Batboard

I was getting a '91 cherokee to replace my dead '90 cherokee.
The one i was getting had 2 nmo mounts on the roof. (Ex goverment of some kind, probably USBP)

Well. I happened to stop today to see one i saw out the corner of my eye. And then went to the bank to get cash for a deposit on it.

Its a '91 cherokee sport with the up country package (skid plates, tow hooks, NP242 full time/part time x-fer case)
Get this. One owner. 103k actual miles. For a nearly 14 year old SUV, thats amazing.

Its in near perfect condition, except for the drivers seat. (Previously owned by a old, fat, white, republican, retired vet)

Therefore... No holes. No NMO mounts in the roof for the 800 mhz Phantom and the UHF 5/8 wave whip.

I have the following antennas for equipment:
800mhz phantom (Nextel hard install kit)
800mhz little 3.5 inch, 1/4 wave whip

I had a UHF 5/8 gain whip, but am thinking about finding a center loaded one instead.
Also probably need a VHF antenna in there somewhere.

I need opinions on the following:

1. How well do glass mount's work on UHF or VHF? If i were to pick one band for a glass mount, which should I pick?

I may not even put a UHF med radio in there, but if i do, its going to be a 75 watt maxtrac. (I think 75. it might be 60)

2. The VHF will be installed. Its constantly monitoring. Maybe 5% transmit. Its a Kenwood ham set with a mars/cap mod.
Can i get away with a glass mount for this?

3. If i use a hood mount for the little 800 mhz whip, how badly will the raised portion of the car affect it?

4. Anyone got a really good reason to not use a phantom on a hood mount?

5. Anyone ever use a phantom on a mag mount? I might use the little whip for the permanent mounted nextel kit, and go magnetic with the phantom for the JT1000 SVA. Since i rarely use the damn thing anyway.

I have used a glass mount 800 antenna with good sucess...I have heard of the glass mount uhf antenna...made by Antenna Specialists. I believe they have a 5db antenna...i think the cost is around $60. I have heard good reports on them

I dont know about the Vhf...I know AS makes one, but I would be sure to check the wattage for them.

I am looking for a lo pro VHF antenna, and Maxrad has them, but with a 50 watt rating....That sucks when the spectra puts out 110 watts.!

um, why not buy some NMO mounts? Its a 14 year old truck you are not going to hurt it!

but the roof on this thing is clean and purty and shiny.

And i'm probably going to keep this truck for a while. But for the time being, no holes.


Well. no exterior holes.


And... (gasp) no red lights.
I'm about to go to a 55+ hour work week. I dont have time to volunteer, so i'm not even going to bother installing anything on this truck.
Well, beyond the electronic air horn.

heh ok if you say so... I put 6 holes in my shiny purty suburban roof and it cost me 40k!

You won't hurt it, trust me.

yeah. 6 months down the line we're gonna have more antennas on that thing then you can shake a stick at.

Lets mount 3 spectra's in there, with some ham sets, and a couple of convertacoms for good measure.

And a CB radio. For entertainment.

Pretty soon its going froma 5 seater to a 2 seater. WIth one of those seats covered with a laptop mount.

it is an old truck stop being a sissy and drill some damn hole

We can always send an authorized batlabs division rep out to Texas to make sure those hole's are drilled all nice and pretty!

I didn't have any problems with the glassmounts on my truck when I had them for U/V operation. When I switched to the Astro Spectra, I put a mag mount on the roof till I got around to drilling.

Additionally, if the lip of the hood is just right, you can use trunk lip mounts, but be careful it doesn't damage the paint on the opposite side of the hood - i've seen it happen to people before after they open and close it a few times.

In end, you know you'll just end up dropping them in, so why wait. Just get it done sooner than later

-Alex

Ok, Tell the truth. The wife put her foot down, didnt she...
Be a man, Drill some holes.

1. Glass antennas work fine. The installer has to know how to tune the antenna; if he doesn't then it doesn't work right.

2. Cut the holes, then you don't have the tuning worries.

3. I took delivery of a 2004 Subaru Outback yesterday. It's going in for at least one roof NMO as soon as the shop can fit me into their schedule. I traded in my 2000 Outback with two NMOs on the roof and nobody said a word about it, and I didn't even have caps to dress up the mounts.

wife?
lol.

oh, and by the end of the year... it'll probably have a low band, a 220, a coup,e of vhf's, med band, gmrs, 800, 900, 1.2, cell, lo-jack, and a fully loaded LED edge.

but for the time being, let me enjoy my new used car.

