What that tool box is made from makes no difference as long as it's metal. Plastic tool boxes don't work worth a hoot.
Propagation is 'Momma Nature's business, nothing you do is going to affect that much at all. And while where you place an antenna on a truck/car/whatever will have some affect on it's radiation pattern, that affect isn't going to be earth shattering in most cases. A lot of people have antennas on tool boxes and they work just dandy. As long as that box is connected to the truck it should do fine. That usually amounts to a couple of bolts and maybe a lock-wash or two (and making sure the truck bed is also connected to the rest of the vehicle electrically). In general, antennas would rather be on top of metal than beside metal and they don't like being under metal. You also have to be practical. Meaning that there are instances where you just can't put an antenna on 'top'. So, you do what you can...
- 'Doc
Propagation is 'Momma Nature's business, nothing you do is going to affect that much at all. And while where you place an antenna on a truck/car/whatever will have some affect on it's radiation pattern, that affect isn't going to be earth shattering in most cases. A lot of people have antennas on tool boxes and they work just dandy. As long as that box is connected to the truck it should do fine. That usually amounts to a couple of bolts and maybe a lock-wash or two (and making sure the truck bed is also connected to the rest of the vehicle electrically). In general, antennas would rather be on top of metal than beside metal and they don't like being under metal. You also have to be practical. Meaning that there are instances where you just can't put an antenna on 'top'. So, you do what you can...
- 'Doc
