FRS/GMRS radio antenna mounting locations

[IrnBear]

Howdy All,

Wife and I use our radios to communicate when on convoy to our location. The jeep has a Radio and the antenna is mounted to the gutter. (we work a lot of Off Road Races)
I want to install a radio (hand helds just don't cut it for any distance at all, we have tried everything) in the Motorhome, just can't figure out where to mount the antenna.
They don't seem to make stubbys for these radios. Antenna length is important. I'm thinking of going on the side of the motorhome with as much of the tip sticking above the roof as possible. Need to have clearence. So maybe as high as the highest item on the roof.
Has anyone else done this and what luck have you had?

Thank you in advance
IrnBear (Bradley)

P.S. Please don't turn this into a GMRS licenseing thread. We use non GMRS channels.

[ducksface]

There is a plate in the wall where the the seat belt pulls down from.

It's the perfect antenna mounting base.

Make the antenna two inches higher than your highest roof thing and the antenna becomes an early warning system for height.

[happy]

I've given this some thought for our RV.
We don't have a metal roof and that makes a difference.

If you don't have a metal roof to create a ground plane a 1/2 wave antenna will work the best. The majority of antennas need a ground plane.

What we plan to do is get something like this https://www.magnumelectronics.com/sh...ZxvD_BwE#attr=

We will place this on the roof using screws and a quality RV chalk. Then mount a magnetic base antenna on it. If you don't like magnetic bases, a small metal box could be attached to ground plane and a NMO mount attached to the box. Just to get room for the NMO.


https://www.arcantenna.com/blogs/new...or-off-roading

[IrnBear]

Originally Posted by happy

I've given this some thought for our RV.
We don't have a metal roof and that makes a difference.

If you don't have a metal roof to create a ground plane a 1/2 wave antenna will work the best. The majority of antennas need a ground plane.

What we plan to do is get something like this https://www.magnumelectronics.com/sh...ZxvD_BwE#attr=

We will place this on the roof using screws and a quality RV chalk. Then mount a magnetic base antenna on it. If you don't like magnetic bases, a small metal box could be attached to ground plane and a NMO mount attached to the box. Just to get room for the NMO.


https://www.arcantenna.com/blogs/new...or-off-roading

Howdy Happy,

The antenna will be too tall mounted on the roof of my Class A. Thus the side mount option.
Duckface suggested that there is a metal plate at the seatbelt mount area that I can mount to. I'm going to imagine it is grounded, thus my mount will be grounded with the metal screws.
I'll be looking closer at the wall of the RV early next week. In a stretch of nights at work right now.

Or have you found a stubby antenna that would work?

Thanks,
IrnBear

[happy]

Midland makes a ghost antenna.


https://mid.factoryoutletstore.com/d...gitemid=715998


At about 14 minutes this shows the antenna. Best wishes for your hook up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-DPtmUzVwU&t=2s

[Chateau_Nomad]

Originally Posted by IrnBear

Howdy All,

Wife and I use our radios to communicate when on convoy to our location. The jeep has a Radio and the antenna is mounted to the gutter. (we work a lot of Off Road Races)
I want to install a radio (hand helds just don't cut it for any distance at all, we have tried everything) in the Motorhome, just can't figure out where to mount the antenna.
They don't seem to make stubbys for these radios. Antenna length is important. I'm thinking of going on the side of the motorhome with as much of the tip sticking above the roof as possible. Need to have clearence. So maybe as high as the highest item on the roof.
Has anyone else done this and what luck have you had?

Thank you in advance
IrnBear (Bradley)

P.S. Please don't turn this into a GMRS licenseing thread. We use non GMRS channels.

Speaking of off-road racing, we're currently in the woods of southern Ohio spectating the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. The ONLY comms that work here are 2-meter amateur repeaters... We worked this event 30+ years ago for the safety communications staff. If you're not familiar with Ken Block, look him up on YouTube... He's here for this event.

Sorry off topic... back to Earth now...

[ducksface]

I have a very funny Ken Block story for the next campfire gathering.