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What does everyone think of this antenna mount?

Yea it looks cool, which is why I'm kinda aiming towards it, but I want it to function as well as any other mount that I could use on the rain gutter and stuff like that.
 
If I understand this right, if you're mounting it to a fiberglass hatch, you want a non-ground plane type of antenna.
 
ChiXJeff said:
If I understand this right, if you're mounting it to a fiberglass hatch, you want a non-ground plane type of antenna.
Click to expand...

As long as you provide a "ground" wire to the bracket you will have established a "ground plane".
 
ChiXJeff said:
In this case, a very small ground plane, just the base of the mount itself. The hatch itself has no ground plane to speak of.

I'm not an RF engineer, I don't even play one on TV. See http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/GP-or-NGP.htm
Click to expand...

Re-read your own article,it refers to applications with little to no metal.It doesnt matter about the small area of the fiberglass hatch,only the entire(metal) area of the vehicle!
BTW:boats often use a metal cathode plate thru the hull to establish a better ground plane using the water as "earth",how do you "earth" ground your Jeep.Big rigs are also about 90% fiberglass since the late 70's,I wonder why their rigs work?
 
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xjj33p3r said:
So I'm kind of lost, if I do put this mount on my hatch, I will not be able to get a signal through the antenna?
Click to expand...
Another thing to keep in mind: if you mount it sticking out sideways (the mount that is) you might rip it off along with a piece of a hatch on a rock or a tree.
 
your antenna mount has to be grounded - so if you attach any mount to the hatch, you will have to run a ground wire to some metal on the body of the XJ (unless its a newer XJ with the metal? hatch)
 
Thanks, that's what I needed to know. And no I don't plan on mounting it horizontally, that's just goofy :p I really do want to mount it back there, because I sometimes get too close to walls, and the mount could get ripped off if I use it on the raingutter or on the hood. If it's not too hard to run a ground wire to the hinges or something like that on my jeep, I'll buy that mount, I just need to check it out.
 
My concern would be the antenna sticking up above the roof and hitting on the frequent (at least where I wheel) tree limbs and such would put too much stress on a 'glass hatch. If you have a '97+ with a steel hatch, then you're good to go.
 
Lemme ask you this...are you afraid to drill 1 hole?
If you arent scared, try this, works awesome.
91_1_b.JPG

66_1_b.JPG


Its called NMO style mount and antenna, it has o-rings and all that special stuff, itd professional grade.
 
RCP Phx said:
As long as you provide a "ground" wire to the bracket you will have established a "ground plane".
Click to expand...

GP is more than just metal. It is the other half of your antenna system.

A ground strap to the nearest major metal does not nessesarily make for the idea GP.

RCP Phx said:
...
BTW:boats often use a metal cathode plate thru the hull to establish a better ground plane using the water as "earth",how do you "earth" ground your Jeep.
...
Click to expand...

Not the most effective. Sintered bronze GP's are a pain, a major electrolysis problem, and a bomb next to the hull in a lighting strike.

Most all production boats (those large enough to be considered "yachts"), sail and power, offer glassed in copper screen or strip GP's. Much more effective, and by far more "tuneable".

The GP in this instance is the water, salt water being the best possible GP availible. The metal does not have to be "in" the water to work... The wonders of capacitance, and vertical antenna systems.

To understand why an "earth" ground is not so critical to CB, you first have to understand the properties of vertical antennas.

The XJ offers one of the best possible GP's a vehicle can have for a vertical antenna, the roof. Just work out how to use it.

--ron
 
I use a mag mount on the roof but then I only put the cb in when going out to play. If I was going to put a permanent mount on I'd either do one thru the roof or a semi-permanent one using one of the Z brackets between the hood and the fender. I have a hard enough time not peeling my fender flares off on stuff to want a antenna mount sticking out as another peelable item...
 
I would not want to mount to the rear hatch for several reasons (fiberglass is not the strongest place to mount it, wiring would be much longer and more difficult to route, it might get in the way when putting up the hatch, might get pealed off with trees overhead). I mount mine on a Z bracket next to the hood. It has a good ground plane (hood) and it safe, protected, short wire, and you can see it if it is going to get hit. Roof is another great place (best ground plane) however it is much too likely to get hit in the North west where I spend my time wheeling.

HTH,
Michael
 
I would do a stainless wip, after breaking 2 wilsons on trees, I went to a good quality stainless whip, and it works as good or better then my wilsons, and when I hit something it will just bend. if fact u can almost tie it in a not
and it will go back to its shape after
 
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