Antenna Location

I'm in the middle of putting in my two-way radio and trying to figure out a good location for the antenna. The best place i see is mount it on the back top, where it comes down and it would only leave about 3-4" sticking up, it's only 6" long.

Has anyone had any trouble with them bending or breaking from hitting limbs and such? The antenna doesn't seem to have a whole lot of flex and bend in it and i'd really had to mess it up too quickly.

That is were mine was located and yes I had all kinds of problems until it finally broke. On the ranger I mounted it behind the seat on the cross bar this time.

Mine is on the back of the top. No problems with it.

Here are some some pics of mine.

I'll probably put it up on the top and see how well it does up there.

The guy that i bought my radio from said to mount as high possible but i was afraid to mount it on the top so i welded a tab on the rear bar about four inches below the roof line.So far so good,works fine.He also said to ground the base really good to the frame or roll bar to keep the static down.

I wonder if I should scrape the power coating off? Maybe run a ground wire to it? I'll look at it in the morning.

I took an electrical junction box cover, bent at a 90 for a short lip and mounted it to the back of the roll cage where there is a hole already there. Long screw lock washer and nut through the hole in the cover.

My antenna base is magnetic works like a charm. I have the plate mounted in such a way the antenna sticks out at 45 degrees or so and the top of the antenna is even with the roof. In 1700 miles not one issue with tree limbs etc.. and have tested to 4 miles.

Mine is mouned behind the drivers side. The top of the antenna is flush with the top of the roof. I just mounted mine to the back window and ran ground wire to the cage. IMO I wouldnt' mount it sticking above your roof. I scrape my roof go under stuff all the time..

Here you go. I had a picture of mine and my wives on my phone. I had a buddy ask me this exact question when he got his so I sent him some pics
Black LE

Silver RZR S

My radio should be here by the weekend where you guys get your antenna's?Can you all send me link?

Mine came from theAntennafarm.com. They have Tons of them.. The antenna was around 7 bucks but the cable and mount was about 20

That where mine came from also, it took about a week for it to come in. It only took 2 days for my radio to come in from alaska.

8ball_99 wrote:

Mine is mouned behind the drivers side. The top of the antenna is flush with the top of the roof. I just mounted mine to the back window and ran ground wire to the cage. IMO I wouldnt' mount it sticking above your roof. I scrape my roof go under stuff all the time..

These antenna are line of sight from what I understand. That is why I mounted mine with the tip above the roof.

Big-R wrote:

8ball_99 wrote:

Mine is mouned behind the drivers side. The top of the antenna is flush with the top of the roof. I just mounted mine to the back window and ran ground wire to the cage. IMO I wouldnt' mount it sticking above your roof. I scrape my roof go under stuff all the time..

These antenna are line of sight from what I understand. That is why I mounted mine with the tip above the roof.

They probably do pick up a little better above the roof, But even while mounting mine I had tree bark stuck under the bolts of my roof lol.. My roof hits tree limbs constantly around here. I figured a broke antenna was worse then less then ideal location

Ok, so i've got it installed and hooked up and all and i've noticed that when I hit the talk button on the mic the antenna will get hot. Let off the button and the temp goes back down just as quick. Is this normal does anyone know? I've double checked and there isn't a short or anything on or around the antenna so I'm guessing that it is probably normal. Any thoughts on this?

Its normal. Do you have it grounded to the cage?

I bolted it straight to the aluminum roof. I'm not getting anykind of interference or anything on it. I'm still thinking about running a wire on one of the bolts straight to a ground though to make sure.

Glad that heat is normal, I thought it could be possibly.

It's normal.A neat trick take a floresent bulb put to the antenna key the mike it will light up the bulb.

8ball_99 wrote:

......, But even while mounting mine I had tree bark stuck under the bolts of my roof lol.. My roof hits tree limbs constantly around here......

Your roof hits trees I did not know the roof could drive. Sounds like you should be doing the driving and maybe less trees would be hit......

If its connected to a roof mounted using rubber coated clamps.. you do not have a good ground, or ground plane. You are probably going to have high SWR issues, and reduced range, and lower the life of the radio.

Your antenna needs to have a good ground to be effective.. you could probably partially solve that by running a copper ground strap from the roll bar to the roof.

I connected my using a 90 bracket screwed into the roll bar support support bracket

If the radio is getting hot I would worry.. if its just the antenna I would make sure its rated for the power of the radio. You might want to have someone with a meter test your SWR.