Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Hi Guys

Which is the best position (best all-round RX/TX range) to mount a 29MHz radio antenna taking into account that I will be fitting a RR for overland trips. Would love to be able to remove the antenna when not overlanding and actually I am a bit loath to drill holes.

Bit of a Chinese puzzle aint it?

Why not use a magnetic mount?

I have been testing one supplied by Eric Skeen from Klerksdorp (Family_Dog on the 4x4Community forum) and it works quite well.

I have it mounted just in front of my RTT, get 4-5km range with it, but my real install is drilled and permanently installed (& properly tuned) on the B-Pillar, have had 8km from that.

Thanks DougN, but at the risk of sounding utterly stupid, please explain RTT and which is the B-Pillar as opposed to the A- and C-Pillar?

How do you tune a 29MHz antenna?

Thanks once again!

George

RTT = roof top tent.

If you don't want a permanent mount (i.e holes then you) can look at a magnetic mount but I think, on the Pajero the best place to mount any radio antenna is on the pillar either side of the back door.

The antenna can be removed from the base when not in use.

Thanks Simon

Looks like I'm gonna have to drill then. I understand that the magnetic mount is not ideal, especially for 29MHz.

Thank you!

PS. How does a gutter mount for antenna work? I suppose then the cable will have to go through an open window otherwise you have drill anyway?

George

I personally would not want to use a gutter mount - earthing is always an issue and then you still have cable routing problems.

My antenna is actually installed on the opposite side to the the radio antenna - this was after wanting to put it on the RHS rear pillar, but could not see how I could do it. Retrospectively it would have been really easy. IF I ever get a VHF I will move the 29 to the rear door pillar and use the existing antenna for the VHF.

Eric, that begs the question, is the fender mounting suitable for VHF?

tuning the antenna is done by connecting up an swr meter and then measuring the reflected power, you phisically trim the antenna for maximum performance.

I have a double cab ranger and the antennae is installed at the top of the pillar behind the back door.

Eric, that begs the question, is the fender mounting suitable for VHF?

Not recommended, but sometimes unavoidable. Bear in mind that since ORRA obtained the second VHF frequency my preference is now for a quarter-wave antenna rather than a 5/8 one such as the Zar130. I now suggest the Zara60 which resembles a Zara130 but the coil on which the whip is mounted is replaced by a shockspring and the whip itself is trimmed appropriately to a frequency midway between the two VHF frequencies. This allows the two frequencies to fall within spec of the quarterwave antenna, which are otherwise out of spec with the longer 5/8 antenna.

If one could mount the antenna on the roof, then I have other antennas which are made for this purpose and work extremely well. Refer the right-hand pic below - this is the one I personally use.

Back to your question - the quarterwave antenna's whip length is only around 420mm and would barely poke over the roof of a vehicle which therefore offers a signal restriction to the antenna.

-F_D