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clubguy
08-18-2015, 11:01 AM
I would like to install my old Colt 355 in my 2012 Honda Pilot and need a good antenna suggestion.

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222DBFL
08-21-2015, 02:50 AM
You going to drill a hole and hard mount it or use a mag mount setup? For a good hard mount setup, a Breedlove puck mount and a sirio 5000 performer would work well or even the sirio 5000 performer and the sirio PL145 mag mount. The Breedlove mount is made by them. The sirio antennas are sold by about 2-3 companies here stateside, DNJ radio, H&Y electronics, and maybe one more place I can't think of right now. I always order from DNJ radio. Takes about 1 week to get your antenna as they ship it in a large tube. Same with H&Y electronics. I've bought from both places, just more from DNJ. If one place is out of stock check the other. The sirio antenna is well made and for that vehicle should work well. Put up a couple photos of your vehicle so we can see where is a good spot to mount. Don't know if you have sunroof or what. But whatever you do, don't skimp on the antenna setup!! It will bite you in the ass in the end. It's one of the most important pieces to your system. Get a good antenna, mount, coax, and connectors. If you plan on a hard mount you'll need to get some coax and connector. Or have one made for you. Times microwave, Andrew, Commscope, Belden, Jefa, Judd wire. These are good coax companies, check around and you'll find places that can make you a coax jumper as long as you need and they will even put the connector on the one end. This is for the hard mount. The coax with the mag mount is fine for GP use. I would hard mount it (drill a hole) personally. Easily done with a step up drill bit and take your time. The magnet mount setup
Isn't bad idea to find the best spot to place a hard mount on your vehicle, but if you plan on using one daily, keep in mind it will need some maintenance from time to time. Also the mag mount will not be as good as hard mounting but will work well enough for what it is. Like I said, they are handy to find the sweet spot on vehicles before you drill a hole. And don't be bothered by drilling. It's the best way in the end and will actually cause less damage to the vehicle than a mag mount being there all the time. You get faded paint under the mag mount or scratches. Although the sirio magnet mount has a rubber boot on it to keep from scratching vehicle, moisture seemed to be my biggest enemy while using one. Hard mount you don't have to worry about. This is JMHO. Good luck with whatever you decide.

clubguy
08-21-2015, 09:21 PM
Talk some sense into me. Should I go with the hole in the roof and an NMO mount for the removable antenna? I would have this professionally done.

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222DBFL
08-22-2015, 02:34 AM
Breedlove mount, one that uses a 3/8 x 24 threaded stud. Sirio makes the performer 5000 with this option. Here is a pic of another setup. A fatboy puck was used instead of a Breedlove one. I like Breedlove mounts Better. Matter of opinion. But here is the antenna and it mounted to the vehicle 18881889

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 02:47 AM
No NMO mount. Get a puck mount. A 3" one or 2" one will
Work for the sirio 5000. They make them with SO239 or 3/8 threaded stud type to accept both the UHF base loaded sirio antennas or the 3/8 threaded type like above. Not sure about the fatboy mount but I know Breedlove makes a single hole mount. Check their webpage and go to the more options section. It should show you all the puck mounts. Also there are other companies that make these mounts. Look around if you like but the Breedlove mounts are time tested and proven to be good and been around a long time. JMHO.

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 02:53 AM
Hopefully this helps some.

clubguy
08-22-2015, 03:30 AM
Is your antenna 62"? How do you pull into your garage with that thing on? Do they make a 2 or 3 foot antenna? I am also wondering about why type of maintenance needs to be done when you have a hole drilled in your roof. I noticed from your photo that you have a factory mounted antenna, probably a GPS or radio antenna. I have a GPS antenna on mine, I'll post pictures this weekend. I don't do any maintenance with the existing GPS antenna.

Will this antenna work for HAM radio too or is that a different animal?

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 03:56 PM
The sirio 5000 performer folds down at the base. Look them up. They make different styles. The performer 5000, turbo 5000, both fold down and are about 6.5ft. Almost 7ft. total length. Great antennas for both local and dx. Check out DNJ Radio for the antennas and Breedlove single hole mount. They make a 2 and 3" version. But the antenna can come completely off or folded down depending on style. And the whips bend pretty easy and bounce back as long as you take it slow. But yes they make a fold down model.

