Spectra Motorcycle weathproof enclosure - Antenna Question

m151a2 · Post by **m151a2** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 4:15 pm

I am new to all of this.

I have a 2003 Harley Police model with a Motorola Spectra Weatherproof Enclosure installed.

I have a Spectra Radio, control head etc, that I am getting ready to install.
It is set to run the 438 - 470 MHz range.

The enclosure has a large metal ground plane inside. It has a 3/4 inch hole in the metal plate, waiting for a drill through of the fiberglass through which the antenna is installed.

I do not know the correct antenna. I see a motorola RAE4024ARB listed as an XTL5000 accesory chart. Could this be it?

If not, another member here suggested an NMO mount with which he had success, and then an antenna of proper frequency range.

Is it really just this simple? Buy a mount that goes through the box, and then a correct range antenna? Does it matter that the box has that large ground plane inside? Does the mount matter for frequency or only the antenna.

Sorry for the long post. But I am truly dumb at this.

Thanks,

Ken

fire-medic8104 · Post by **fire-medic8104** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:15 pm

I believe the last time I did one of those I used a thick roof mount antenna from maxrad. Also a good suggestion is to take braided wire, like what is used as a ground on crown victorias or 10ga standard automotive wire to make a ground. Go from the bolts that conect the hinge to the top of the box to the bolts that connect the hinge to the bottom to the base plate where the radio mounts.

Using small jumpers it comes out very clean and makes a much better ground plane. Because the original ground plane only uses the hinge and after wear will loose contact and you will start losing the ground plane.

m151a2 · Post by **m151a2** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:40 pm

Thanks for the tips. The good news is that box comes with plenty of braided grounding straps and the entire inside of the top is a metal ground plane, not just the hinge.

I appreciate the advice on the thick roof mount from Maxrad.

Does the mount pariticpate in deciding what range the antenna will be, or is the range decided by the antenna alone.

Ken

motor59 · Post by **motor59** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:44 pm

Are you sure you want to put the antenna through the cover?

Our motors use an elevated feed-no ground plane antenna, mounted to the rear of the radio enclosure, on the tray that comes with the police model (just above the seat airtank). This serves two purposes - it maintains the weather integrity of the enclosure top, and it gives you a little more seperation between antenna and operator.

You didn't mention it, but do you have a pole light? If you do, and if you have the tray with the grommeted hole for it, I can offer you another tip -
mount the radio box backwards on the tray, and you'll have a much easier time with access. By backwards, I mean with the lock facing the rear of the motor. This way, you can bring the box right up to the pole, and still open it.

I can send you a couple of pics if you'd like.

nmfire10 · Post by **nmfire10** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:36 am

In New Haven, they are just using the salt-shacker low profile antennas with an NMO mount right in the middle of the box. Works fine.