to have enough thread engagement and a solid bite into the hood.

Several other hams in my area have also gone this route. Works quite well for pickups without having to drill.

 

[h00sierdaddy]

Thanks!

 

[jackj]

One possible problem you might run into is a poor ground at the antenna. Sometimes hood hinges don't supply a good bond to the rest of the vehicle body. If you get a lot of ignition noise on other wise strong signals then you might want to add some ground straps at the hinges. Coax braid works well, strip off the outer jacket, push the braid to loosen it and remove the center conductor. Other than that, trunk-lip mounts work well on the hood.

 

[h00sierdaddy]

One possible problem you might run into is a poor ground at the antenna. Sometimes hood hinges don't supply a good bond to the rest of the vehicle body. If you get a lot of ignition noise on other wise strong signals then you might want to add some ground straps at the hinges. Coax braid works well, strip off the outer jacket, push the braid to loosen it and remove the center conductor. Other than that, trunk-lip mounts work well on the hood.

Thanks for the tip. If I happen to run into this problem, would you be able to provide a picture to help me get it right?