OK, I have a question. Would it not be better to put the 800 (Nextel and whatever) on the glass and use hood mounted for the UHF and VHF?

Cam

Oh. You're implying common sense.
Right. Oops.


Although, fitting in a parking garage would be a good thing, especially if i get this job i'm testing for.

no holes...

Cam22 wrote:OK, I have a question. Would it not be better to put the 800 (Nextel and whatever) on the glass and use hood mounted for the UHF and VHF?

Cam

oh, i remember why.
I have a 800 1/4 wave and a 800 phantom that i'm going to use for the car. I havent actually gotten the uhf and vhf antenns yet.

Nice looking car. It would look even nicer with a few NMO-style antennas on the roof. Black antennas, that is.

i bought a black 1/4 wave 800 mhz whip.
it may be installed on a nmo mount.

I have a 99 chreokee.. Within 24 hrs I had a NMO mount with a black antennex on the roof for my Saber SVA. I have more plans as time allows

so much for no holes.

getting me a hole saw off'a ebay.


Yeah, that black 1/4 wave 800 antenna will look nice up there.
Nice and descrete.

Haha.

or not.

As Chief of a VFD and small radio business owner I personally like the Antenna Specialist model AP-153 VHF. I have about 100 of them out there with no complaints yet. It is very low profile and doesn't get caught up in trees and low carports. It works excellent on a repeater but you do lose a little range on simplex. The only other drawback is the most I could ever turn up the wattage to without melting this thing was 50 watts. As for the tuning, easy as it gets, it has a screw on the inside box and you can get Dem SWR's way down there. Drill or no drill, eventually you will have to make a move or miss out!

Gerbil wrote:Haha.

or not.

Jeesh gerbil, you hemmed and hawed for THAT LONG to put a pair of lip-mounts in it? i got a good kick out of how many times you'd change your mind on the hole. no hole thing....i do have a question, how is the performance on that trunk lip mount? i thought about something similar - but never tried it....



damn, i wish cars aged in CT like they do down in AZ. 8 year old explorer w/ 280k on it, doesn't look nearly as good as that Jeep

Eh. It'll eventually get at least one NMO mount.
Because i cant get as many antennas as will b needed without a hole or two.

the lip mount works well where it is. I had to get some bending done to get it just right. I'm eventually putting the vhf whip on there instead of that little 800mhz.

that little 800 would look good in a hole mount.

That phantom on the rear is a 800mhz attatched to a mag mount on my JT-1000 SVA. it gets tossed up when i need it, and taken down when i dont. Its my anti-theft plan for it.

Looks nice Gerbil.

Have you considered a 360 911EP Star unit?

*ducks and runs away*

hahahaha. you're gonna die.

Nah, I plan to live forever.

How else would I conquer the world?

lol. i got pulled over tonight for defective equipment (my headlights and off road lights were both on, and covered in mud)

I had my throw talon on the windshield, and my sister (who was the reason i was covered in mud) had put the crown royal bag that the talon's usually in, on my big 32oz powerade.
Which was sitting next to me.

No officer, i havent been drinking tonight.
Its powerade, officer.

Gerbil wrote:lol. i got pulled over tonight for defective equipment (my headlights and off road lights were both on, and covered in mud)

that's gotta be a pantload of mud! what did you get? your peepee slapped or an infraction or sympathy?

i got a "stop at that gas station and wash off your headlights"

the cop mentioned he has a jeep too. LOL.

This is why its my sister's fault i was covered in mud:


I couldnt possible allow my sister's 2wd to be muddier then mine, so :


So after i got pulled over i cleaned off the lights.


Yeah, that didnt last long

and whoo hoo.

finally got hidaways installed in the back.

and a day late too.

Yesterday we happened upon a minor MVA blocking traffic.

Due to my lack of rear warning, had to block traffic with the front of the jeep.

Of course, a single red talon on steady burn and a dual red/white on comet flash, plus my headlights on, got peoples attention.

One thing i like about cherokees. Rear hidaways are easy.
Theres an existing socket and reflector to stick them in.

Oh. and i changed the title of the thread. It matches better.

Gerbil, there are three sockets back there...reverse and two brake. Which did you pull?

the sockets from top to bottom in (most) cherokees of this era.

___
O | STT
O °| (empty) sidemarker
O | Turn
O | Reverse.


Some trucks have a STT in the empty hole. It ties into the flat-tow system from the factory. They are tied into tow vehicle's STT lights.
Also, european ones have rear fogs in that spot.

Mine, a sport, had the sockets empty and plugged.