Roof mount CB antenna?

[inh]

Has anyone installed one? Have photos? I'm wondering how exactly its supposed to seal so it doesn't leak, and how thick the mount is so I'll know if I'm going to have headliner issues. I'll be using a Wilson 1000 antenna, but I'm interested in any and all roof mount installs.

Edit: Not talking about magnetic mounts, of course.

[SVO42]

I have this antenna mounted permanently in the center of the roof: http://www.walcottcb.com/flex4-wilso...28_352_412_420. I really like it because of it's flexibility. It folds right over when needed!

Not the best pic, but this one shows it: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v4...t=IMG_0809.jpg.

I used this mount: http://www.walcottcb.com/firestik-k4...l?cPath=28_353 with this spring: http://www.walcottcb.com/firestik-ss...ath=28_354_445. You might want the "low profile" mount, though. A tiny bit of coax pokes through my headliner, but I don't care. With the two washer-like mounting plates, just use a little clear silicone around the hole. No leaks here!

It all works well. Good luck with your setup.

[inh]

I'm trying to figure out how this is supposed to mount through the roof..


(from here)

It seems like this is more like a roof mount, and I would just need a washer with a rubber seal and a nut to fasten this through the roof:


(from here)

Any suggestions?

[Jd0gg919]

I'm pretty sure you don't actually go through the roof. You secure the antenna with a magnet of some sort in the center of the roof and run the co-ax down through a door jam to your CB.

[rizzjc]

Yeah, those pictures don't help a lot.

[inh]

The more I think about it the more I think I'll go with the one in the second picture. When I have some time I'll give Wilson a call to find out for sure though.

[Scott B.]

I have a K40 roof mount antenna in my Rangers (and my Dad's, and my ex's Ex).

Punch (don't drill) a 3/4" hole in the roof, seal the edges of the hole with paint to avoid rust, assemble the antenna mount (it should have a rubber piece to make a seal onto the roof surface to prevent leaks - if not, add one) - that's it.

One more thing - I add a backing plate to the underside of the roof. 1/8" or so aluminum works well. In the Rangers, a 12x12 piece - in the Ex, a 12xWidth-of-track-in-roof piece worked fine.

Here's a picture - not a great shot of the antenna, but you get the idea.

[inh]

Why would punching a hole be better than drilling?

[Scott B.]

Yes - the roof is thin sheet metal. It would be very difficult to drill a nice, large, round hole from a hand-held drill.

Not impossible, but difficult. Thin metal stretches and bends easily.

I imagine you could use a hole saw, but I would suggest having someone hold a block of wood to the backside of the roof to act as a backing plate. Remember, as you lean on the drill, the metal will want to flex/deform.

[High_Order1]

Why would punching a hole be better than drilling?

I've prolly put 500 holes in vehicles for antennas. The number one reason to not ever use a twist drill bit to install an antenna is more often or not, you are gonna punch the headliner. Trust me.

You *could* make a depth stop for the bit, and make certain it was sharp, but then, sometimes the bit wants to act like a tap and you get a hole that looks more like the inside of a speedclip than a hole.

I use a 30 dollar bit expecially designed to cut the correct hole, but failing that, you could prolly find a cheap hole bit that you could use once. I have never 'punched' a hole in a vehicle for an antenna, but I have punched many into metal boxes and as thru holes.

I will say, however, they are right about the sheet metal being very thin. Antennas with a lot of wind load, or prone to bang on things, usually aren't a good choice for a NMO mount. the more flex, the less contact you wind up getting with the ground plane, and you also wind up flexing tiny cracks in where the sealant adheres, causing an intermittant leak. (shrugs)

-Shawn

[inh]

So I should put some kind of backing between the antenna mount and the roof to help support it..

Where would I get this special bit for cutting holes in a roof?

[Scott B.]

I used a 1/8" thick aluminum backing plate.

The bit you are referring to is called a hole saw. They can usually be found in hardware stores and home centers.

[CobraMountaineer]

I use an ANTENEX 3/4 hole saw just for antennas. I also use a 3/8 NMO mount for the thinner sheet of an Ex roof. I learned the mistake (twice) in using a 3/4 on a thin sheet roof. The 3/8 mount is excellent. www.tessco.com has everything you need for mobile antennas, and if they don't, I do..

Spin