Nmo antenna on a toolbox

[bigcountry78]

I was going to mount a cb antenna on my toolbox, but I’ve decided to just use a scanner instead. My question is, how critical is the ground plane for a scanner antenna? I have a steel gull wing toolbox, so I have a nice square steel plate in the middle. My plan is to mount a Larsen Tri band antenna on an nmo mount in the center of the box. Will this work satisfactory? I know the roof is the ideal place, and I may end up doing a roof mount. But the toolbox mount would give me better clearance for tree limbs and the like.

 

[w9cll]

It will work

 

[BJ radionut]

BC78: It should work fine...If the toolbox is grounded to bed. Some of those boxes use rubber gaskets between bed and box to keep from beating up the bed-rail or the bed has a liner sprayed or installed...which makes a great insulator. Even if it does not, the box clamps just hold toolbox to the bed-rail lip and of course those are painted...so no good ground. I ran a ground strap from toolbox to bed and the frame of the toolbox to solve this. Then all worked well.
All the Best
Gary

 

[bigcountry78]

Is all that bonding necessary for a receive only antenna? I know it is for one that transmits, but is swr all that critical just to receive signals?

 

[w9cll]

Is all that bonding necessary for a receive only antenna? I know it is for one that transmits, but is swr all that critical just to receive signals?

No not really, it can help but not needed

 

[Rwb]

Helps reduce static n white noise