Ham Radio Antenna Without Cutting a New Hole

[@EEEEEE-l3u]

Thanks! As a Volkswagen driver this is highly appreciated to see another radio enthusiast rig up their VW!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for visiting! Check out my KE4WMF playlist for some over-the-top radio installation stuff. Take Care!

[@sleeve8651]

Probably the best all around video covering this information ! Well done, and Bravo ! But wish you would have spoken about SWR, and the risks of RF getting into the GPS receiver etc., because of proximity ?

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't even think about SWR or GPS bleedover because everything works perfectly. Thanks for visiting!

[@ve6kk]

Ditto - excellent production and info. Also, you have give me a really neat answer to the fear of cutting a hole for a new roof mount antenna: buy a dummy shark fin antenna ($10-20) to put over the mount when you need to sell the car. Most older vehicles have no roof antenna, on a newer one you might have a shark with 2 fins. 73!

[@StealthGTI]

I'm glad you found this helpful. Thanks for visiting!

[@theodoreboyer2275]

I got tired of Sirius calling me and pushing subscriptions, so I told them I had removed the antenna and replaced it with An amateur radio antenna. No more calls from Sirius.

[@StealthGTI]

I refused to give my saleperson my cell number when I bought this car. No number, no subscription, no calls from Sirius. HAHA! Thanks for visiting!

[@verdexj160]

This worked perfect for a grand Cherokee. Thanks. Just don't have antenna farm install the pl259, it won't fit through the mount. Crimp your own. Thanks for letting us know of this product.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you found it helpful! Check out my recent video about the full antenna farm. I've gone a bit overboard since recording this video. ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@gixxygamma]

Thank you! Your video and Blog on this helped me immensely when I decided I wanted to replace the factory Satellite Radio antenna on my Honda Pilot with an NMO Mount!

[@StealthGTI]

Glad I could help! Thanks for visiting!

[@photographer-gf]

Excellent documentation! And thank you for adding metric values for all of us that are not living in only three countries in the world that are not official using the imperial measuring system. Really professional!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! There are a few videos that I've shared that don't add metrics, mostly because I had ZERO expectation that foreign audiences would watch. BUT, most of my video have metric conversions. *Only* 49% of my audience is in the US; so, I try to make sure that I'm appealing to the rest. Thanks for visiting!

[@i8BBQ4Lunch]

Great presentation. However, my fright over drilling a 19mm hole in the roof was offset by cutting a 19" square hole for the roof vent. That gave me the shakes!!

[@StealthGTI]

Great point! I was a tad nervous when I cut a 14-inch hole in my cargo trailer's roof. But, unlike with a car, I could have glued or welded a patch in place if I goofed it up. I think I'd be plenty nervous cutting a large hole in my car. HAHA! Thanks for visiting!

[@1crazynordlander]

Very good video. After installing various two way radios in my vehicles over the past 50 years. You gave a very good explanation of the various products that are available.

[@StealthGTI]

I appreciate your feedback. Thanks for visiting!

[@joeallison2779]

Let me add my vote to a most excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to discuss everything that you did. I am very glad I discovered your channel and I look forward to getting my own technicians license soon.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Feel free to check out my website at KE4WMF.com. There's a lot there that I haven't made into videos yet. Take Care!

[@drright71]

I wanted to say thank you for this video. Serendipitously you even did it with a MK7, of which I have the Autobahn edition.

[@StealthGTI]

Excellent! Glad it was helpful. Check out my latest video. You won't believe what's on my roof now! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@GG-vx7gi]

Great info! Was just researching if such a factory to nmo was possible.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

[@stealthnthunder]

What a very nice detailed video! 👏 👍 👌 I am hesitant on installing a nmo antenna roof mount by ways of drilling. I came across your video, now I will research antennas for gmrs also for scanner antenna plus CB 10 m. Thank you very much. 🙂👏

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for visiting!

[@adamgriffith7128]

Thank you for a good video, I'm getting my Technicians License soon and I do want a permanent radio in my car, but I want a hole with a garment I have not decide if I want it on top or on the side and I do want a cell booster and a cb radio, I'm going to order the Comet 2x4sr and the Comet B10

[@StealthGTI]

Which way did you decide? I've since mounted a full-time roof rack and have at least five antennas on the car most of the time. See my website or KE4WMF playlist for more details. Thanks for visiting!

