Nice creative way of mounting your radio, very nicely done!

N6TAY

 

Many Thanks! I had fun getting this set-up and looking forward to my continued learning of Ham radios and procedures. This is all still pretty new to me.

 

Good job! Looks like a very clean install. How does the radio work? What Antenna and where?

 

Radio works great. I'm getting about 1.1 on the SWR using a Larson 2/70 with an NMO mount.
LARSEN NMO-2/70B Black | BLACK NMO-2/70 ANTENNA 2M/440

The antenna mount is from Extreme Terrain and I attached it on the drivers side.
Pro Comm Wrangler CB Antenna Fender Mount PC-SS28-01 (07-16 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping

Had to drill-out the center hole to 3/4" to accommodate the NMO mount but pretty quick and easy.

 

Just finished putting in a Kenwood TM-V71A and thought I would post a few pics of the installation.

That looks fantastic! Nice job.

It sounds like you are new to the hobby. Are you familiar with the Intermountain Intertie repeater system?

 

Thanks and yes I'm very new to the hobby. I am not familiar with the referenced repeater but did a quick google search and it looks like a great system. I'll spend some more time reading-up on their web page. Thanks for the info!!

 

The Intertie system serves us very well up here. It is usually connected to Nevada, which has allowed me to chat with someone commuting in Vegas traffic while I was doing the same in Salt Lake City traffic.

According to the Utah VHS Society, the Intertie coverage also spills over into northern Arizona. Furthermore, they imply that they are trying (or have established) a link with at least one repeater in the Phoenix valley. Assuming that is indeed the case, this might allow me to make a contact with you down there in Scottsdale at some point when we are both monitoring our radios.

I have dug around a bit looking for info, but am coming up empty. Maybe you can ask around and see if anybody local to you can tell you if they've used the Intertie system, what repeater(s) are involved, etc.

I hope I'm not overwhelming you with all this.

 

Sounds good! I don't know to many Hams yet but one of the guys on the local repeater may know. I'll ask the next time I'm on the radio. It would be great to talk Jeeps and Radios. Not sure if you know Beasmaster but he is organizing a Jeep get together in early December;

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f45/the-2015-desert-southwest-wrangler-forum-meet-n-greet-1483329.html

I'll ask around when I'm there as well. You would be most welcome to come to the event as well if you are going to be in the area (or want an excuse to get to some warmer weather).

 

subscribed

 

A few folks asked about the faceplate and microphone mounts. The microphone mount is the VersaMount2 from CoolTech;

VersaMount2 - CoolTechLLC

The faceplate was mounted using a small bracket from "Strike Force Zebra" that attaches to the footman loop.

https://www.strikeforcezebra.com/cbgpsradar_detector_mount

Both mounts are quick and easy to install (no drilling).

 

Phototrek....can you post pics and instructions on how you mounted the antenna?

 

Sure. I'll try to get some pics a little later today.

 

Thanks! Looks great!

 

I'm going to try to use a A pillar light mount for the antenna. I bought a pair, so one for a Dune flag mount and the other for the antenna. I'm going to get the same type radio with the removable face plate.

 

So far, I'm really pleased with this radio. Good luck with the installation. If you get a chance, post some pics. Always like to see how folks mount their radios/antennas.

 

Will do. Brackets just arrived today. Waiting for rain to stop.

 

I mounted my Yaesu FT-8800 on the wall of the tub behind the drivers seat in front of the hump. I put mine up higher incase water gets deep I won't drown my radio. I put the faceplate in the same place.

 

So what is the path for the radio control cable from under the seat to the mirror? I am not sure my IC 2820 control head will fit up there, if it won't whatever replaces it will.

 

Remove the freedom panels (this will give you access to the top of the A pillar trim piece).

Pull down the trim piece that runs along the top of the windshield by removing the sun visors and then pop-off the front of the trim piece (you do not need to fully remove, just pull down far enough to get access) Borrowed this pic from another install sheet;

If using a mount that attaches to the footman loop, this would be a good time to install the mount (while you have easy access to the bolts).

Remove the passenger side trim piece on the side of the dash. Borrowed this pic from another link;

Now run the wire along the top, fish it down through the A pillar on the passenger side, and down to the floor of the Jeep. Then run it under the passenger side trim that runs along under the door, and then out under the seat.

 

Very nice install.

73
N7TJX

 

Very VERY nice write up and photos. What are you using for a camera and for editing/marking?

I am about to installing and am thinking that I will be getting one of the Beofung dual band mini mobiles and mounting the whole radio where you did the faceplate. That way I don't worry about water or junk getting to a radio mounted under the seats (or anywhere else as I have lock boxes under the seats) or really worry about it getting stolen at $100.

