VHF Antennas and Mounts
Updated April 8, 2009
This is the Icom AH2-b antenna which is about 8.2' long. The wire to the right of the antenna is the bulkhead connector for the 2m antenna. The tennis ball keeps the antenna from hitting the truck as it whips around. I have since replace the tennis balls with some rubber fuel hose pulled over the antenna.
This antenna comes with SS. hardware to mount to a car or truck bumper which you will discard. The adapter plate bottom view showing the cutout and the antenna base mounted. 
This is the antenna mount. I made an aluminum adapter plate to mount the Icom antenna on the Military mount. The piece of rubber keeps the wagon door from getting scratched when it opens. The red wire is routed through a piece of fuel hose (sealed with silicon) inserted in a 1/2" hole drilled into the rear of the truck connected to the SGC tuner. I used Stainless steel hardware. The wire from the tuner to the antenna should be as short as possible because it will radiate RF. That's why you have to mount the tuner very close to the antenna.
SG237 Tuner in position. Make sure that you ground the tuner well. I hooked a ground wire to one of the bolts holding the wagon top on.
This shows how the antenna lead is routed through a hole in the back of the truck. A short piece of fuel hose acts as an insulator. I used hot glue to seal off the hose.
This is a custom fabricated doorstop that screws into the existing hinge hole and uses the existing rubber bumper.
Military Antenna base with ICOM whip. (new).
You can use the same antenna for 2m/440 and 70cm. These antennas are pretty inexpensive and expendable. I presently have a Larson antenna that has been dragged through the mud. It started out as a mag mount unit. I stuck it on top of the Hummer wagon and drove into my garage. It got wiped off the truck and I backed over it. Then I bought a cheap MFJ magmount antenna and it got wiped off the truck in South Dakota. I bought a new mag mount for the Larson and it was working fine when it got blown off the top in a big wind in Colorado. I pulled over and tied it to my step bumper with nylon wire ties. It's been there for over 2 years now and it works great and never goes anywhere. A couple of years ago I nylon tied a new Larson to my front light bar. It works great and has survived.
I bent the spring on the ICOM antenna in my garage and they wouldn't sell me a replacement. I wasn't going to buy a new 300.00 antenna for a spring so I took a military antenna and gutted it and adapted the ICOM whip. It works great. Mil antenna write up.
