What's the best "prepper" emergency radio??

[mmckenna]

So, are the NMO antenna mounts the type you drill holes in your vehicle to mount?
I googled it, and it seems to show only mounts permanently drilled into the vehicle.
Like I say, I can't drill any holes in this vehicle, at least not yet.

The NMO mount was originally designed for mounting through the roof of a vehicle, however it'll mount in a 3/4" or 3/8" hole, depending on the model you purchase. Any bracket that you can make a suitable sized hole in will work, HOWEVER, you do need to pay attention to the underside:
The standard NMO mount was designed to mount through the roof of a vehicle. The outside part is waterproof. The underside of the mount is designed to be inside the vehicle. Installing an NMO mount on one of these brackets exposes the unprotected underside to rain, snow, road salts, oil, etc. Water will quickly get into the coax and underside of the mount and cause issues. You'll need to take some precautions to make sure it's all properly sealed on the underside.

Here's some generic fender mounts with NMO's:
http://www.theantennafarm.com/catal...ounts-296/nmo-bracket-mounts-with-pl-259-500/

How about this:

Oh hell no. So many things wrong with that on so many levels. Occasionally when I go to the local ham radio swap meets, you'll see a guy or two with a car like that. Never understood the mindset.

Just imagine what the fuel economy and wind noise must be like.
Back in the day we would have referred to that as a "birth control vehicle". No way you'd ever get a girl in a car like that.

 

[NSprepper]

Filthy Casual. Welcome to the Pros.

LOL

 

[mmckenna]

Filthy Casual. Welcome to the Pros.

Ah yes, blinky lights (for safety!) and magnetic mount antennas. The sign of a true amateur radio operator. Don't be like this guy.

 

[NSprepper]

Funny thing is one of my professors who was a ham operator had a small car that kind looked like that, we used to call it the porcupine mobile, haha.

 

[bharvey2]

Filthy Casual. Welcome to the Pros.

What happened to the guy that always got beat up in gym class? I think I know.......

 

[NSprepper]

I'm just looking at the sheer investment in all of those antennas, even if they are junk, they still would cost a small fortune!

Now if I had a car like that one, I would have no problem drilling holes in it.

Can you recommend a specific mount that fits somewhere permanently that I could attach a Larsen antenna to that does not involve drilling hole in the exterior body of the vehicle?

this is the one that was previously recommended to me:

https://www.rightchannelradios.com/...oducts/adjustable-universal-hood-mount-pl-259

Thanks!

 

[mmckenna]

These will work, UHF connector to match your CB is already installed. and I'm partial to Larsen....

Black bracket: http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmotmbb-1874.html
Chrome bracket: http://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/larsen-nmotmb-1873.html

To seal the underside, use some RTV. Make sure you get it around the coax cable. You don't want water getting inside the coax.

 

[NSprepper]

Thanks!
At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, how exactly (and where) do those mounts connect to a vehicle?
They don't look like they would fit around the edge of the hood like the one I posted previously.

This is one of those cases where I wish I owned a truck, and not a prissy SUV...lol.

 

[mmckenna]

Inside the hood channel. It usually involves drilling 3 each 1/8'ths inch holes and using the included stainless steel sheet metal screws to hold it in place.
That provides a good (or good enough) ground connection, which is required for the antenna to work well.

You can find vehicle specific mounts, but not sure what kind of vehicle you have.

 

[mmckenna]

This is one of those cases where I wish I owned a truck, and not a prissy SUV...lol.

If you owned it, you could drill the hole and install it correctly.

As for the SUV, they do give you more roof top room to mount the antenna, which can be good. Unless you have a sun roof....

By the way, does your SUV have a roof rack? There are companies that make mounts for roof racks. Not the best, slightly better than a glass mount, but an option. Not one I'd recommend, though.

 

[NSprepper]

Inside the hood channel. It usually involves drilling 3 each 1/8'ths inch holes and using the included stainless steel sheet metal screws to hold it in place.
That provides a good (or good enough) ground connection, which is required for the antenna to work well.