Welcome to the hobby. 73 kb8prs

 

Thank you for the kind words! I'm using an old point and click camera for the pics. Importing the photos into MS Powerpoint for the annotation and then saving the annotated slide as a jpeg file.

 

Wow, looks really good! How long have you been a Ham now?

 

Thanks! I'm still new to the Ham stuff, received my license about 3 months ago.

 

Great install. I will be installing my FT7800 in the near future, and you have given me some great ideas. I like how the radio is mounted under the passenger seat. This has been my plan along as it gets the radio out of the way. What size/thread bolts did you use to attach the L brackets to the seat frame?

 

Used a #10 machine screw with nut and lock washer. If I remember correctly, it was maybe 1/2" length. The holes in the seat brace are not threaded so anything type of screw or bolt that fits will be fine. Good luck with the install!

 

Thanks for the write up. I just got a Yaesu FT-8800 this weekend and I am looking for mounting ideas. I was thinking under seat and this looks simple. I have a sPod and am not able to mount at footman loop. I m thinking of heavy duty velcro under the climate controls. The microphone connects to the faceplate and it will be out of sunlight when I am topless.

 

I'll be curious how this works for you.

If you ever decide you would like an overhead mount, @Jerry Bransford has good things to say about this mounting brace;

ARIZONA ROCKY ROAD ANTENNA MOUNTS FOR JEEP WRANGLER, UNLIMITED AND LIBERTY

This would also allow for expansion should you want to add a cb, scanner, etc.

Good luck with the install!

 

Good info here, I'll be installing a bearcat scanner and remote head unit tomorrow in my 2011 JK, 2 door. Sitting in my garage with now contemplating the install and location for the head. Will put a decent external speaker under dash and pull power inside vehicle somewhere. I do freelance photo work and go to crime/fire scene and need info real time- I have wanted to get into HAM for year, but to many expensive hobbies already! Pics to follow.

 

Looks great Phototrek, i may copy that idea for mounting my IC 2720 under the seat and get the control head up in the same general location.
Mounting my antenna in the back, off of spare tire carrier location.
BTW, I can get into the ARA repeater system from my location here in central AZ, just haven't had a reason to do so yet.

73 WN7E

 

Good luck with the install! I'm still doing some testing on the rear mount antenna. From what I have found so far, it is not as easy to get a good SWR reading vs. a front mount. Assuming UPS delivers on-time, I should be able to post my final results late tonight or tomorrow.

 

Finally completed the rear antenna mounting, it was a little more involved than I had anticipated. This is a long post so here are the conclusions for those that don’t want to read through all of the details.

• All of the antennas tested worked with the front mount. There were some differences in SWR but everything from a 13” to a 34.5” did well on both the 2 meter and 70 cm bands.
• For the rear mount, all of the antennas worked well on the 70 cm band except the Larsen NMO-2/70SH (19”) which had a higher SWR. However, only the Larsen NMO-2/70B (34.5”) had an acceptable SWR on the 2 meter and 70 cm bands.

The front mount offered the best overall performance for all the antennas. I was disappointed I could not find a shorter antenna to work on the rear mount (for both bands) but it is good for 70cm, cb, and a longer 2 meter antenna.

I should also note this is what worked for my configuration. The aftermarket rear tire carrier may have played a part in the results. Your mileage may vary ….

Here are the details…

Antennas Tested (all dual band antennas)
Larsen NMO-2/70B
Larsen NMO-2/70SH
Comet SS-460SBNMO
Diamond NR72BNMO

Antenna Cable - Comet CK-3NMO (16’9”) – used same cable model for both mounting locations

Mounting Locations
Front (see previous posts)
Rear – Arizona Rocky Road ARIZONA ROCKY ROAD ANTENNA MOUNTS FOR JEEP WRANGLER, UNLIMITED AND LIBERTY

SWR Meter - Signstek Professional USB Port or Battery Operated LCD Digital SWR (Standing-Wave Meter) & Power Meter VHF 125-525MHZ 120W For 2 Way Radios (this is a new meter for me and different than the one used in earlier posts)

I have an aftermarket rear bumper that incorporates the spare tire carrier. The carrier is a large metal U-shaped design and thought it would be best to avoid any parallel metal bars running alongside the antenna. The AZ Rocky Road mount was chosen because it raises the base of the antenna above the spare tire carrier.

Here are pics of the mount with a few measurements.

The antenna selection was initially based on length. I was hoping to find something that wouldn’t go too far above the top of the hardtop.

