[aprssig] OT:: Jeep and Radio

[Curt Mills]

My Jeep has a one-piece fiberglass roof.  To make sure I could remove
it in the future, I mounted antennas around (but not on) the hood.  A
buddy gave me some old mounts he used on his wrangler previously.  I
used them as patterns to have four thick stainless steel antenna
mounts made.  Each one is a rounded equilateral triangle with three
holes, one for the 3/8" NMO mount, two for mounting bolts.  I drilled
holes on the flat part of the Jeep UNDER the side of the hood/  When
the hood closes you don't see the bolts.  Two of the mounts (front
two) bend upwards and then horizontal, two (rear ones) downwards and
then horizontal.  Under the mounts are a stainless steel bar that the
two bolts thread into.

Don't know how well they work yet 'cuz I don't have radios mounted,
but that's next.  I know the radiation pattern won't be as good as if
they were up high and centered.  Should be better than having them on
the rear bumper or on the spare tire mount though.  I read several
things on the web that said not to mount them on the spare tire mount
due to poor grounding.

Nice thing is that it's easy to route coaxes into the cab from the
driver's side, just look for the big cable bundle going through the
firewall and insert them just above it.

-- 
Curt, WE7U