You can find vehicle specific mounts, but not sure what kind of vehicle you have.

I have a 2016 Dodge journey

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks!
At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, how exactly (and where) do those mounts connect to a vehicle?

Here's a photo of how they mount:
http://expeditionportal.com/equipment/vehicles/feature_vehicle/part3/antenna_1.jpg

They don't look like they would fit around the edge of the hood like the one I posted previously.

The ones I linked to are a LOT lower profile. That one you linked to looks like it's well built, but it's pretty tall. Since it used the 3/8" x 24 mount, you'd be limited to just those types of antennas. The NMO mounts give you a lot more flexibility.

 

[mmckenna]

Here's a photo of how they mount:
http://expeditionportal.com/equipment/vehicles/feature_vehicle/part3/antenna_1.jpg

I should point out a few things about their installation....
1. lock washers should be used under the screws if they won't interfere with the hood closing.
2. better cable routing would be important. Keeping the coax away from sharp sheet metal edges, making sure it doesn't get pinched, etc.

 

[NSprepper]

I notice in the pic that the coax is indeed pinched . I've been wondering how to get around that.
I wonder if there is a way to mount it in the hatch in the back instead of in the hood.

Would it mess with the effectiveness of the antenna to mount it on the back, whick is a vertical mount, rather than a horizontal mount on the hood area? I'm thinking ground plane........

 

[mmckenna]

Most antennas work best when they have a 1/4 wavelength of ground plane underneath them in all directions. At CB frequencies, you'd need about 108 inches in all directions under the antenna for it to work best. Since that isn't realistic on an SUV, anything is going to be a compromise. Setting the antenna at the edge of the vehicle, whether it's on the front fender or the rear hatch, is going to have some impact.

Ideal location is always going to be top of the vehicle, center of the roof, permanently mounted. Since that's out of the question, it really comes down to what's going to work for your case.

Coaxial cable will get pinched in the rear hatch, so that won't necessarily be a safe option. To add to the drawbacks, putting the antenna as far from the radio adds some cable loss, which means a little less signal would get to and from the radio. Not a big deal, but something to consider.

If you mounted it in the hood channel, you'll be OK. Careful routing will reduce the chance of issues. It can be done, there are a lot of people that choose to mount antennas this way.

 

[NSprepper]

I just worry about a big whip flopping around at the front of the vehicle, if it was at the back, who cares
So why exactly are the firesticks not as good as a whip style like the Larsen antenna?
Is it strictly mechanical, or a performance issue?

 

[mmckenna]

The whips on these are pretty thin, so while they do move in the wind, there's no problem with them coming back and hitting the windshield or roof. I ran one in that position on a full size truck for a while, and never had an issue.

My personal experience with the fiberglass CB antennas is that after a bit the internal wire will break and the SWR goes through the roof. If they hit something, the end will splinter/delaminate.
Just personal experience.

The nice thing about the whips is that they are easy to tune, easy to maintain, and if something happens to it, you can replace individual parts. Also, since they are thinner, it's lower profile.

Don't forget that the NMO mount is the de-facto standard in the two way radio industry. Once you have that mount, you can use the same mount for amateur radio, scanner, etc. The 3/8th's x 24 mounts are popular on CB's, and lower frequencies used by amateur radio operators. They work fine, but since they don't have a ground connection as part of the antenna base, there's limits to what you can do with them.

 

[K5MPH]

Thanks for the encouraging words, I appreciate it

Every time I think I have made a decision of what to do first, I get pulled in a different direction, lol.

It's hard to "pull the trigger" on buying a radio when your budget is so limited, I'm even questioning now whether food preps and TP are a more important investment, not just because of an emergency, but because the way the worlds economy is headed.

In bad times a Gun is your best friend not a radio......

 

[NSprepper]

In bad times a Gun is your best friend not a radio......

Yeah, I'm in Canada, and your in Texas...LOL

 

[mmckenna]

Violence/fire arms should be a last resort. It's always better to avoid getting in that situation in the first place. In your case, not an issue.

Information is always a better tool.