Here are the specs for the antennas tested;

While they all worked well on the front mount, only the Larsen NMO-2/70B had an acceptable SWR reading on the rear mount for the 2 meter band. I thought grounding may be an issue so I temporarily added grounding straps to the mount, tailgate, and body/frame. While this improved the SWR, the readings were still way too high. Results of the SWR testing are as follows (these readings were taken w/o the grounding straps mentioned above).

The SWR readings for each mount & antenna are an average of two frequencies per band.

Notes on the Mount Installation:
The antenna mount was straight forward, remove the top two tailgate plate screws on the passenger side and mount the antenna bracket with a couple of washers between the bracket and the tailgate plate. Since I use an aftermarket tire carrier, I ran the cable through the hole in the tailgate normally used for the spare tire bumper (that rubber stopper thing the spare tire rests against when using the OEM carrier) and then along the passenger side and it comes out under the passenger seat. This makes it easy to swap the cables between the front and rear mounts or connect a CB.

Notes on CB testing:
In addition to preferring a rear mounted antenna, I also wanted another mount that could be used for a cb (in other words, be able to run a ham and cb concurrently). I did a quick check of the rear mount using a Uniden 520 radio with a 2’ Firestik II (used a “WSP1295 - TRAM1295 NMO to .38quot; X 24 Adapter” to get the nmo mount to accept the Firestik). SWR was below 2 after tuning (picked up a cheap meter as the cb frequencies are different than the ham meter I have. The dial was a little tough to read but it was just below the 2 hash mark). I made a 4 hour round trip on a highway which has heavy truck traffic (for those in AZ, I-10 between PHX and Tucson) and hooked everything up for the drive. I left the radio on channel 19 and thought there was a problem as there was no cb traffic (and I mean none). I even drove past a couple of fairly bad accidents on the opposing lanes and still not a mention on channel 19. It wasn’t until I got near a truck stop at exit 208 that I found the radio/antenna was working fine. The truck stop was transmitting ads for their shop which came in loud and clear (appears the range was about 3+ miles). The same was true for the trip back. I was disappointed but not surprised. Truckers and other drivers have many ways to communicate these days and I guess the cb is a dinosaur. Based on this, I will not be mounting the cb in the Jeep and use it as a portable type when needed for organized trail runs. I just don’t want to take-up the limited interior space with something I may use once a year. Luckily, the 520 fits nicely between the center console and the passenger seat. Here is a pic of the set-up I used;

This makes it really quick and easy to put-in and remove the cb. The only negative with this approach is the display on the 520, it is virtually invisible in direct sun light.

Summary
Overall, I’m pleased with the set-up. The two mount configuration (front & back) provides flexibility for ham, cb, and different antennas based on my needs. It is very easy to swap antennas and change which mount is connected to the ham radio. Finally, I purchased caps to cover the nmo mounts for when they are not in use. It is important to keep water out of the cables.

I hope this helps anyone looking to mount a rear antenna.

 

The more I thought about it the more the SWR readings in the table for the rear mount post did not make sense. I went back to verify using my original meter and things looked much better (and consistent).

The above readings were taken at one frequency per band (around the middle). Although the longer Larsen antenna was still the best performer, the new data indicates shorter Larsen would be acceptable using the rear mount on the 2 meter band but very marginal on the 70 cm band.

The Comet also looked good on the 70 cm band but marginal on the 2 meter. I think the choice between the short Larsen and the Comet would just depend on which band you used the most.

Looks like the new SWR meter is going back. As an FYI, the meter used for these readings was a Nissei RS-40.

I am going to go back now and check any effects of adding the grounding straps. Hopefully within the next week or so.

 

I added a grounding strap between the tailgate and tub and went back to measure the SWR. I now have three meters and can not get any of them to consistently agree. So, starting from scratch I used each meter and measured two frequencies per band for each antenna and each mount. I then eliminated what looked like the outlier and averaged the other two readings.

As an example, for the two meter band at 146.48 MHz on the front mount with the Larsen NMO-2/70B the SWR readings were 1.05, 1.70, and 1.90 (three different meters). I threw out the 1.05 reading and then averaged the 1.7 and 1.9 to arrive at a 1.8 reading.

The three meters used were;

• Nissei RS-40
• Nissei RS-50 (digital model)
• Daiwa CN-103M (cross needle model)

The results are as follows;

The longer Larsen had the best overall performance and could be used on the front or rear mount with either band. With the exception of the short Larsen, all of the antennas performed well on the 70 cm band and had about the same SWR with either the front or rear mount. None of the short antennas had an acceptable SWR on the 2 meter band on the rear mount.

For my use, I am running the diamond antenna on the front mount for day-to-day and the longer Larsen for trips and camping. I use a telescoping document tube strapped to the roll bar to carry around the extra antennas.

