Which NMO mount for permanent mounting?

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

I'm going to put a permanent NMO mount on the top of my car. On the principle of "buy once, cry once" I want to get something that will last until the car gives out. I'm requesting recommendations for brand and type. Aaaand GO!

 

[n7maq-1]

I'm going to put a permanent NMO mount on the top of my car. On the principle of "buy once, cry once" I want to get something that will last until the car gives out. I'm requesting recommendations for brand and type. Aaaand GO!

Pulse / Larsen NMOHFUD or NMOK. The NMOHF is what I use 99%, it is better than the NMOK for higher freqs.

Jim

 

[mmckenna]

I'm going to put a permanent NMO mount on the top of my car. On the principle of "buy once, cry once" I want to get something that will last until the car gives out. I'm requesting recommendations for brand and type. Aaaand GO!

Larsen NMOK is all you need.

Larsen NMOK - NMO 3/4" Hole Mounts PL-259

theantennafarm.com

There is an NMOHF mount if you are running something above 1GHz. Not necessary for ham, CB, GMRS.
But shop around, sometimes you can find them for less than the NMOK. I've used both kinds.

Vehicle roof mount antenna, 0 – 6000 MHz, 3/4" hole, NMO mount, includes 17ft of RG-58A/U cable

Vehicle roof mount antenna, 0 – 6000 MHz, 3/4" hole, NMO mount, includes 17ft of RG-58A/U cable

theantennafarm.com

What ever you do, avoid Tram. They do poor connector installation.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

If I'm buying a premade kit, then Pluse/Larsen or PCTEL/Maxrad basic NMO mounts are what I go with. If I'm rolling custom length stuff, I typically splurge and go with NMOHF mounts and assemble them to requirements. For example, my POV has a Breedlove mount for the VHF antenna (I'd never recommend that mount if you can avoid it). The UHF and 7/800 mounts are NMOHF's with LMR195 coax.

 

[W8KIC]

Every time I attempt to go to The Antenna Farm website, I get blocked with the message "Cloudflare Ray ID: 902289e37d211c8e" and was just curious if anyone else had run into the same issue? TIA

 

[mmckenna]

Every time I attempt to go to The Antenna Farm website, I get blocked with the message "Cloudflare Ray ID: 902289e37d211c8e" and was just curious if anyone else had run into the same issue? TIA

Nope, works for me.

 

[AK9R]

There is an NMOHF mount if you are running something above 1GHz.

The thing I like about the NMOHF is that it's stainless steel instead of brass. If there's any chance of salty moisture from wintry Indiana roads getting within 10 feet of the NMO mount, the stainless steel gives me a warm fuzzy even though I know that a properly-installed NMO won't leak.

 

[prcguy]

the stainless steel gives me a warm fuzzy even though I know that a properly-installed NMO won't leak.

I've had great success with Larsen, Maxrad/PCTEL, Laird, Comtelco, Sti-Co and basically most professional LMR brand mounts. For trunk lip mount I prefer the Laird unless the antenna base is really fat and overhangs. I also shop eBay for new surplus mounts for a fraction of retail.

On the stainless mount, I would think it would give you a cold hard feeling and the threads would cut your dry cracked winter hands. Out here everything is warm and no salt on the roads and all the girls smell like coco butter. I think our silicone grease for antenna threads are also scented with coco butter, its a So Cal thing I guess. Y'all enjoy that road salt.

 

[mmckenna]

The thing I like about the NMOHF is that it's stainless steel instead of brass. If there's any chance of salty moisture from wintry Indiana roads getting within 10 feet of the NMO mount, the stainless steel gives me a warm fuzzy even though I know that a properly-installed NMO won't leak.

NMOK is nickel plated stainless. Larsen NMOK - NMO 3/4" Hole Mounts PL-259

NMOHFUDPLI is Nickel, Copper, and Zinc alloy Larsen NMOKHFUDPLI - NMO 3/4" Hole Mounts PL-259

 

[OkieBoyKJ5JFG]

Usually, when you ask about the "best" anything, you'll get a lot of differences of opinion. I asked the same question in another forum as well, and in both groups, Larsen seems to be the overwhelming favorite. That speaks well to their quality, so that's probably what I'll go with. Thanks!

 

[mmckenna]

Usually, when you ask about the "best" anything, you'll get a lot of differences of opinion. I asked the same question in another forum as well, and in both groups, Larsen seems to be the overwhelming favorite. That speaks well to their quality, so that's probably what I'll go with. Thanks!

They've been doing this a long time. They have a good reputation. I've installed a lot of them and never had an issue. They make really good antennas, also.

As the Green One said above Maxrad/PCTEL, Laird, Comtelco, Sti-Co are also good brands, and I think EM Wave probably is also. Those companies have been in the industry a long time and also have good reputations. Not always easy to find all those brands, but they are out there. Larsen just seems to be bigger and has a bigger market share.

I got stuck installing a Tram mount once. It was OK, not really bad quality, but it had a preinstalled connector on the coax that was absolute trash. If they cut corners there, they likely do elsewhere. And there was no real price difference between them and Larsen, so no reason to send your money overseas.

 

[AK9R]

Nickel, Copper, and Zinc alloy

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Nickel brass, also known as "nickel silver", and "white brass" are alloys of copper, zinc, and nickel. Nickel brass is corrosion resistant, so a good choice for this application.

Looks like Laird, EM Wave, and PC Tel NMO mounts are mostly brass while the Larsen mounts have a silvery appearance that could be nickel brass or nickel-plated.