Ford Ranger roof mount

[The Howler]

Putting a 2000 ranger extended cab back together after a collision, and looking at adding a radio to this rig.
Planning my antenna instal and thinking about a center of the cab, fold down style mount. Sounds like a good answer for low hanging parking garages, car washes and trees.
Anybody have any experience with these and can recommend a brand they have had good luck with?
Thanks.

 

[nomadradio]

Center of the cab roof works best. Rear edge of the roof a close second. The vertical cab metal surface behind the door windows is not bad, but only for the standard cab. The cab-and-a-half model has a window there.

Worst place seems to be the bed rail. Have never properly researched why.

73

 

[secret squirrel]

In the mean time while you research your final answer. Tram makes a copy of Wilson mag mount antennas. Both work very well, easy to tune. They are available at Bobs CB website, and other places online. I keep one as a spare antenna. I tuned it so it reads under 2.0 SWR on just about any vehicle with decent flat surface area. I had originally set the SWR on the center of a Dodge Charger trunk lid. I had it on an S-10 extended cab center roof. I was reading 1.1 SWR on channel 20. Very happy with the receive and application. I have the smaller one, Lil Wil copy.

In lower parking garages you may be limited to 7 feet. That was a restriction I had just experienced with parking at my job. If this is the case. You may be limited to a hood channel mount. Stick with stainless steel. Go for a 3 foot Skip Shooter or Firestik to stay below 7 feet total height.

If center roof is your final decision the try for a drill through NMO mount with a base loaded whip. The stinger will flex with beating on garage roof and you can spin the antenna off if needed. Not ideal but no compromise ever is.

 

[Blackcat630]

Sirio P5000 has a fold over base. Great mobile antenna. Drilling a hole and permanent mounting to the center of the roof should work well. My .02

 

[Jay Mojave]

Yeah center of the roof works great! CB Radio performance above all, unless your going to the Paris Airshow to show off your truck by invitation. My invitation must have got lost in the male....

Got my 77 Ford F250 in Oct 76, the next day had a 102 inch whip antenna mounted on top center the cab, there is a support stiffener running down the center of the cab that helped out making it stiffer but I also added a 3/16 Aluminum plate 10 x 10 inches. All is happy.

Used RG213 coax running down the front hollow sides to a little 100 watt amp, oh yeah worked great. Good luck. Please tell us how your installation works out for you.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[The Howler]

Awesome, thanks for the reply’s! Very appreciated.

 

[ForestRunner98]

I second the recommendation for a Sirio 5000 on the center of the roof. I park in a structure daily that’s 6’8” so that folding antenna is great!

 

[Hairball]

I third the Sirio 5000. Great antenna.

 

[Newbie solar guy]

Sirio P5000 has a fold over base. Great mobile antenna. Drilling a hole and permanent mounting to the center of the roof should work well. My .02

Can we achieve the same strong ground connection with a magnetic mounted antenna (lil wil305-38)? Or is it better to Drill the Hole. Thanks

 

[Blackcat630]

A properly installed permanent roof mount will work better than a mag mount. In my experience the direct metal contact of a through hole mount provides a better counterpoise than the capacitive coupling of a mag mount antenna. Perm mount antennas also tend to play better if running an amplifier.

A decent quality mag mount and antenna combo will work fine if it has a reasonable amount of flat metal under it to work off of. Mag mount obviously give you the convenience of a quick install/removal..

I have personally never been a fan of the Lil Wil or K30 antennas. The shorter whip does tend to sacrifice performance..

 

[Dopple]

I install NMO mounts in my vehicles. Tram/Browning, Larsen, PCTel/Maxrad all make 11/10 meter base loaded antennas. I've had good luck with both the Browning and PCTel antennas. Clean install. Add a weather cap to keep water out if you have to take the antenna off. I also use Tram 1180 antennas for my dual band ham rigs.