Any amateur radio operators here?

[Ghost10]

Looking to install a NMO on the roof.
I have been using this setup for several months but would rather have a real feedline from the roof. Since I am a one man show and don't know anywhere to go to have it done, I decided dropping the whole headliner would be a real PITA for me, and have been thinking a NMO could go here? It's the rear side of the sunroof opening. Theirs room for me to stick my tiny hand and install a NMO there.

Watcha think?

This is what I have right now:

 

[RedInCo]

Ham with a 2010 Yukon Denali here. I have not done a permanent antenna install.

So you are thinking to have the coax enter the cabin at the edge of the sunroof trim, and run it over to a pillar, with it visible? That is certainly easier than dropping the headliner.

 

[Ghost10]

Current antenna pic did not upload

Ham with a 2010 Yukon Denali here. I have not done a permanent antenna install.

So you are thinking to have the coax enter the cabin at the edge of the sunroof trim, and run it over to a pillar, with it visible? That is certainly easier than dropping the headliner.

pretty much what I plan to do is, remove passenger sun visor, "oh shit" handle pull down that quarter of the headliner down and mount the NMO between sun roof and passenger window.

BTW I have a 18 Tahoe and the backdoor / hatch, I assume it's aluminum but with a continuity meter it is not what I would want to have a antenna mounted to.

My current radios are a XTL5K T Band and a APX8000 HT

I recommend to buy the proclipusa stuff for the truck vs holes everywhere lol

 

[iLikeEggs]

I have a 2011 police Tahoe. It came with two NMO mounts already on the roof but I had to replace them. Once I pulled the rear overhead light from the headliner I had decent access to reinstall the NMO mounts and run coax where I had to. Yours may be a similar situation.

 

[Solace]

You can get a fender mount NMO if you don't want to drill your roof. If you do wish to drill your roof, your best bet would be to find a local emergency vehicle upfit shop near you to have it done.

 

[Fless]

When I did radio work in another life I used a 3/4" knockout punch that worked great for the NMO mounts.

 

[iLikeEggs]

You can get a fender mount NMO if you don't want to drill your roof. If you do wish to drill your roof, your best bet would be to find a local emergency vehicle upfit shop near you to have it done.

I picked up my fender NMO mount from Ham Radio Outlet. You can get them from Amazon and ebay too.

 

[Ghost10]

I have a 2011 police Tahoe. It came with two NMO mounts already on the roof but I had to replace them. Once I pulled the rear overhead light from the headliner I had decent access to reinstall the NMO mounts and run coax where I had to. Yours may be a similar situation.

I have a tv on the roof in between the front seat and midrow
Don't see screws to remove it

 

[Ghost10]

I picked up my fender NMO mount from Ham Radio Outlet. You can get them from Amazon and ebay too.

View attachment 359099

I still haven't had time to drop the headliner and install a nmo. I did do a half asleep purchase on Amazon for a fender mount lol my only gripe is that it mounts way towards the front end of the truck and not closer to the firewall where there is a hole from the factory

May I ask how you ran the coax into the cab from the fender mount ?

 

[Synchros]

I did the same (fender mount, passenger side). I'll see about getting some pictures. Also put dedicated power to the fuse box.

This is in a 2018 Yukon XL Denali.

 

[Ghost10]

I picked up my fender NMO mount from Ham Radio Outlet. You can get them from Amazon and ebay too.

View attachment 359099

Here’s how I mounted my comet fender mount. Inbetween the driver door and fender

 

[iLikeEggs]

Here’s how I mounted my comet fender mount. Inbetween the driver door and fender

That's pretty slick. Nicely done!

 

[GranPrix]

easiest way is through the dome light. pull it down and you have access to the roof.

 

[Sparksalot]

easiest way is through the dome light. pull it down and you have access to the roof.

Pretty much what looks like happened with thethirdtwin. There was a cell booster installed when I bought it. NMO mount and RG58, so good to go.

 

[Synchros]

This is how my 2018 Yukon XL is configured. The mount is a Comet CV2ANTNCG (https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cv2antncg). I already had several of the Larsen NMO mounts. I do want to add a ground strap to the mount.
I have cut a few sections of clear PPF to protect the paint where the mount could potentially rub. Performance has been satisfactory. I'm too often traveling with a Yakima-branded photon torpedo on the roof to have a roof-mounted antenna, though I'd much prefer that. I do have power directly fed to the radio from the internal drivers-side fusebox.

Happy to answer any questions about it. 73!

 

[iLikeEggs]

This is how my 2018 Yukon XL is configured. The mount is a Comet CV2ANTNCG (https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cv2antncg). I already had several of the Larsen NMO mounts. I do want to add a ground strap to the mount.
I have cut a few sections of clear PPF to protect the paint where the mount could potentially rub. Performance has been satisfactory. I'm too often traveling with a Yakima-branded photon torpedo on the roof to have a roof-mounted antenna, though I'd much prefer that. I do have power directly fed to the radio from the internal drivers-side fusebox.

Happy to answer any questions about it. 73!

View attachment 387494View attachment 387495

I would power the radio directly from the battery. Its easy enough to snake through somewhere on the firewall. Just run your fuse in line. Sweet set up though!

 

[GeroniMoe]

This is how my 2018 Yukon XL is configured. The mount is a Comet CV2ANTNCG (https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/cma-cv2antncg). I already had several of the Larsen NMO mounts. I do want to add a ground strap to the mount.
I have cut a few sections of clear PPF to protect the paint where the mount could potentially rub. Performance has been satisfactory. I'm too often traveling with a Yakima-branded photon torpedo on the roof to have a roof-mounted antenna, though I'd much prefer that. I do have power directly fed to the radio from the internal drivers-side fusebox.

Happy to answer any questions about it. 73!

Looks like you have that installed on the passenger side. All of the info I can find on that mount specifies it can "only" go on the driver side (which didn't make any sense to me) - any insight on that?

Thanks!
- Scott (W2EMT)

 

[Synchros]

Looks like you have that installed on the passenger side. All of the info I can find on that mount specifies it can "only" go on the driver side (which didn't make any sense to me) - any insight on that?

Thanks!
- Scott (W2EMT)

Sorry for the delay!

I didn't want to put it so much in my field of view. It didn't seem out of the ordinary to put it where I did. It continues to operate just fine, in my experience. My VNA approves of it.

 

[iLikeEggs]

I put mine on the drivers side mostly because of the shorter coax run. It's not that much shorter really but I don't see why it can't go on either side. Just personal preference. The fender is a better bet for a decent antenna though. Number one, you can get a fairly full sized dual band on there. (mine is an MFJ-1422). Number two, anything beyond a stubby on the roof will likely hit things. I have two NMO Mounts up top and had a 16" Tram up there. One day it took a hit in parking garage and slightly bent the roof a bit. That's when I went fender mount. Now I just have a stubby up top for GMRS.