Toggle sidebar Toggle 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 Winner has been selected for the 2025 Radioddity Cyber Monday giveaway! Click Here to see who won!

Mounting antenna bracket to pickup

codeman

codeman

Recovering Crackerhead
Jul 10, 2011
861
1,679
153
I have been using a Wilson 1000 mag mount on my pickup, which works fine. However it is too tall for my carport. I want to use a 4 or 5 foot top loaded fiberglass antenna. I have an aluminum toolbox, would it be ok to just use one of the antenna brackets made for mirrors on semis? I could drill the holes and use some good nuts and bolts to secure it. Would the paint cause any problems as far as getting a good ground. Thanks.
 

I run a 102 on my tool box no problem at all........... Box is bolted to bed of truck Mount bolted to tool box. no issues at all..
 
  • Like
Reactions: codeman
Ok, I may give that a try and see how it works. I had bought a bracket to mount to my toolbox a few months ago but for some reason (laziness) i havent installed it yet.
 
Fixed mount on roof, use an antenna with a thin stainless steel whip such as a Sirio 4000 and just let that sucker bend when you drive in the garage. The issue you have with your current antenna is entirely down to using a magmount. Had you used a fixed mounted Wilson then it would be no issue.

As you can see I don't care and I've had no problems. I've been doing this with whips on antennas for years but I've never used magmounts. I even coiled one up in a suitcase once when I went on holiday and it came out and pinged back straight even after 24hrs being in there.

l2NJxILm.jpg


Please for the love of god if you're going to use a toolbox bond it to the bed and bond the bed to the chassis otherwise you end up with a ground plane that is only the size of the lid of your toolbox despite what your DC ohm meter tells you.

http://k0bg.com/bonding.html
 
Thanks for the reply, but I am going with the mount on the toolbox.i will though bond it as suggested. I don't use the radio in my pickup too much. Just want a radio in there to get some traffic reports, listen to the weather and and talk a little dx.
 
Just an update, I got the antenna mounted on my toolbox which is bolted to the bed and I get damn near flat swrs on 19. Channel 1 and 40 are a little higher then I like about 1.75 on the Radio Shack meter. I made contacts on side band to base stations 40 and 30 miles from me using a barefoot Uniden 980. My next step will be to bond the bed to the frame and bond ny exhaust as well.

I had the antenna swrs flat on 38, but figured I would set it to be flat on 19. This is a cheap truckstop 4' antenna that I bought in a pinch and it has served me well on the semi I drive. I think I will try one if those 5' skipshooter antennas and see how it performs.

One other thing this setup really pulls in the NOAA weather frequencies quite nicely.
 
Last edited:
undertaker said:
Great to hear that!!!!
Click to expand...

To change the subject, which radio do you prefer the Magnum 1 or the Anytone 6666. I believe you have both. Thinking about getting the Magnum myself, but not sure yet. I've read the Anytone is nice but can get rather warm.
 
Last edited:
I'm sure it would work really well, however my toolbox is up against the front of the bed and I know mounting it in the rear of the bed would not give satisfactory results.
 
I really like the magnum 1 made many contacts with that radio.
Just got the anytone installed in my truck. No contacts as of yet..
 
  • Like
Reactions: codeman

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


      Top Bottom