My apologies if I lead anyone astray with the previous SWR charts but it was very frustrating trying to get consistent readings. I believe the technique used here minimizes any errors.

 

Phototrek,

Welcome to the hobby! Your results are close to what I'd expect and similar to what I've found myself. A 2m 1/4 wave (or 5/8 wave) antenna is dependent on having a good ground plane which is difficult to find on our choice of ride unless you mount it in the center of the hood! A 1/2 wave on the other hand is less dependent on ground and is sometimes sold as a "No Ground" antenna to the RV crowd. I've been playing around with various mounting locations (including your current location). I'm currently trying a 1/2 wave mounted on a bracket attached to the top bolt on the side of the windshield bracket on the drivers side. That way it gets it higher up but I can reach the antenna to fold it down when I go into the parking garage at work.
I had a Larsen NMO 2/70 on my pickup for years and it worked great, but I could never get it successfully tuned on my Jeep. I'm now swapping between a Diamond SG7500, Diamond NR770 and a Comet SBB5 to see which one seems to work the best. All these ones have a foldover so I can get in the garage at work.

In terms of ground straps, my understanding is that RF bonding your vehicle really helps with HF but not so much on VHF or UHF. I do have my jeep fairly well bonded (minus the doors) to help with CB performance but I haven't noticed a difference in 2m performance with the bonding.

In the end, it's a never-ending quest! I keep trying new schemes to try to get to the perfect setup, but it's always a compromise. Either way, enjoy the hobby!

Josh

 

Thank you for the input on the antennas! I'm still learning and recently passed the General License exam so the HF side of things is really new to me.

I did find a solution for the 2M/70cm rear mount. I made my own mount and attached it directly to the tire carrier. It basically moves the base of the antenna down and over (towards the passenger side). SWR's on the 2 meter are consistently between 1.6-1.7 and the 70cm between 1.1-1.3 for all of the antennas! I believe the most significant factor is NOT having the mount between the spare tire and the tailgate. The after-market spare tire carrier provides an alternative mounting location which would not be an option on a stock Jeep but I think anything that gets the antenna (and mount) out from between the spare and tailgate will improve performance. The front mount still has the best performance.

I did see where someone had attached three radials from the base of the rear antenna mount with good results. Not really what I was looking for (seems like it could catch brush on some of the trails) but here is a link to the thread;

Yaesu FT-2900R installed

Please post your results with the fold-over antennas. I'm really curious how this works out.

Thanks again

73

 

My previous house had restrictive HOA too so I ended up installing a homemade 10m dipole inside my attic. It worked surprisingly well, I worked a lot of countries with that antenna!

 

Phototrek,

Congratulations on the General upgrade! You'll really enjoy HF when you get a station put together! I'm also in an HOA but fortunately they don't prohibit antennas, they just say that nothing can be visible from the street. My "stealth" antenna farm consists of an 80m doublet run from the eave of my house up over a pine tree to our back privacy fence, a 31' vertical attached to a 2nd pine tree and a 6m dipole on the side of my shed. Both the 80m doublet and the 31' vertical are non-resonant antennas so they require tuners. (doublet fed with ladder line from a tuner in the shack and the vertical has an autotuner at the base of the antenna.) So they are still a compromise but both seem to work fairly well considering the limitations. I have a Kenwood TS-590; no amplifier.

Due to the compromise antenna situation, I've really taken a liking to the digital modes like PSK-31 and JT-65. With these modes, as little as a few watts on compromise antennas can still make a contact, but not much rag-chewing going on.

Back to the 2m mobile antennas, all 3 of the 1/2 wave antennas with the foldovers work well. I'm currently using the Diamond NR770 since it is a little shorter. The garage at work has 8' ceilings on the 1st floor but 7' on floors 2 and up. With the SG7500 I get a few "pings" on the ceiling even on the 1st floor. Using the NR770, as long as I get a spot on the ground floor i don't need to fold it over. But we're getting ready to move into a new building and I believe the new garage will be 7.5 feet on all floors so that will change!

From my house I'm about 25 miles from the repeater I usually hang out on but go through a few "dead zones" on my commute to/from work. The point of my testing was to see if the higher mount helps minimize those bad spots. The nice thing about the current mounting location is that I don't have to exit the vehicle to fold it over.

I'll try to remember to snap a picture of the mount I'm using. It's just the top half of a Diamond trunk lip mount with the lip mount / set screw part removed.

Josh

 

Thanks for the congrats and the antenna recommendations! I'm trying to collect as much info as I can on the HF configurations other Hams are using. I hadn't thought about the digital modes but that is a good alternative. Glad to hear your mobile is working well. It sounds like nice creative approach for the height restrictions.