UHF Antennas and Mounts

Military Antenna Article
VHF Antenna & Mounts

Over the years I've mounted my 2m / 70cm antenna in many different places. When I installed the transmitter I routed a coax in the roof headliner to the rear corner of the truck where my autotuner is located. I installed a PL235 bulkhead connector in the rear of the truck. This allowed me to screw in my mag-mount antenna and stick it anywhere I wanted. Since I have to get into a garage I would stick it on the top of the bumper which isn't a very good spot for reception but it still worked. When I really wanted to talk I would stick it on the roof which worked great until it got knocked off and dragged to death while 4 wheeling in South Dakota. Being lazy I used some nylon wire ties and strapped it to the bumper again until I got another mag mount which I then ran over in the garage after wiping it off the roof.

My next attempt was to route the coax through the opening by the windshield wiper motor and through the hole in the center pillar of the windshield. I then could tie the remains of my mag mount to my light bar. This worked great except for the fact I still had to get into the garage.

You have to take off the light bar on the top which lets you remove the vertical trim bar that covers up the hole. I filed a small opening in the top of the light bar to route my coax.

Here's the outside hole. Make sure once you run your wires that you waterproof all the holes you used. You will get rain water in the truck if you don't.

Now I'm on my 3rd routing. I pulled the wire out of the windshield pillar and routed it through the doghouse and through a hole I drilled near the CTI pump in front of the driver.

My Larson is 34.5" tall. I picked up another shorter 2m/ 70cm antenna; a Diamond NR 72B which is 13.5" tall. Yes, I pickeded up another mag mount. This setup will allow me to stick and wire tie the antenna on top of my light bar facing up or down (out of the way). I can also mount the antenna part way up the light bar vertical bar.