GMRS antenna mounting

[macintux]

@DanW Do you have a SWR meter for UHF? That seems to be a looming issue; I haven’t been able to identify a robust option yet.

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[DanW]

@DanW Do you have a SWR meter for UHF? That seems to be a looming issue; I haven’t been able to identify a robust option yet.

Nope. I know a guy who can tune it, though, if I ever get the time to get to him. He's an hour away. I'll get around to it once I get an antenna mount I like.

 

[macintux]

The Uniden extension arrived very quickly. Now I just need radio, antenna, mount.

 

[macintux]

Someone pointed out that if I bought a wide band antenna, I wouldn’t need a meter, so my Comet antenna and mount arrived today. Radio won’t be here until Monday unfortunately.

 

[DanW]

Someone pointed out that if I bought a wide band antenna, I wouldn’t need a meter, so my Comet antenna and mount arrived today. Radio won’t be here until Monday unfortunately.

How/where are you going to mount the antenna?

 

[macintux]

How/where are you going to mount the antenna?

Hood lip, probably. Trunk is my backup plan, but still early.

 

[DanW]

Hood lip, probably. Trunk is my backup plan, but still early.

Have you found an antenna mount for the hood lip? I'm still thinking about how to mount mine.

 

[macintux]

Have you found an antenna mount for the hood lip? I'm still thinking about how to mount mine.

The Comet I bought is supposed to work, but I suspect it won’t on mine without me cutting a piece off the lip.

https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-006551

 

[DanW]

The Comet I bought is supposed to work, but I suspect it won’t on mine without me cutting a piece off the lip.

https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-006551

Let us know when you mount it up and post plenty of pics. I'd love to see that thing be the ticket!

 

[macintux]

Let us know when you mount it up and post plenty of pics. I'd love to see that thing be the ticket!

So, yeah, it won’t work without cutting.

Keep in mind this is a (replacement) TJ hood. Your JL may work fine.

Here’s how it’s supposed to look.

But I have a horizontal lip on my hood.

So without cutting a couple of gaps into the horizontal lip the base and antenna would be pointing off at an angle.

 

[DanW]

So, yeah, it won’t work without cutting.

Keep in mind this is a (replacement) TJ hood. Your JL may work fine.

Here’s how it’s supposed to look.

But I have a horizontal lip on my hood.

So without cutting a couple of gaps into the horizontal lip the base and antenna would be pointing off at an angle.

I'd bet it isn't too different from how the hood lays on the TJ. Does the vendor you used have a good return policy? I'd be tempted to buy one and just check it out. I've got another idea, though, using the two accessory bolts on the side of the cowl. I just need to get off my butt and make a cardboard model. I can then take it to my brother's company to make one out of stainless steel for me. When I draw it up, I'll post it. I'm no artist, but I think I can get the idea out there.

 

[macintux]

Does the vendor you used have a good return policy?

I assume so but haven’t checked. The link I posted earlier was to the vendor if you want to check it out.

I’m just going to cut the spaces I need. It’s not as though I’m going to be reducing the resale value and my goal is to never sell this anyway.

 

[macintux]

Update: I tried cutting slots into the horizontal lip, wasn’t going well, so I just put it on the tailgate (close to the hinges) instead. The coax cable was exactly the right length to run it along the passenger side and along the front of the cabin to my mounting spot under the steering wheel, but a JLU is
a bit longer than my LJ and it wouldn’t reach following the same path I used.

I took a look at a JL hood and it should be fine mounted on that, although I didn’t have the mount with me to verify.

Now I need to figure out why the communications with my handheld walkie talkies isn’t working well. I can hear the handhelds fine, but they can barely hear me.

 

[DanW]

Update: I tried cutting slots into the horizontal lip, wasn’t going well, so I just put it on the tailgate (close to the hinges) instead. The coax cable was exactly the right length to run it along the passenger side and along the front of the cabin to my mounting spot under the steering wheel, but a JLU is
a bit longer than my LJ and it wouldn’t reach following the same path I used.

I took a look at a JL hood and it should be fine mounted on that, although I didn’t have the mount with me to verify.

Now I need to figure out why the communications with my handheld walkie talkies isn’t working well. I can hear the handhelds fine, but they can barely hear me.

Which GMRS do you have? On my Uniden CMX560 cb, I had a similar issue where my friend could barely hear me, but I was receiving him well. I was driving myself nuts trying to solve the problem when I realized it was the way I was holding the mic. Turns out the fat part of my hand, below the thumb, was covering the little microphone hole. I changed my hold and he could then hear me perfectly.

That's probably not the issue you are having, but it is worth checking.

 

[macintux]

Which GMRS do you have? On my Uniden CMX560 cb, I had a similar issue where my friend could barely hear me, but I was receiving him well. I was driving myself nuts trying to solve the problem when I realized it was the way I was holding the mic. Turns out the fat part of my hand, below the thumb, was covering the little microphone hole. I changed my hold and he could then hear me perfectly.

That's probably not the issue you are having, but it is worth checking.

I thought of that, wasn’t the problem unfortunately.

I’m using the new Midland with the mic controls. Tucks up well with my Uniden behind the dash; I miss analog controls but appreciate the waterproofing afforded by hiding them.

Now if only the microphones themselves were waterproof.

The Uniden Ethernet cable extension I ordered seems to work fine with the Midland, btw.

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