I see a lot of CB and FMRS/GMS mounts listed but does anyone have a source for mounting a VHF/UHF antenna on the drivers side tail light?
73,
W9VD
73,
W9VD
Mounting a VHF / UHF antenna on the drivers side taillight
- Thread starter joniki
- Start date
Unless you want a huge plate hanging out back there for a ground plane, I think you'd be better off mounting a plate above the spare (someone here did this) or mounting to the passenger side top rear lip of the hood...
I use Teraflex tail light antenna brackets, driver side for CB and passenger side for ham.
I use Breedlove antenna mounts. I recall needing to drill out the Teraflex bracket for the Breedlove NMO antenna mount. I probably needed to drill out the drivers side bracket for the Breedlove CB antenna mount as well, but have no independent recollection that is what I did,
I have no measurable ground plane issues with this setup as far as Rx and Tx, for either CB or 2m/70cm ham, although I'm sure the wave propagation lacks symmetry.
https://breedlovemounts.com/
73
KG6LMV
I use Breedlove antenna mounts. I recall needing to drill out the Teraflex bracket for the Breedlove NMO antenna mount. I probably needed to drill out the drivers side bracket for the Breedlove CB antenna mount as well, but have no independent recollection that is what I did,
I have no measurable ground plane issues with this setup as far as Rx and Tx, for either CB or 2m/70cm ham, although I'm sure the wave propagation lacks symmetry.
https://breedlovemounts.com/
73
KG6LMV
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Left to right: Stock stereo antenna, VHF/UHF Ham antenna, CB antenna, and unity gain GMRS antenna. Leaving the back clear for some type of HF setup.
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A tail light CB antenna mount will work fine for a 6m/UHF antenna and if properly installed with a good solid RF ground it will provide a good ground plane. Caution if using a powder coated mount that the powder coating will have to be removed in two areas to provide an adequate RF ground. One where it is bolted to the tub and two where the coax cable ground attaches to the mount. If you can find an all stainless steel or aluminum tail light mount life will be a lot easier. Powder coated antenna mounts are a PITA to get working well enough to allow a good low SWR.
I have never been fond of the tail light antenna brackets; they are directional and prone to be broken on the trail.
When I replaced the OEM third brake light with a LED ring between the tire mount and the rim; I installed a SO239 threaded antenna mount where the original third brake light power wires were routed.
While this setup is not ideal; the mount is protected and is less directional than the corner mounted antenna.
When I replaced the OEM third brake light with a LED ring between the tire mount and the rim; I installed a SO239 threaded antenna mount where the original third brake light power wires were routed.
While this setup is not ideal; the mount is protected and is less directional than the corner mounted antenna.
My God man, have you family in Cuba?!!
I had a CB antenna in that location from the PO, it did not last long vs. trees. And this is in Arizona, where we have more rocks than trees.
While the directionality issue of a corner mount is theoretically true, it's not a big enough issue with the TJ when the antenna is mounted on a rear corner to worry about. In over 25 years of running CB and ham antennas at my TJ's rear corners any theoretical directionality of them has been a 100% non-issue for me. In other words I've never had to drive my TJ in circles to find the right angle to communicate via. And I have received far more formal antenna education than the average yahoo thank you very much lol.
Where I have noticed the most difference between the rear center mount and the rear corner mount is when you are transmitting at longer distances. The problems with directional signal strength are more prone on AM CB radios than the FM Ham radios.
Unfortunately our TJs cannot take advantage of the roof mounted antennae location which takes advantage of the roof for use as a ground plane (that's assuming the roof were metal) for better Receive and Transmit signals.
As for using the rear tail light corner mount as I posted above; the center rear mount affords more protection from damage than the corner mount. I have watched antennas bend and spring back due to a stronger mount when mounted in the rear center and when mounted in the rear corner; the antennae mount is flexed and torn free when the antenna is bent over.
Unfortunately our TJs cannot take advantage of the roof mounted antennae location which takes advantage of the roof for use as a ground plane (that's assuming the roof were metal) for better Receive and Transmit signals.
As for using the rear tail light corner mount as I posted above; the center rear mount affords more protection from damage than the corner mount. I have watched antennas bend and spring back due to a stronger mount when mounted in the rear center and when mounted in the rear corner; the antennae mount is flexed and torn free when the antenna is bent over.
Jerry, you confused electrical ground with ground plane. Ground plane is what the antenna needs to reflect signal up and out.
I did not confuse anything. I know full well the requirements of a ground plane, I constructed them even buried the wiring for ground planes for military communications antenna farms back in the late sixties.
Sorry, your post read that way… I was not meaning anything by it. (Hell I’m forgetting and mixing shit up all the time now too…)
I was part of a crew who demonstrated and taught littoral electronic navigation, using a system called Hi-Fix. This required installation of four 100' tall antennae and associated ground planes. We used cyclone fencing for the ground plane in a large circular area with the antenna in the center. We buried the ground plane in a bout 4" of sandy soil, then dumped a few hundred pounds of salt over it, and hosed it all down till the salt melted and was absorbed into the soil. These were 500W transmitters, but we ran them at 100W, due to the proximity of several civilian airports. They were located on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline, not too far from Annapolis. All obsolete now, thanks to GPS (originally NAVSAT), but I expect those ground planes are still there.
To see some unusual methods for antenna mounting, take a look at some pix of aircraft carriers.
OP
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
This picture confuses me.
The top of my tire carrier is not parallel to the ground.
An antennae mounted here (on mine) would lean back against the tire.
Am I missing something?
Mine was also angled. I was able to bend that part slightly to make it flat for my CB antenna. I'll see if I still have a photo showing that tomorrow.
I installed a wedge shaped washer between the mount and the tire carrier to make the antenna full vertical.
I had forgotten how I had done this but finally found the photo. It's simple to do, nothing more than a piece of flat stainless steel twisted a bit to give a flat mount for the antenna.
