102 inch whip antenna

[T.Bone]

102 inch whip antenna which I have mounted on the back of my Humvee with an aluminum plate which I cut to fit the cupholders style antenna bracket now keep in mind that I know almost 0 about radios and electronics so things like ground planes and other technical jargon go right over top of my head what I need to know is do I need to run a separate grounding strap from the antenna to the frame to make it work and do I have to mount that to the plate that I have fabricated or the bottom of the antenna or not at all? Any help and advice would be appreciated just remember to keep it simple because I am simple
Thanks
T-bone

 

[fpchief]

Absolutley run an extra ground. Here is a couple pics of what I am doing...did this today. One side will have a 2m/70cm non grounded antenna and on other side will be a 102" whip grounded to frame or battery (braided ground cable) trimmed down for 10m.

On the whip side, will use a CB antenna stud and a spring base.

 

[T.Bone]

Absolutley run an extra ground. Here is a couple pics of what I am doing...did this today. One side will have a 2m/70cm non grounded antenna and on other side will be a 102" whip grounded to frame or battery (braided ground cable) trimmed down for 10m.

On the whip side, will use a CB antenna stud and a spring base.

This is the set up I’m using it sounds very similar and looks similar to what you have do I attach the ground wire to the antenna base nut or to one of the nuts and bolts that are used to screw down my attachment plate?
Thanks
T bone

 

[fpchief]

If you have good contact between them then no you dont have to run a ground between each. Make sure no painted surface is stopping a good ground. Then, I think best thing is to run a braided ground from either the antenna base or the mount directly to frame or battery. I know just about enough of this to get in trouble so maybe someone that knows more will give more advice.

 

[fpchief]

Make sure you check your SWR after Install. 90% of all whips you see out there have never been tuned.

 

[Milcommoguy]

The grounding of metal to metal, remove paint / coatings at contact points where the bolts hold the parts together.

1 to provide a Direct Connection as in a DC circuit, metal to metal connection to body to bracket to your custom plate which is the shield of the coax.

2 Bonding fancy grounding term (loosely interchangeable) BUT important in the case of Radio Frequencies RF. To assure a connection of minimal resistance to RF which is AC.

All important. Star washer, use of a bonding brush (basically fancy round wire brush) just make a clean metal to metal connection, seal over to keep moisture / gases out, Bonding braided connection tie's it all together. All of this metal to metal is the reflector or the other half of your antenna system. Since one can't have a real earth ground the body is the best ya got. My truck has six RF bonding straps...But then that's what we do. Bear with radios aviator LOL.

Make sure the coax / shield is well made up to the base of antenna. This is your RF return to the radio.

Wouldn't hurt to do the same at the radio end. Check SWR, But don't get all crazy with trying for a 1:1 match. Just check to know most RF is going in the right direction.

Doing both is doing it right, CAMO.

 

[Crapgame]

Yeah, the TB installation instructions tell you to wire brush or sand away about a nickel or dime-sized area around the bolt holes on the outside of the wheelhouses, brush the paint off externally dimpled bolt points on the antenna mount itself, then apply dielectric grease between the antenna mount and the wheelhouse BEFORE you bolt the two parts together using Internal/External Toothed Lock washers on the mounts and inside the wheelhouses. Then a grounding strap between one of the 4 bolts securing the antenna base to the mount, then that strap to one of the 3 bolts securing the mount to the wheelhouse.

 

[T.Bone]

Yeah, the TB installation instructions tell you to wire brush or sand away about a nickel or dime-sized area around the bolt holes on the outside of the wheelhouses, brush the paint off externally dimpled bolt points on the antenna mount itself, then apply dielectric grease between the antenna mount and the wheelhouse BEFORE you bolt the two parts together using Internal/External Toothed Lock washers on the mounts and inside the wheelhouses. Then a grounding strap between one of the 4 bolts securing the antenna base to the mount, then that strap to one of the 3 bolts securing the mount to the wheelhouse.
View attachment 818112

Wheelhouse?

 

[fpchief]

And in the good nature of is MV'rs making stuff work, I took a $85 trunk lid mount and cut it up and drilled holes in it. Toothed washers are on both sides of each bolt holding down the piece of aluminum repurposed from the S280 shelter and on the hmmwv antenna mount to body.

 

[Crapgame]

Wheelhouse?

AKA Rear Fender Housings, nothing to do with guitars.

 

[Milcommoguy]

Wheelhouse. The place where wheels live.

Dog house. The one I am in most of the time, CAMO

 

[nattieleather]

It will not hurt to run a grounding wire from the antenna base to the frame of the vehicles. MV bodies are known to have poor grounding so adding an extra ground in will not hurt the radio or the electrical system of the vehicle and may even improve your lighting system.