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 03:58 PM
Breedlove makes an SO239 puck mount that you can mount one of the UHF bottom type sirio antennas as well. Google either DNJ radio or sirio antenna. And look up Breedlove mounts. Sirio makes a mount but IMO the Breedlove mount is 10x better. JMO.

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 04:03 PM
I'll try to post some pics of my mag mount sirio 5000 performer. Sirio makes a good magnet mount for the sirio antennas. The PL145. I changed my coax out to lmr240, which is not necessary, but I had it laying around. Even the mag mounted sirio performer worked well for me on my old work van. Couldn't drill so I was forced to use a mag mount, and the sirio performer seemed to be the best out of the 3 I used. K40, Wilson 5000, then sirio performer 5000. The performer worked better than either of the other antennas. Same vehicle.

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 04:05 PM
Hope all this helps.
Here are some pics of the Breedlove mounts as well1893189418951896

222DBFL
08-22-2015, 09:29 PM
Okay, first off vehicle isn't mine, was from another post on another forum. User was very pleased with setup. And yes this is a mono band antenna. It will cover 10-11 meters or 11-12 meters depending on how long or short you cut the whip. For cb or 11m, you shouldn't have to cut much if any of the whip. They come tuned at about mid band for cb which is 27.205. Also after drilling the hole and mounting the puck, no additional mait. is required, maybe clean the whip every so often. But other than that it's the best route to go. Do not get the sirio mount, IMO they aren't stout enough and don't have enough surface area for holding the antenna correctly. If you decide to go Breedlove, fatboy, gunnny puck, all are good. Just Breedlove been around for a long time and make some of the best mounts. They aren't cheap, but you will get a top notch high quality mount. I've one that is over 20yrs old I'd say. I just polished it and it looks new. It's a brass quick disconnect mount. They are about 95 dollars shipped for any of the Breedlove mounts. Or around that. Not sure what the other companies I listed cost for their mounts but if they are built like the Breedlove they won't be cheap. The antenna isnt much and is on sale at DNJ radio. Here are photos of the ones I am speaking of.
18971898
Both of these models fold down. One has a handle (performer 5000), and the turbo you loose then fold down. Both work well. Here are some of my antenna photos as well. This is the mag mount setup by sirio, pl145 magnet and the sirio performer 5000. I changed the coax out on the mag mount to lmr240 which is all I use. Either Andrew, Belden, times microwave and such. Here are the photos of both the sirio performer and turbo 5000 on the sirio PL145 mag mount. 18991900190119021903190419051906
The turbo will only fold one way. The performer will go back or forth. I lean my antenna a slight bit forward as to compensate for hwy speed. Just a tad. Keeps antenna more straight up. And oh yes the antennas are right at 6.5ft tall. Taller antenna than the Wilson 5000. Again, hope all this helps and if there are any more questions I can answer i will. Have a good one. 73 and God Bless.

clubguy
08-22-2015, 11:36 PM
I am thankful for your help. I need to decide if I want a 6-7 foot antenna on the top of my SUV.

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clubguy
08-23-2015, 12:34 AM
Here are photos of the top of my vehicle and the space between the roof of the vehicle and the ceiling in the garage. not a lot of clearance. I'd estimate the clearance at 3 feet.190719081909

222DBFL
08-23-2015, 08:36 AM
Now I see your issue, ridges in the roof. How big Are the ridges across? More than 2"? If they are smaller than that exactly how far apart are they. May have to go with either 2" breedlove mount or the sirio mount. The sirio mount should work fine as stated earlier in the thread. The breedlove mount is just way more robust and made well. But sometines you gotta go with what works. Get a measurement between your ridge that runs down center. There Are different mounts and you may have to search for one. Ill post some pics of What my old breedlove brass quick disconnect mount looks like soon

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222DBFL
08-23-2015, 08:51 AM
The top comes off mount. Also I fabricated some of the pieces like the black insulator and I use the plate shown on underside of vehicle roof. But the new ones obviously have their own insulator and such. Anyway again hope some of this helps. Have a great day.

