Thread: UHF Antenna advice

Hi Adam,

Roof mount is OK as you can easily remove it - but I did "lose" one of these to a low hanging branch on a heavily wooded track once. No damage but only 'cos I noticed in time.

Spare wheel mount is a long way from the radio and you will have to get the cable from the bodywork into the tailgate I think, not impossible but fiddly. Longer cable = more losses and more chances for damage.

Maybe one of those old school brackets that bolts to the guard and pokes up through the gap between the guard and the bonnet (google bonnet edge mount Z bracket)? My D1s have had huge margins between bonnet and guard so bracket would fit OK.

Roof mount helps range but only in really flat country.

Steel or fibreglass? Depends on what you want to do with the radio. I mostly use UHF to communicate with mates on tracks or sometimes with a handheld if someone is walking ahead or wading a creek or something (back in the day...) - so short range and really a coathanger would work. The longer fibreglass ones can provide higher gain which extends the range. There is a bit of a run-down at http://www.mobileone.com.au/antennas/cb477info.html

Antenna "gain" is not really gain like an amplifier - it is more a focussing of the energy. High gain UHF antennas spread the energy like a flattish donut, almost no power directly above them, which is what you want on a ground comms system.

Hope that helps

Cheers
Paul.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the reply and info.

It will 99% be used for convoy and ground work as you described.

I was thinking by mounting the antenna on the spare wheel mount it would be relatively protected and then feed the cable up behind the lights and above the head lining to the overhead map pockets. Didn't consider the loss of signal strength for a long run though.

I'm thinking bonnet edge mount would be ok apart from if I want to remove the antenna to stop the local yobs snapping it off, the bracket would be left sticking out.
For Roof mount I'm not sure on the best way to run the cable to the roof. Don't really want to drill a hole in the roof (it leaks up there enough anyway!!!). I though about running it down down behind the A-Pillar trim, through the bulk head, out under the bonnet somewhere and then back up the outside of the A-pillar? Not sure how to secure it to the outsode of the A-Pillar so it doesn't flap around. Maybe screw some cable clips in and silicone?

Anyone have any thoughts about that?

Originally Posted by adamparks

gutter mount

gutter mount has the highest location
higher location = best possible line of sight

i have 2 ant but 1 mount, the ant is removable so you can take it off so noone steals it

both ant are flexiable, branches arnt a problem but you can still take it off for bad tracks and use handheld for car-car communication.

1ant is 2.2dB
the other is 6dB

Adam seeing your after something removable id take a look at this MAGNETIC ANTENNA BASE WITH 3DB UHF CB GROUND INDEPENDENT ANTENNA | eBay

Your D2 will have a steel roof so you can sit this up on the roof and run the cable in through the door and along the map shelf to a roof mounted radio and with this you could even have the thing sitting on the dash inside the car and it will work

This guy is a local to me sort of hes in cessnock NSW his name is mike and he is a verry help full bloke not like all the other nuffies who just want to sell you something to make money he can even do you a radio and antenna package (tho i prefer icom) give his shop a call and see what he can do for you 49911392 Killpatrick Comunications cessnock

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

I ended up with a gutter mount that I can leave attached to the vehicle. The antenna and cable can unscrew from the mount for easy removal. I just feed the cable through the door.

Went out on the weekend and it worked fine so I am pretty pleased with this set up.

Now on to the next project........

Thanks again

Cheers

Adam