RAM ProMaster Wire/Antenna Firewall Passthrough Without Drilling

I see this question in Ram ProMaster discussions often, and I needed to find a way to get my antenna cable out from the cab and into the engine bay. Fortunately, there's a good way to do it without drilling any holes in sheet metal.

[@chilibeanhere]

all very helpful Promaster tips. Wish there were more.

[@ericalanbrody]

You rocked and saved me from banging my head after a hour! Thank you

[@barrystamper528]

This was the video and comments i needed for putting my Ham radio in a Promaster ... thanks.

[@sheri4673]

Barry Stamper May I ask, have you installed your antennae for you Ham radio into your Promaster, and if so where did you place your antenna? I'm new to all of this and am assuming that to get the very best coverage for a ham radio one should have a roof mounted antenna, can you tell me if this is correct? And if the roof is the best place, by chance do you know what is the ideal location for the antenna? I'm working on my converting my Promaster into a camper and need to determine where I'll have to drill holes in the roof to mount the antenna and run the cable through to the inside. I want to make sure I don't close up my ceiling at the same place where I'll need to run wires through0- I'd hate to have to tear open my ceiling when it comes time to mount the antenna. I'd be very grateful for anything you might share.

[@barrystamper528]

@@sheri4673 I understand and went through the same process to arrive at my solution. The roof would be better probably but I decided to install my antenna with a lip mount on the hood.

[@sheri4673]

@@barrystamper528 Thank you for replying, Barry. Do you notice any loss of range (if that is the correct term) as a result of having the antenna lower? Can you tell me where you brought the antenna wire into the vehicle?

[@mapleone6612]

Thank You so much for sharing your knowledge with us, greatly appreciated.👍

[@sam-ww1wk]

Thanks for the vid. Very helpful

[@benlamb383]

Where did you actually mount the antenna? Hood lip mount?

[@NoahAxon]

Yep, I went with Driver's side for simplicity. It's in the field of view but I never even notice it on the road.

[@kurtsteinbach4927]

I'm here from the FB Ram ProMaster Owners group. Good video, short and to the point. What are you installing that requires an external antenna? I'm contemplating a dual band 50 watt UHF/VHF transciever. I keep going round and round about where I want to mount the antenna, and then what kind.

[@kurtsteinbach4927]

Just watched your video of a Yaesu installation. Nice.

[@NoahAxon]

@@kurtsteinbach4927 I'm running a Comet SBB-5 antenna on a cheap swiveling lip mount. I put it on the driver's side of the hood. This is the same location I used for my 2013 Town & Country, however the ProMaster's narrow hood does put it a little more in front of me than it is on the minivan. Some people have given me a hard time over the placement. It'd have worked fine on the passenger side of the hood, too, if I wanted to drag coax cable to that side, likely under the cowl. As it stands, It doesn't bother me at all while driving. The Yaesu FTM-400XDR is a nice rig, if a little overkill for what I do. I spend most of my time on APRS and 146.52. Kansas City has a huge network of linked Fusion repeaters, so I'm glad I have the capability. This radio does also do cross-band repeat on analog, which is nice when I want to wander away from base camp with a handheld and still use nearby repeaters that might not be accessible from a handheld itself.

[@kurtsteinbach4927]

@@NoahAxon Thanks for responding with this information. I don't have the up fitter option on my PM. I will likely go straight to the battery for power. I may also mount the control head lower and out of sight of car prowlers, though to the alert an antenna is a giveaway. When I finally do my installation, I'll post to the FB group.

[@NoahAxon]

@@kurtsteinbach4927 fortunately, the battery is right there, so powering it direct from the battery is actually easier than going to the passenger B-pillar.