[@jo8737]

Well written content/dialogue and chock full of information. Thank you for the video!

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for visiting!

[@sheri4673]

​@@StealthGTI Scott, I wonder if you might help me with a recommendation from your expertise. I'm a first - time ham radio owner and need to know where to mount the antenna (NR-770HB) for my first ham radio Yaesu ( FTM-400XDR). I have just 3 basic questions. On the chance you have the time to share your recommendation, I'll leave my questions here, along with my sincere thanks for your help. I am converting a Ram Promaster van into a camper and need to close up my ceiling so I can get on the road before summer ends to travel to meet my new grandbaby! I don't want to close the ceiling in the location where I'll need to drill to mount the antenna and pull the cable through from the roof to the interior of the van. I was told that mounting the antenna on the roof is going to give me the best coverage for my radio, I paid for a decent radio and don't want to ruin its capabilities by putting the antenna in the wrong location. Is this true, the best location is high up on the roof? The ham radio will be in the cab, so I'd like the wiring to come in through the roof of the cab, but some recommendations I saw said there needs to be distance between the ham radio antenna and the vehicle's existing radio antenna. My van's existing antenna is just above the windshield in the middle where a rearview mirror would be located. Most of my roof space will be taken up with solar panels and a cargo carrier- how much space is required between the ham radio antenna and the vehicle's existing antenna? Last question, is a strong magnet truly sufficient for mounting the ham radio antenna, or should it be bolted down through the roof? I thank you very much for your time and expertise and for helping me get on the road for this very special trip!

[@StealthGTI]

@@sheri4673 - Sorry to have let this linger for a few days. Pro tip: Always post a new comment instead of replying to an unrelated post. "Comments" are prominently displayed in KZbin Studio for creators to see while "replies" are often buried in unrelated comments. With that said, YES, the center of the roof is the best place for an antenna. But you have some challenges with a Promaster, especially in an RV: 1) The van is tall. That may compel you to consider shorter antennas for clearance concerns, which might negate the advantages of being on the roof; 2) You need to be aware of structural members beneath the roof's skin that may interfere with drilling an NMO hole; 3) You need to balance those structures with any other items that are on the roof such as you plan for solar panels. I've never owned a Promaster or examined one with a technical eye. But I tend to think that the roof just behind the driver may be a good spot. Such a spot is forward enough to leave plenty of room for solar panels and aft enough to have decent counterpoise in front of the antenna... perhaps a spot that's at least as far back as the distance between the center and sides of the roof. I suspect that would provide sufficient separation between the antennas. As you can imagine, the antennas on my car are all closer together than what I'm suggesting for your van. Stick around and you'll see that I have even more antennas on the car now. I need to make new videos to share them. A mag-mount will work, but then you'll need to manage cable runs flapping in the wind and entering the cab. NMO is best! Today's NMO mounts can work through a 3/8-to-1/2" hole. Your choice of the NR-770 is excellent! and will keep you below the 12' mark on overall height. I hope that covers your questions. Feel free to contact me through my website if you have more. I'll answer you here, but my mailbox is right in my face all the time. ;-) Take Care! PS: Congrats on your ticket and new purchase!

[@sheri4673]

@@StealthGTI I can't thank you enough for the reply- it was faster than I expected- and for all the information; there's so much to learn as a newcomer to the ham community as well as these technical aspects to the build out of my Promaster. I'll be following your channel for more excellent content! Best wishes to you and yours!

[@AaronDe808]

Very good video. Clear and concise. Thanks for sharing.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! I appreciate your comment!

[@jadue42]

Thank you for this excellent video, and for the fantastic post on your website. I have been trying to figure out how to install an NMO mount on my MK 7 Golf, and this looks like the perfect solution.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

[@CrispimSoares]

Wow, thanks much for all the details. This is awesome.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you liked it! Check out my KE4WMF and KE4WMF/R playlists for more ham-centric content. Thanks for visiting!

[@dark30welderwelding11]

Thank you soo much for taking the time to post this information!