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clubguy
08-26-2015, 10:54 PM
The grooves are 6 inches apart and each groove is 1.5 inches wide at their base as they are beveled

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222DBFL
08-26-2015, 11:06 PM
Okay, then the sirio mount May be the way to go. Check the diameter of them. The sirio hard mount for the sirio antennas. I checked and the sirio mount is 41mm (1.6"). So this one will work.1910

clubguy
08-26-2015, 11:16 PM
Put it on the groove like the existing gps antenna?

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222DBFL
08-26-2015, 11:21 PM
The sirio one might work. You have a tough roof to mount onto. May need to go toward the front of the roof of vehicle just beyond the ridges. Just re-reading your measurements 1.6" is a bit big. Sorry thought we might have one that might work. For some reason I can't see your truck now. Check around on the roof near the front for a flat spot that is as far back as possible to the ridges. Ran into this same issue myself on a Nissan NV work van. And now I see your sunroof. How much room left in front of the GPS antenna? Is there enough to get the sirio mount there? Other than this you don't seem to have room for a proper mount. Hard roof to work with. Let me look aroibd and see what I can come up with. Someone has to make a mount or something that will work. Might have to use a quad magnet mount that will fit across the ridges and grab. I know mag mount isnt mait. free but it will work. Again let me look around. Might be able to find something like the mount I have with a small top washer and large bottom plate to support the weight. Will update when I find what will work for you.

clubguy
08-26-2015, 11:37 PM
On another forum there is an antenna discussion and a guy is recommending Larsen NMO-27 mount with a whip of 42 inches. With an NMO, it is easy to remove when needed and can be replaced if it gets damaged from hitting trees.

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222DBFL
08-27-2015, 05:09 AM
A 42" antenna is about as good as a dummy load or like a coat hanger. You won't talk more than a couples miles if that. 42" is a 3ft 6" whip. No way physically can it work even remotely close to what the sirio or even the Wilson 5000's can. Yes an NMO mount could possibly be used if it's not larger than the 1.5" as to fit into a ridge on center of vehicle. If you want to talk any distance an antenna of at least 5+ ft is what you need. Remember a 1/4 wave cb antenna is 108". That is just about 3 times the size of what you are talking about. And I understand all about hitting trees and such. My last setup was at 9ft at the roof on an Nissan NV high back work van. I used a sirio 5000 and the PL145 mag mount. Replaced coax with LMR240. At the tip it was about 15.5ft. It hit everything and it would bend the tip a bit. It bends right back into place no issues. If you're not going to be this high then you need not worry too much about smacking limbs and such. I hit just about everything you can think of. But boy did it talk. I was able to hold conversation while doing 75mph for over 40 miles no problem on SSB. I talked more dx in that van than on my base setup. And my base isn't a slouch. Icom 746, sirio tornado antenna, DC grounded properly, dipole at 25ft, a long wire for 144mhz vhf as well. I am only speaking from experience when it comes to antenna length. I started with a Wilson 500. It was 3ft tall. I quickly replaced it with a k40, from there was a Wilson 5000 and then the sirio performer. The sirio antenna worked the best as it was the tallest antenna. Also NMO mounts aren't rated for more than s couple hundred watts. Not sure if you ever want to use an amp but I would not with an NMO. Your antenna is what is going to determine how well your radio works. Don't skimp out in this area. Even if you don't go with a sirio, if you're wanting to just talk to other truckers close to you on channel 19 then yes the NMO mount and the 42" antenna will let you do that. But beyond that, no way!! Like I said, height is might when it comes to getting your signal out and receiving signals as well. It's all about what you are wanting to do with it and if you are planning on getting back into cb or not. AM is not really active much other than the big 3, channel 6, 11, & 28. Sometimes you'll hear guys on 20, but most locals don't run am much anymore. SSB is popular though. Also not many truckers using cb radios these days either. You may find this out when trying to get a radio check depending on where you are located. Like I said, I've no clue how serious you are about all of this but why drill a hole for a 42" antenna that is only going to talk maybe 2-3 miles tops on a great day. If the dx is rolling on channel 19 might as well turn off the radio, you won't get heard much if you aren't right on top of the other station or you get very lucky and get a dx contact. And I mean very lucky. This is JMHO. If you plan to get back into the radio thing, find a good SSB radio. The uniden 980 is 107 dollars new on Amazon. Great little radios and are AM/SSB. Have weather as well. And get the tallest antenna you can and best mount you can as well as coax and connectors. This will ensure you are able to talk a few more miles even on AM. And you can make SSB contacts on 12 watts when the conditions are decent. Not saying it can't be done on 4 watts AM, but just less likely IMO. Hope this helps and whatever you decide have fun with. Have a good one.

