Sidebar Sidebar
  • You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

A brief walk through

Nick23

Nick23

Desperado, 785
Aug 16, 2013
389
31
38
Bangor, ME
I am preforming my first hard mount. Can someone tell me what I will need. Also, just some general tips regarding the installation of hard mounts? I will be putting a door jamb mount on the back left side of a 1999 4Runner. I am ordering a Hustler 108 whip. May switch out to a smaller Wilson fgt 4 silver load occasionally.

Thanks
 

nick, it would be very helpful if you could provide a link to the mount you intend to use, and describe the best you can exactly where you will be mounting it.

will you be modifying the mount in any way?

LC
 
here is one that i found:
Firestik SS204A Adjustable, SS Vertical Door Jamb Mount

it says in the ad that it is not for antennas over 4 feet in length.

i was already thinking that the 108" whip would be too much for it, and the ad/ picture confirmed it.

the 108" whip will beat that mount to sh!t over time.

it sounds to me like you are ok with drilling some holes in the vehicle, but is there a reason you are hesitant to drill a hole in the center of the roof and maybe mount a wilson 5000 up there?

remember that with the wilson antennas, the antenna and its base will unscrew, and a little black plastic cap that is included goes over the connector on the roof.
with the antenna off, you can barely tell there is anything up there.
if you sell the car, you can just leave it there and buy just a new mount.

anyway, if you are dead set on this mount, i would go with the wilson trucker antenna, or the silver load you mentioned.

the 108" antenna should only be put on the mount when you are stationary.

ideally, the base of the antenna should be level with the top of the vehicle, so try to get as close to this as you can.

also, you are going to have to run the coax into the vehicle somehow, and repeatedly slamming a door on your coax is not going to be good for it.
coax works on the principle that the shield braid is a certain distance axially from the center conductor.
when coax gets smashed into funny shapes by car doors, that relationship can change, causing your coax to not be 50 ohms anymore.

dont fool yourself into thinking that the door will never get slammed on the coax, it will happen.


if you are going with the door jamb mount, you need to pay special attention to how you drill the holes for the screws that will hold it to the vehicle.
how you do this will determine the strength and security of your mount.

first decide what size hardware you will be using. i would think that #10 or #12 hardware could be used, but if not, #8 should work.

this is the screw you want to use (this is #10, but again, use the size you feel you need to)
#10 x 3/4 in. Stainless Steel Pan-Head Phillips Drive Sheet Metal Screw (25-Pieces)-34552 at The Home Depot

you definitely want stainless steel.

here is a chart that will tell you what size hole to drill in the vehicle for the screws:
Pilot Hole Drill Sizes for Starting  Sheet Metal Screws

use the right size drill bit, as the size of that hole determines the purchase of the screw to the vehicle.

when you go to actually screw the screws into the vehicle, make sure to set your drill oh slow speed, and set the drag so that you wont strip the head off the screw when it gets tight.

they will snap the heads off if you dont drill the right size or try to power the screw past the point of "tightness".

you might be fine with 1/2" long screws, but unless you think there is a clearance issue, i would go with the 3/4" screws.

do the install like this to make sure you get a chance to level the mount before committing to a hole location.

1. hold the mount where you want it and mark one of the top holes with a sharpie.

2. remove the mount and drill the correct size pilot hole for that screw.

3. put the mount back in place and VERY SLOWLY screw the first screw in JUST to the point where it snugs the mount up enough so that it will stay where you move it to.
(DO NOT screw the screw past this point, as sheet metal screws NEVER get as tight the second time they are screwed into the same hole. its all about getting it right the first time)

4. using whatever means you have available, make sure the mount is level so that your antenna wont be sticking up at an angle when you are all done.

5. when the mount is where you want it, mark the other three holes with the sharpie, and then using the right size pilot hole bit, drill them just enough to create a small divot in the metal. do this to all three holes that are left.

6. now, with the mount still in place, drill one more pilot hole. just one more for now. (i like to choose the hole directly off at an angle from the first hole)

7. screw the next screw into this pilot hole, BUT AGAIN GO SLOW!
this time you want to stop just short of snug.

8. check the mount again for level, and fully tighten the screw you just added. (remember to set the drag!)

9. fully tighten the first screw.

10. check the mount again to make sure you are happy with it.
now you see the reason we did it this way.
if you need to adjust the angle of the mount, you can slightly loosen the first two screws, adjust the mount, and you still have two "first time" screws to add for strength.

