2M Antenna Recommendations?

[Wheelingnoob]

Yes i have the Comet SBB-25 antenna and a comet cable with a PL-259 end. I test fit it over the weekend and found that just a bit of material will need to be taken off the 5/8's hole in the ARB for the PL-259 mount to fit. It looks like just the thickness of the powdercoat worth.

Just to clarify, you are going with the Comet SBB-25 antenna, correct? And which mount style for your ARB bull bar? Are you drilling out for a NMO mount, or just going with a PL--259? It looks like I am following you in your setup, so just curious to see how you are doing it.

Thanks.

 

[car-car]

Yes i have the Comet SBB-25 antenna and a comet cable with a PL-259 end. I test fit it over the weekend and found that just a bit of material will need to be taken off the 5/8's hole in the ARB for the PL-259 mount to fit. It looks like just the thickness of the powdercoat worth.

Great, thank you for your input. Time to go shopping.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Great, thank you for your input. Time to go shopping.

No problem, I went with a Comet 3D4N cable.

I went with this set-up after other suggestion on there and seeing one on my friends Taco.

 

[trekrem]

If you do want to drill a 3/4 inch hole (not 3/8 as stated), an NMO mount centered in the roof will give optimum electrical performance and allow you to run a true 5/8 wave antenna.

I realize this is an older thread, but for anyone researching, 3/8 inch hole NMO mounts are definitely an option, and arguably a better mount IF you have full access to BOTH sides of the roof. 3/4 inch NMO mounts are the standard due to requiring access only to the outside of the roof as the coax can be fished in between the roof and the headliner followed by the mount being inserted into the larger hole from the outside.

 

[4RunAmok]

I realize this is an older thread, but for anyone researching, 3/8 inch hole NMO mounts are definitely an option, and arguably a better mount IF you have full access to BOTH sides of the roof. 3/4 inch NMO mounts are the standard due to requiring access only to the outside of the roof as the coax can be fished in between the roof and the headliner followed by the mount being inserted into the larger hole from the outside.

X2!

 

[MobTuff]

I put a Comet SS-680SB on my ARB bumper, with the PL-259 mount it fit very nicely. I like that this antenna has a spring on it in case a branch gets ahold of it on the trail. It is a 1/2 meter antenna so ground plane isn't an issue there.

I thought it might be distracting there but it is quite unobtrusive.

Great looking rig you have there. Wish they made that bumper for my truck.

I think I'm going with the Comet SS-680SB due to the flexibility. I'm going with a fender mount on my truck though. This one to be exact:



So would I just get a NMO mount and attach it to the hole? And then run the wire back to the radio? Is there a specific NMO mount or cable harness? Thanks for any help still learning the ham ropes.

 

[4RunAmok]

Any standard 3/4" Larsen NMO will suit you just fine.

 

[MobTuff]

Great thanks

 

[ChadHahn]

I picked up a used Kenwood TM 733A the other day. It has antenna connectors for both 2M and 70CM. Would I be better off getting two antennas or using a duplexer and a dual band antenna. Right now I have a Firestick antenna mounted to a PL-259 connector on one side of my pick up bed tool box for the CB. I would probably put something on the other side of the box.

Chad

 

[1911]

I picked up a used Kenwood TM 733A the other day. It has antenna connectors for both 2M and 70CM. Would I be better off getting two antennas or using a duplexer and a dual band antenna. Right now I have a Firestick antenna mounted to a PL-259 connector on one side of my pick up bed tool box for the CB. I would probably put something on the other side of the box.

Chad

Dual-band antennas are a compromise, but an acceptable one for most of us. I rarely if ever use 70cm so it doesn't matter at all to me, but if 70cm is really active where you live you could get marginally-better performance with a dedicated 5/8-wave antenna. Whether it is worth the extra expense and real estate is debatable though. I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of dual-band radio installations get by just fine with a single dual-band antenna.

 

[SWITAWI]

Comet SBB-5NMO 2M/70cm...

I know it's been bandied about before, and I really just got mine, but I'll throw in another vote for the dual-band Comet SBB-5 - http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/8946-HAM-Operators-Post-up-here?p=1412691#post1412691
After reading lots of comments on ExPo, 4x4ham, eham, AR15.com, and other places I got the NMO version to use with a Diamond Antenna K400SNMO mount which is equipped with mini-coax already terminated with SMA so I could connect it directly onto a handheld without extraneous adapters and connections (that mount also comes with a PL-259 adapter). So far I've had some really good reception, including one freak instance of listening to my home area repeater in New Braunfels, TX from a driveway in Mathis, TX which is about a 125mi drive. Obviously atmospherics were playing a huge part, and obviously my 5W Handheld could not broadcast to the guys I was listening to, but I was very impressed that I could actually understand their ongoing conversation. Now I just need a real mobile radio with 50-75W of transmitting power to match that level of reception!
:safari-rig:
If my experiences with (and opinion of) this antenna/mount combo changes in any way I'll be sure to update here.

 

[kb9yoj]

Suzuki Grand Vitara Ham

Hello-

Here is my setup. I am starting to build up my Suzuki Grand Vitara to be a sweet SUV trail-runner. There are some mods I could do, like lift-kits and such, but the radios COME FIRST. I installed trunk-lip style mount antenna mounts on the back door fairing. It looks good, but provides a less than ideal location for taller and inflexible antennas. Probably will be changing to to a custom made antenna bracket which attaches to the spare tire bolts. Also, these mounts don't really provide any ideal ground plane for the antennas to match to. I have a Diamond Tribander, and a NMO style CB antenna for talking to Jeeps and non-hams.

Matt
KB9YOJ

 

[rockwood]

Interested in antenna and wiring suggestions for an old 74 Land Rover with a hard top. All aluminium so no ground plane afaik.

The CB aerial is positioned at the rear of the truck using a firestick NGP set up.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Interested in antenna and wiring suggestions for an old 74 Land Rover with a hard top. All aluminium so no ground plane afaik.

Nothing wrong with aluminum under an antenna electrically. The main problem with aluminum is that magnet mounts don't work. If you're willing to do some drilling putting an NMO in an aluminum hard top would work very well.

 

[4RunAmok]

Nothing wrong with aluminum under an antenna electrically. The main problem with aluminum is that magnet mounts don't work. If you're willing to do some drilling putting an NMO in an aluminum hard top would work very well.

X2!