clubguy
08-28-2015, 06:55 AM
OK I'll get the Sirio 5000 Performer. I was just looking for something that would be short enough to fit in the garage without a lot of hassle but in the end, performance is the price. I just need to know if it should be mounted in the groove of the roof or on the 6' wide flat portion (as close to center as possible). I've messaged the admin asking him what happened to the pictures we posted...they have turned into links which are dead.

222DBFL
08-28-2015, 07:31 PM
You may have to check some different mounts out. You want Antenna to be dead center like the GPS One at the rear. How much room from front of roof to ridges and it is flat? Could use that area if it's flat. As long as you have a decent amount of metal under the antenna. Going off center you can do but will look funny IMO. Might try the sirio mount and shave it down a bit and add some bracing on the underside. That or go toward front of roof.

clubguy
08-28-2015, 08:45 PM
Those grooves run all the way up to the sunroof which starts at the back of the drivers seat.

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222DBFL
08-29-2015, 09:58 AM
You may have to custom make a mount for that roof. Or contact Breedlove and ask if there are any mounts made that will work. They should have an answer. Im stumped for a mount to keep it center of vehicle. Only other thing I can think of is a quad mag mount. But they require mait. Occasionally.

clubguy
09-06-2015, 08:09 AM
Have you seen the K9000TM Motorized Mount? http://www.diamondantenna.net/k9000tm.html

222DBFL
09-06-2015, 01:53 PM
You can only place a 45" antenna on it. That is less than 4ft. Not very efficient. For 11 meter cb band you need about 108" total for an antenna. A base coil antenna like the sirio performer uses a wire coil to make up the difference from its 6.5ft to 108". The shorter the antenna the less rx/tx capabilities will be. So get as tall an antenna as possible. Physically tall not with the aid of the motor you posted as you need a no ground plane type antenna and it can only be 45" tall max. Again not very efficient and will not make up for real physical length of antenna. Like I said at cb band your antenna needs to be about 108" for a 1/4 wave mobile antenna. A lot run 102" whips with a 5-6" spring and ball mount. The sirio is about the next best thing I've used that is not a large coil type antenna at 8ft tall. Your ridges on the top of the truck are bad for mounting an antenna unless they make a mount specifically for that. You might call one of the manufactures like Breedlove and see what they say. They might have something that will work for your setup. Maybe a 4 hole mount that can be offset mounted and get the middle of mount in middle of ridge. Again, just trying to think of ways to help.

clubguy
09-07-2015, 12:47 PM
I'm trying to figure out how to mount a Sirio 5000 Turbo and be able to reach it so I can lower it every time I pull into my garage. If I have to open the back door, climb up on the seat and reach the antenna twice a day especially in the winter, it's going to suck. There has to be a way for me to reach this thing a little easier. The SUV is approximatley 6'2" off the ground and if it is mounted in the middle of the roof, it will be quite a reach to lower it

222DBFL
09-07-2015, 02:55 PM
I wouldn't mount it in center. Mount it about 18" off of rear of roof. This way it's not too hard to get to and most antennas seem to tune better more front or back rather then dead center. If you can get it to 12" off the rear of roof that is about the closest I would go. Maury going toward the back you may notice a bit of directional ability. Facing forward with the antenna at the back will send your signal out the front better then the rear. Same goes for the front if mounted there the rear will be a stronger signal in/out. Not much but it may be noticeable some. Where I had my antenna mounted on a 4 door Jeep Cherokee was about 12"-18" off the rear of roof. It was a talker out of the front man. The back wasn't bad just not as good as the front. Side to side didn't make any difference as it was still center of truck side to side.

222DBFL
09-07-2015, 02:56 PM
It's not gonna be easy, but I promise you that you won't be sorry you got a taller antenna than 3-4ft. JMHO.