DIY Antenna mount

[phsycle]

Looking to DIY an antenna mount. I saw a mount for sale, but $30-40 for a piece of steel or aluminum with 2 bends and 2 holes in it?? Seems like I could just make one.

I'm thinking of getting a piece of an 1/8" aluminum bar and putting a couple of 90deg bends in it via a vice.

Can't be that hard, right?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-3-ft-x-1-in-Aluminum-Solid/3055447

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Looks kinda flexible but I don't know you are going to use it.

Just remember if it is easy to bend... it is easy to bend. Whap enough trees after you make it with the antenna and it will bend on its own.

You are going to have a hard time getting the sharp bends with a vice, it might need some motivation with a hammer.

 

[prerunner1982]

What are you trying to mount it on?
L or straight fender brackets are cheap and/or easy to make.

 

[JPaul]

That bracket you show is probably stainless steel, not aluminum. It will be far more rigid and durable than similarly sized aluminum and in order to make your own copy of it be ready to spend as much or more on the tools and materials needed. Stainless isn't super cheap and it can be a pain to work with if you don't have good tools and know proper techniques. Drilling the holes with standard HSS bits can be done but you have to go slow and should use a fair bit of cutting fluid to keep the bit and material cool.

I was recently reading up on that since I need to drill a couple holes in some 1/4" stainless flat bar for some heavy duty washers for an air compressor mount I am fabricating. Apparently stainless work hardens quite easily which is why it can be so difficult to drill and bend. Running the drill too fast or without cutting fluid will cause the surface of the material to harden due to heat.

Bending stainless is likely similarly challenging due to its properties. And you need to get the angles right or it will look like garbage and possibly not fit at all.

Aluminum is soft and easy to work and drill, but because of those same properties it will likely fail on you in this application.

Frankly the $30-40 is a reasonable cost for a quality stainless steel bracket with hardware.

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[sonoronos]

1/8" thick, 1" wide stainless flat bar is pretty manageable with a good vise and a hammer. DIY, baby.

Or a press brake.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Frankly the $30-40 is a reasonable cost for a quality stainless steel bracket with hardware.

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Without seeing how it mounts and just going on looks alone, $5 seems pretty high.

One bolt to mount it down below and then it looks like it goes up at an angle 6-8" with a hole for the antenna. Even made out of spring steel it is going to get bent in short order. It just looks like a bad design (again, not knowing how it is mounted/used)

 

[dreadlocks]

Its made of Aluminum, and only $20: https://www.wearecb.com/pca40-hood-fender-mount.html

 

[WOODY2]

Try making one, whats the worst that could happen? With just a modest outlay no biggie if it tanks besides there's the thrill of actually fabbing something for you rig and not throwing $ at a bolt on. A cardboard template with correct bends is your best friend.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

 

[DaveInDenver]

I had my antennas mounted at the cowl like that. Didn't care for it much. Hits every branch on the trail and in the winter snow and ice collect there.

 

[JPaul]

$20 is not $30-$40. And aluminum? Sheesh. That thing is garbage for any but the smallest, lightest antennas. You'll bend it just by hitting a speed bump too hard, nevermind taking it offroad. Might be fine for a 1/4 wave 2m antenna or smaller. Anything else and it'll bend.

Better off making your own using mild steel or stainless if you want something nicer. If you want to use aluminum I'd go no thinner than 3/8" for lighter antennas, and if you want it for something like a 3 foot CB stick I'd do at least 1/4" thick aluminum.

On the note of stainless, I used my bar of 1/4" 304 to make some washers for my ARB air compressor for my lockers and drilling it went better than I thought. I used some oil while drilling and set the drill press to it's lowest speed of 640 rpm. Can't recall the drill size but it was for M8 bolts and the bit was from the cheap 29 piece Harbor Freight titanium nitride coated drill bit set. Holes came out a little rough since I wasn't using the best oil for cutting but it worked well enough for a couple holes. Definitely want to keep the feed rate up so that the bit doesn't rub, and keep it lubed. I kept stopping for a few seconds to get oil back in the hole and let the bit cool a little.

Not sure how trying to bend 1/4" 304 would go though, without a press (mine is in storage) you'd need to use a darn big hammer and be ok with it probably coming out crooked.

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