11. if you are happy with the angle of the mount, drill the other two pilot holes, and screw those screws in.

you should have ended up with a very secure mount doing it this way.

good luck,
LC
 
Is there a way to put on a better connecter, I think you call it. Not the mount that you screw into the truck, but the part you screw the antenna into. The metal on the roof seems pretty thin. The metal on the back hatch seems very solid though.

I plan on putting the mount 4 inches above the rear left tail light.
 
if you are going to mount it there, then none of the other stuff really matters, as you wont be getting out very far at all.
you will also probably have a high SWR.

remember that the radio signal leaves your antenna from the side, and the metal in your vehicle will absorb/reflect that signal causing the radiation pattern to be skewed.

its ok to have maybe the first foot of the antenna be below the roof line, but even that is less than ideal.

thats the big caveat to 27mhz communication; to have a big signal, you have to have a big antenna that sticks up above your vehicle.

if you are only planning to use the CB for trail comms, like when your buddies are within a mile or so of you, then it will work.
do be mindful of the SWR though.

as for the connector, the one that came with the mount should work fine, but yes, there are a few "boutique" antenna mount makers out there that have very good mounts and accessories.

here is a link to one:
Products

oh, yeah the metal on the roofs of vehicles today is not as thick as it used to be.
many people have been known to enlarge the center hole in a circular saw blade, and sandwich it between the mount and the bottom of the roof for extra support.

good luck,
LC
 
Last edited:
if you are using the 6" heavy duty spring, then you dont want a 108" whip, you want a 102" whip.

the 102" whip is meant to be used with the spring.
if you were to bend that spring over to one side and look inside it, you would see a big copper strap running up through the middle of it.
what this means is that the spring itself is part of the antenna radiating system.

also, you dont want to run the spring with any other antenna that you put on there unless the instructions with the antenna specifically call for one.

when you said 4runner, i was picturing the SUV style vehicle, is that what you have?
or is it closer to a jeep in body style?

LC
 
I have seen only 3" springs. Where do you get these 6" radiating springs? The 4Runner is more a SUV than a Jeep. Much better ground plain on the roof compared to a Jeep. I ran a lil will for awhile. Then a Predator 10-k with a magnet mount on the center roof. Could talk 20-30 miles, flat terrain, with a tuned Uniden 78. Is putting the antenna on the side going to cut down on that distance? Really the antenna won't be on the side, it will be right at roof level, just on the left corner of the roof.
 
Will the door jamb mount work for the 102? Can we easily modify the mount? Center of the roof is definitely not an option anymore. Its this hard mount or bust. I really don't want to go back to magnet mounts.
 
sorry about the confusion on the spring.
the springs themselves are 4" long, and the usual mount they are used on is a ball mount, which makes up the other 2".
here is a link to one:
Super Heavy Duty CB Antenna Spring | eBay

however you do it, the idea is to end up with a total of 108".

if you bought a 108" whip, you would put it on your mount with no spring.
if you wanted to use the spring, you would cut about 4" off the whip.
i dont think the spring is really needed unless you plan on bending the antenna all the way over to the side for storage.

my personal opinion is that your mount wont handle a 102" whip for too long.
i would bet that it would start wiggling the screws in the mount loose after a little while, and like i said in the other post, you really cant re-tighten them and expect them to be as secure.

your setup with the predator 10K on the roof of the vehicle sounds like a great setup to me.
i realize that you dont want to use a mag mount any more though.

your mount will work fine with that wilson silver load, as long as most of the antenna is above the vehicle like you say it will be.

it probably wont get out quite as far as the 10K, but it shouldnt be that big of a difference.
it will be more directional though.

your antenna will favor the direction that contains the most metal on your vehicle.
that means that if you put it in the drivers side rear corner, you will get out best in the direction of the passenger side front.
put the antenna right in the center of the rear of the vehicle, and it will get out best towards the front.
thats the main reason people say the best place to mount your antenna is the center of the roof.

now, this concept, while true, should not be the end all be all of your decisions on antenna placement.
you will still get out in all directions, its just that some will be better than others.

i still think the best thing for you to do is buy a wilson 1000 roof mount version, drill an 11/16" hole in the roof, and mount it there.
you probably wont need any extra support, and these antennas work very well.
here is a link to a good place to get one for a good price:
W-1000

like i said though, your door jamb mount and the wilson silver load will work pretty well for you.
LC
 
Yes I really enjoyed the 10-k on the roof. Could talk locally without an amp, even though everyone thought I had one hooked up. Shoot skip all day long with 4 watts. I have a height restriction now. Can't bend it over and I am getting tired of screwing it on and off everytime I go through the gate.

I will think about everything you have said and make a decision soon. I will try and post some pics of my setup.

Thanks again
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.


      Top Bottom
      Back