ANY Ideas how to mount Satphone antenna ??

[goingbush]

Can anyone offer a suggestion on whats the best way to mount / install a Passive antenna for my Isatphone-pro.

I've searched google & come up with a blank, Best ive found is a picture of a Landcruiser with it stuck to its bonnet.

Main Problems

1 Antenna has a magnetic base, wont stick to Defender
2 Must have a ground plane & instructions say to mount in center of roof
3 Leads are only 1.5m long

I guess I could rivet a steel plate to the car or glue the antenna to the car

So if I mount it in the center of the roof the leads will never reach the phone,
Have contacted TC Communications tech dept & they say because its passive the leads cant be lengthend (or a big gain drop will result)

Another problem is I often park in a 2.0 meter clearance carpark & I cant mount it in the main part of the roof anyway as it will be too high.
If I mount on the front sloped part of roof the leads will be just long enough to reach the only spot that I can really mount the cradle.

So then my problem is Im going to have to drill holes in the roof & use some glands to bring the cables in. I really REALLY DONT want to drill holes in the roof, i hate drilling any holes in the car.

Any ideas at all on how you might do it much appreciated

Below is a pic of the antenna, I tried it on a steel plate screwed to the wing vent, It worked only if I was driving toward the satellite but not if I was driving south.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/765.jpg

underside, one cable is for the phones GPS & other is for inmarsat
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/766.jpg

where it might sit on roof
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/767.jpg

phone in cradle
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/768.jpg

Before I attack the roof with a hole saw any way out ideas considered.

thanks .Don

[lewy]

hot glue gun,silicon.dont know if it will damage the paint.how good is the magnet will it hold a steel plate beneath the aluminium

[Basil135]

hot glue gun,silicon.dont know if it will damage the paint.how good is the magnet will it hold a steel plate beneath the aluminium

This was my first thought.

Glue a steel plate, a bit of galv garden edging comes to mind, under the roof, and above the roof lining, and then pop the antenna on top.

If the magnets are strong enough, and I suspect they are, it will hold in place.

Only thing to be careful of, is that if the antenna moves at all, it may scratch the roof. Maybe some thin felt under them to protect the paintwork?

[SouthOz]

What about gluing a rare earth magnet or 4 if they are all magnets in the pic, on the underside of the roof. More holding power. Check magnet polarity before ya do. ;)

Dave

[goingbush]

What about gluing a rare earth magnet or 4 if they are all magnets in the pic, on the underside of the roof. More holding power. Check magnet polarity before ya do. ;)

Dave

Bloody good idea, Must go out and try that one.
yes they are magnets under the plastic bottom cover.

I tried putting steel plate under a sheet of aluminium and the antenna wont stick good enough, but I'm sure the magnet will work.

In the meantime my wife told me "mount it on the wankel" (her name for a snorkel) I guffawed & said no thats not going to work,

Well unbeknown to her I drilled a hole in one of here pie dishes & screwed it to the top of a Old Donaldson pre cleaner - Guess what I bloodywell works.

I just took it for a drive & 5 signal bars in every direction, droppimg back to 2 bars under heavy tree cover. Even in the rain & cloud cover. Bonus
I think the pie dish acts as sort of a ground plane.

Dosent really look out of place, but the Donaldson isnt my preferred snorkel head, If the Rare Earth magnet idea dosent work I'll go with the wankel. ;) could probably do with the extra pre-cleaning where we need the satphone anyway.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/757.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/10/758.jpg

[Safari]

Hi I purchased another brand of antenna for the same type of phone that comes with a 3m lead as standard. Cost just under $300.00 Maybe of interest to others. Cheers Rob

[goingbush]

What about gluing a rare earth magnet or 4 if they are all magnets in the pic, on the underside of the roof. More holding power. Check magnet polarity before ya do. ;)

Dave

Rare earth magnet works, I have a big 1" cube magnet, If i put it under the roof it holds a steel plate to the top very firmly. Then the antenna sticks to that. thanks for the idea, problem solved.


Hi I purchased another brand of antenna for the same type of phone that comes with a 3m lead as standard. Cost just under $300.00 Maybe of interest to others. Cheers Rob

I'm also interested, does it have a cradle ? any pics ? mine was about $450.

[djam1]

Hi I purchased another brand of antenna for the same type of phone that comes with a 3m lead as standard. Cost just under $300.00 Maybe of interest to others. Cheers Rob
I am interested could you give some details?

[Safari]

I bought it from this mob Satellitephonesales.com.au Australia's cheapest Satellite phone sales online - Satellitephonesales.com.au Australia's cheapest Satellite phone sales online - Satellite Phone Sales - Australia's cheapest online Satellite Phone Store (http://www.satellitephonesales.com.au) I looked on their website and they don't mention them so I rang them and talked to a sales person who said they do sell them but they are not advertised. They have gone up heaps since I bought mine, in fact they sold mine at a loss.( Pre release deal) New price is $499.00 and he could not send me a brochure or link to the item. Good luck! Cheers Rob

[goingbush]

TC Communications seemed to like the pie dish idea,
got a unexpected goodie bag in the mail with a backpack, a couple of hats and 2 stubbie holders, Never had any such suprises from the un-mentionable phone company that I worked for for 30 years !!! and even a pic of the Defer on their facebook page..... well part of the defer :)

Allsatphones - Auburn - Local Business | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/allsatphones)




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