The ground isn’t just about grass

August 26, 2008     |     posted by admin



Grounding an antenna installation is quite important. Especially when it’s mobile. My first attempt at permi-mounting an nmo based antenna wasn’t the best due to a dodgy grounding system. I went and modified the original design. What you see is the silicone sealant on the outside to keep water out and the bottom of the mount.

What you may not see is that the bottom is elaborate. I first polished the roof of the truck to remove any pant or anything else that could prevent grounding contact. I have a small washer with “teeth” that gets up and close with the roof. For added support and grounding contact, I polished off a steel washer and put that under the previous washer along with some corrosion protector/contact cleaner for a little extra electrical contact. I then have a nut to hold it all together with a tight pressure fit with the roof of the truck. I laced the top of the truck around the antenna mount with a generous helping of silicone sealant. Less would be just fine, and you could smooth it out to make it look more appealing, but I like the Red Green (old tv series) or indistrual look. If my truck ever goes under water, the antenna will be the last thing to leak ;-)

My first attempt at this yielded a lot of static from a poorly designed ground system. This time I went all out and couldn’t be happier. I get a Q-5 from a HUGE radius on only 5 watts. Remember that grounding your antenna is important, especially with a mobile setup.

 

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