Where to mount 4' FireStik on Bronco II

[85_Ranger4x4]

Spare tire carrier?

 

[4x4junkie]

I have to agree, there are better antennas out there than a Firestik (almost any other antenna is much lighter weight for one thing, less stress on the mount).

I have a 66" Francis Hot Rod CB-26 on a triple magnet mount on the roof of mine. Excellent range. Only thing that would be better is a 102" whip, however the height of that starts to get a bit too impractical (I have a spring on mine so when it does hit something such as a low branch or drive-thru overhang, it can flex harmlessly out of the way).

http://www.amazon.com/Francis-300-CB26B-Black-5-5-Antenna/dp/B007QXLS82?tag=959media-20

http://www.amazon.com/269-TRIPLE-MAGNET-ANTENNA-MOUNT-/dp/B0053GIUQC?tag=959media-20

http://www.amazon.com/Firestik-SS-3H-Stainless-Antenna-Spring/dp/B00042LC9M?tag=959media-20

Here's a pic (one of the few I have that the mag mount is (sortof) visible in)

 

[ireallydontcare]

Well after reading all this I've decided to run a wilson little wil. I like to idea of a mag mount and at the moment I don't have the money to spend on something more expensive, but I will definitely upgrade from it.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Spare tire carrier?

Towel rack spare tire carrier? I like it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Towel rack spare tire carrier? I like it.

Just an idea, when I built my carrier I threw a tab on it to mount an antenna.

You can barely see it behind the actual spare tire mount. There is another one on the other side for a off road flag.



I know BII carriers are different (that is where I got the bracket that holds the tire) but welding or clamping a tab isn't really rocket science.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you decide to hard mount later on, the ideal, all around location for an antenna is the middle of the roof.

Since height can be an issue, mounting on the back of the vehicle is the next best. Not on the bumper though due to grounding and continuity issues. Mounting to the spare tire carrier can be a similar issue. This is if you are using the vehicle as your grounding plain. Also, location is going to focus the beam in the opposite direction.

So, if mounted on the right, rear, the strongest transmission and receive signal is going to be to the left, front. Great for highway travel.

The antenna also needs to rise above the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from acting like a shield and causing a blind spot. What that height is, I can’t say since I went with a stainless steel whip.

I would do some research to figure that out so you can get the best performance out of what mounting options you have available.

I believe there is a mounting bracket that you can use that bolts to the tailgate hinge. It might take some research to find the right bracket. Best performance tends to be something that bolts right to the body sheet metal.

 

[4x4junkie]

The antenna also needs to rise above the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from acting like a shield and causing a blind spot. What that height is, I can’t say since I went with a stainless steel whip.

It's approximately 60-70% of the antenna's total length that needs to be above the vehicle body. Additionally, the antenna used should be a center or top-loaded type, or a full length 102" whip (base-loaded antennas are more adversely affected if the entire antenna isn't above the vehicle body).

Finally, any antenna used in such instance should be a minimum overall length of 5'.
(Really, any antenna you use regardless of how it's mounted should be a minimum 5' tall if you value performance at all... Antennas shorter than about 4.5' have very high resistive losses, meaning most of your transmitting energy gets lost as heat in the antenna's loading coil).