HOW TO MOUNT THAT HAM RADIO ANTENNA OR CB RADIO ANTENNA WELCOMES YOU
General Ham Since 2010
Trying To Decide On How To Mount Your Ham Radio Antenna Or CB Radio Antenna Can Be A Very Interesting Task. My Advise Is To First Look At Your Surroundings . You Do Not Want To Come Into Contact With Any Power Lines As It Will Result In Death And Damage To Your Ham Radio Equipment. The Second Important Item Is Your Budget As That Will Determine What You Can Afford. I Myself Years Ago When I Was In 11 Meter CB Radio, Had A PDL II Beam On A 40 Foot Antenna Tower That I Rigged To Tilt Over On To The Roof. It Worked Very Nicely And To This Day I Wish I Had Not Sold It.
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Ham Radio Mobile Antenna Mount Considerations
By Jon Kreski | Submitted On June 20, 2012
Mobile communications antennas come in all different sizes and shapes. They also are designed for operation on various frequencies usually divided into various communications services. Some the communications services include the business band, maritime mobile, citizens band (CB radio), etc.. Regardless of the frequency or band of the antenna there are several common considerations to think through when considering both the type and location of mobile radio antenna mounts. This article will review the major issues and discuss options to consider.
Each type of antenna and mount needs to have a good ground and a good ground plane. While the need for this will vary by frequency, having a good ground and ground plane is desired for every frequency in practical terms. Many base station antennas use the physical ground, enhanced through the use of ground radial wires or not, to help form a take-off point for radio waves being transmitted. On a car the flat portion of the top of a car forms a ground plane for a mobile antenna.
Location of the antenna on that ground plane becomes important. A center location produces the most nearly round pattern. A location towards one direction produces an elongated pattern in the opposite direction with less effectiveness in the direction towards the antenna. While the center of the roof of a car can be a great location for a mobile antenna mount it may be difficult to work the coaxial cable back to the radio. An easier solution from the coaxial cable's perspective may be the trunk. Many people opt for a trunk lip mount. A mount in the center of the roof requires drilling a hole in the vehicle while a trunk lip mount uses set screws to hold the mount to the lip of the trunk.
Radiation of as much radio frequency energy as possible is both a good thing and a problem. If the antenna is mounted in the center of the roof, the roof acts as a shield and prevents your body from being radiated by the antenna to the extent practical. If the antenna is mounted on the trunk lip then it is spraying radio frequency energy right at the passengers of the car right through the back window of the car. The amount of radio frequency energy and potential risk varies with frequency and amount of power used as well as amount of time used.
Other options exist and a review of catalogs and blogs on the internet can provide good quality pictures and review of the advantages and disadvantages of many of them. Expect to find antennas mounted on the gutters of the roof, various sides and center of the trunk, side panels of a vehicle, front bumpers, back bumpers and even the engine hood. Remember that there is no 100% perfect solution and the best solution for a particular person will depend on the type of antenna, type of vehicle, budget, technical ability, time, patience, etc..
Regardless of location and shape of the ground plane, a good radio frequency (RF) ground is needed. Think of this example -if negative radio frequency energy can't flow to ground positive radio frequency can't flow off of the radiating element of the antenna. I often tell new ham radio operators there are three things you need to know about mobile antenna mounts -grounds, grounds and grounds!
Once you determine the location of the antenna mount and how to achieve a good radio frequency ground (usually with a wide strap or mesh - radio frequency flows along the OUTSIDE of metal unlike electricity) then consider the TYPE of mobile antenna mount. Remember that search engines and blogs are wonderful things for researching types and locations of antenna mounts. Any one catalog or website likely will not have every imaginable type of antenna mount. Also remember that every antenna mount will have both advantages and disadvantages. I will review an example of two or three mounts and you will likely get the idea.
Consider the classic ball and large spring mount. For a large whip type of antenna this can be a good but perhaps not perfect choice depending on your preferences. Also consider a less sturdy but less "springy" fixed trunk lip mount. Now - if you hit a large tree branch with that whip style antenna while driving there will likely be different outcomes with these two mounts. The large spring on the ball and spring mount will have a lot of "give" and will allow the whip to stay attached to the mount with the mount staying attached to the vehicle while the whip slides under the tree branch. A fixed mount attached to the lip of the trunk with a few set screws likely gets ripped off of the trunk and maybe the trunk lip gets bent.
There are disadvantages to the sturdy ball and spring mount which requires four good-sized holes in the body of the vehicle to mount it. One disadvantage other than potential rust and reduction in trade-in value is the motion of the whip while driving. A mount without a spring will result in a steadier whip than one with a spring. Remember - the heavier the antenna the heavier the mount. Larger ham radio antennas are taken by amateur radio operators to metal fabricating shops to be customized. Also ask your local auto dealer for ideas as well as anyone that works with trailer manufacturing, etc..
Jon Kreski - AB9NN - Extra class ham radio license holder, the highest level license available. An A.R.E.S. (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) member is qualified to give ham radio FCC license exams. Aevere storm spotter - National Weather Service trained. Also provides ham radio communications support to served agencies.
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Low Cost Methods Of Installing A Ham Radio Antenna
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Dan KC2TYI
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Many of us Ham Radio Operators do not have the money to invest in a expensive antenna tower system. So then what are our options for mounting our Ham Antenna ? I have seen some hams try and mount their beam antenna on a push up mast. Well that is a bad idea unless the antenna is a very small beam, such as a 2 meter, 6 meter or 10 meter beam antenna. 10 Meters is even stretching it a bit.
I remember years ago mounting my starduster cb antenna on a tall mast made out of fence rails. The problem is is it very heavy and very wobbly. I had it worked with a boat winch, so I could tilt it over. Unfortunately while leaning it over, the cable stretched and it came down. It met the roof and bent in more directions then I could count. I learned my lesson with mounting an antenna the hard way.
Now there are many different fiberglass masts that are not too expensive. I myself have a heavy duty 38 foot telescoping mast. It is good for holding up a small beam antenna or supporting a wire dipole antenna. You could even use it with a small rotatable dipole antenna. Just make sure to properly guy it to keep it steady in the wind. Mfj, Dx Engineering and Ham Radio Outlet carry some of these fiberglass masts. Ebay is another way to go in searching for a fiberglass mast.
If you want something low cost that will be somewhat stronger, go for a metal push up mast. I use one of those for a fiberglass vertical antenna. It had stayed up for quite a few years with no problems. Once again, these are not good for heavy duty beam antennas. They are good for small beams, small rotatable dipole antenna or various wire type antennas. They low in cost compared to a Rohn Antenna Tower for example. You can purchase these through Amazon, Ebay and most any of the Ham Radio resellers on the internet. I bought mine through lowes a few years ago. Ham Resellers will have a better selection and be taller in height.
If you have a light wire antenna and are operating nvis, you could use a few fiberglass 16 foot crappie fishing poles. They are very low cost and hold up quite well. One other idea is to use PVC Pipe to make a low cost mast. My advise is to go with the Grey Electrical PVC Pipe, because it is UV Protected. The regular pvc pipe will deteriorate over time. One other idea is to use wood to create a antenna mast. I would use pressure treated lumber and paint it as well. It would not be for a heavy duty beam antenna.
Now if you can afford a Antenna Tower, I say go for it. I did that years ago, when I bought a 40 foot heavy duty riveted antenna tower. Just make sure to guy it properly and cement it properly in the ground. There are many choices as far as antenna towers go. There are stand alone, crank up and tilt over antenna towers. Just make sure with any antenna installation to check out the area for Power Lines or Dangerous Situations. Thank You and Stay Safe.