Choosing the right mobile vehicle antenna is crucial to successful communication. It’s very common for radio users to select the wrong antenna for their needs resulting in poor communication. But with the right education, you can be confident you’re choosing the right vehicle antenna.
We’re not going to get into too much of the technical side of vehicle antennas, but we will explain the basics of what you need to know when selecting a mobile antenna and the mount to go with it.
Here are the topics we’ll cover that you should know when selecting an antenna
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Frequency
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Types
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Gain
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Types of Vehicle Mounts
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Positioning
Frequency
The first thing to consider is to find an antenna that operates on your frequencies. You need to make sure the antenna covers the frequency you are using, or it won’t work.
Let’s take a VHF radio as an example. A VHF radio has an operating range of 136-174 Mhz. In the example provided by Antenna Farm, if your VHF radio transmits on a 152.2500 MHz you’ll want to be sure your antenna is made for transmitting on that frequency. So an antenna with a range of 144-147 Mhz would work because it covers your frequency of 152.2500 Mhz.
Antennas are covered in various frequencies including
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VHF
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UHF
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700/800/900
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Multiband
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Ham Radio
VHF (Very High Frequency) at 136-174 MHz
VHF Antennas are best suited for outdoor applications where the maximum range is required with little to no obstructions and typically used for rural two-way radio systems.
UHF (Ultra High Frequency) at 403-470 MHz
UHF Antennas are best suited for indoor applications or environments with obstructions and typically used for the city two-way radio systems.
700/800/900 MHz Frequency
700/800 antennas are best suited for organizations that need excellent in-building coverage. This band is typically used by public safety in compliance with P25 devices, reserved for police, firefighters, and EMS.
Multi-band Mobile Antenna
Multiband mobile antennas are used for 3G/4G (LTE), Wifi, GPS, ISM and other technologies. These antennas operate on multiple frequencies.
Ham Radio Antenna Frequency range 1.8 MHz to 440 MHz.
Best suited for ham radio/ amateur radio users and range within 1.8 Mhz to 440 Mhz.
Types of Vehicle Antennas
Whip Antennas
Flexible metal rod monopole antenna mounted vertically via an NMO mount. These whips come in all variety of lengths and are easy to install.
GPS Antennas
These are mounted on the roof of a vehicle to help provide route planning and tracking.
Shark Fin
Shark fin antennas are sleek looking and get their name because they look like shark fins. These are found on most cars today. These are used for GPS, WLAN, and LTE.
Low Profile
Low profile antennas as the name suggests are relatively smaller in size and don’t stand out as much on a vehicle compared to other types. A drawback with low profile antennas is you might find you are compromising your range compared to longer antennas.
Gain
Gain represents how well the antenna radiates the signal power. How much gain your antenna needs can be dependent on where you are driving and the application.
- Low gain are between 2-3 dBi and are good in hilly terrains but will lack in flat terrains.
- Medium gain antennas are between 5-6.5 dBi and is a good all around antenna which can be used in both hilly and flat terrains.
- High gain antennas are 8 dBi and above and are good in flat terrain but not good in hilly terrain.
In summary, the higher the antennas gain in a flat terrain will give you better coverage, while lower gain will work better in hilly terrains. Too little gain and you might find yourself out of range, too much gain can also effect signal.
Different Types of Vehicle Antenna Mounts
There are a few different types of mounts that attach the antenna to your vehicle.
- Permanent Through Hole Mounts
- Magnetic Mounts
- Trunk Lip Mounts
- Glass Mounts
- Adhesive Mounts
The most common type of vehicle mount is the NMO Mount, which stands for New Motorola Mount. This mount was created by Motorola in 1960 and is still the most popular choice for attaching whip mobile antennas to this day.
Permanent Through-Hole Mounts
Permanent hole mounts are installed through a hole drilled into your vehicle. This is a permanent antenna solution, since you are drilling into your vehicle. This mount is great for more rugged use as it’s permanently attached to the vehicle.
Some advantages of a permanent through hole mount is they are waterproof so water will not get inside the vehicle through the mount. Its also sleek looking and provides easy cable management.
Magnetic Mounts
Magnetic Mounts are a type of antenna that uses a strong magnet to attach to the surface of a vehicle like a roof or a trunk. This is a less permanent solution than the hole mounts, as it doesn’t require any drilling into the car. Although less rugged than a permanent through hole mount, the magnetic is very strong that you won’t need to worry about it coming off, this is a rare occasion.
Lastly, magnetic mounts are good if you need to replace or reposition the antenna you can do this easily, without damaging your car.
Trunk Lip Mounts
Trunk lip mounts have a bracket that slides over the edge of the trunk between the trunk deck and the rear window. The mount is then tightened by screws to hold into place. This type of mount does not require drilling into the vehicle.
Glass Mount
The glass mount is a mount that is mounted on the glass of your vehicle, typically on the rear windshield. It comes with two pieces; one that mounts on the outside of the car window and another piece that mounts on the inside part of the window for the cable.
The glass mount are less permanent and can be easily removed. The downside to these mounts is they often have poor performance and can easily be affected by window tint. They are also not known to be great for long distance communication.
Adhesive Mount
The adhesive mount securely attaches a smooth surface of your vehicle using double-sided heavy-duty tape. Adhesive mounts do require you to drill a hole into the vehicle where you want the antenna placed. This mount type may not seem like the most rugged but it’s guaranteed to hold tight.
Positioning
The best place to position a vehicle mount is in the center of the roof. You can also mount the antenna on your trunk, although this may affect performance.
Before we finish,
Hopefully that gave you some more insight into vehicle antennas and how to mount them. Vehicle antennas help extend the range of your radio helping you communicate over larger distances and terrains.
If you need assistance in choosing the right antenna for your radio, let us help. At First Source Wireless, we help two-way radio users find the right antenna for their needs. Shop now or chat with us at 800-991-4569. We are an authorized reseller of Pulse Larsen antennas.