[@StealthGTI]

You are so welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@Subgunman]

Thanks for the information! Unfortunately for me I moved to SV9 land years ago and unfortunately Renault does not do I. Glass antennas for their car radios. They choose to mount an antenna towards the back center of the roof. I have used STI-CO ANTENNAS in the past for law enforcement vehicles. They are very expensive at over $300 which includes a special diplexer that allows you to add VHF UHF and your car radio antennas all into one. They even have a GPS version. At a standstill since all materials must be imported and the issue with that is they charge 24% VAT tax on everything including the postage! Very illegal in my book. Have to wait for relatives to pack the items and bring them over which saves on taxes. So now we sit and wait……

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for sharing that info. I don't know anything about some cool looking products that appear to be only for the European market. I hope you have a solution soon. Thanks for visiting!

[@BruceSites]

Very nice video and your presentation skills are very good also. When you transmit on GMRS or Ham is there any issues with the GPS reception?

[@StealthGTI]

Not at all. In fact, I would have never thought of such interference. With that said, my GMRS antenna is on the other end of the car now that I have gone nuts with ham radio. "How nuts?" I have nine antennas on the car right now. See my KE4WMF playlist for details. Take Care!

[@SIGINT007]

Very nice. I am always in favor of NMOs but even my latest vehicle I just don’t want to do that anymore.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the comment! I hope to keep this car for a while and not have to wonder whether I'll do another NMO mount on the roof. ;-) Take Care.

[@SIGINT007]

@@StealthGTI well disregard my last…put two NMOs on it last night 😂 Drill, baby, drill.

[@StealthGTI]

@@SIGINT007 - HAHA! Nice job! Did you take down the headliner? What bands will they each use?

[@SIGINT007]

@@StealthGTI no, I didn’t remove the headliner….never have save once in decades of doing vehicle installs. I’ll pop trim off and look around, but that’s all. Nothing fancy, just VHF/UHF and a lip mount for the ATAS120.

[@larryjanson4011]

i have two factory antenna mounts at the rear of my cab ( F250) towered both sides not centerline. and the body is alu. but yes i agree as i also do not use any of the services offered for a PRICE. a headache rack is very costly. nor do i want to start drilling holes.

[@StealthGTI]

I want my next car to have a factory roof rack. That will give me some options. Have a look at my "KE4WMF" playlist and you'll see that I have more antennas these days. Roof racks FTW! ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@Aleziss]

uh ! I thought that shark fin antenna was also for FM reception... I have the TSI model and I too did not want to drill a hole on the roof ! That is a nice solution if the original antenna is not used for FM reception !

[@StealthGTI]

The sharkfin contains three antenna elements, which I show at 1:32: The larger square unit is for GPS, the smaller square unit is Sirius/XM radio, and the vertical unit is for CarNet. The FM radio antenna is built into the rear glass. The horizontal lines for the defroster elements while the vertical lines are for radio reception. I'm not sure if the AM antenna is back there, too, or if it's a small coil in the head unit. Regardless, my AM/FM radio reception is fine, HD included. Thanks for visiting.

[@Aleziss]

​@@StealthGTI I don't have the carnet I am pretty sure in my TSI 1.8l. I will check if I have those vertical line in the back glass. So installing the NMO adapter you have will render the Sirius/XM innoperative correct ? Only the GPS will work. I don't have navigation but I do think the GPS works for the compass in the dash and setting the right time in the radio. I am not just visiting, I subscribed, I love my 2016 Golf TSI and I am a ham radio operator too !

[@StealthGTI]

@@Aleziss - You are correct: Sirius/XM will not work without the sharkfin. The GPS will work with the adapter that I list in the video description and restore the GPS feed for the compass and time sync. Also see a write-up with links at stealthgti.com/adapting-the-factory-antenna-hole-to-nmo/. Take Care.

[@RandomMichael]

Tnx! I have been looking for antlers for my '19 Alltrack!! And I have the ATS 120 Antenna. Whew if you ever hit anything with the Yaesu antenna on...73 K4QET

[@StealthGTI]

Haha! Visit my Rover page at ke4wmf.com/ke4wmf-r/ to see what else is available for a hit. ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@rickramirez7710]

I like everything that you shared about your antenna. can you upload a PDF with parts and tools used. I'd do this on my 2011 Tacoma. Hopefully its easy enough for a newbie to do. Thanks again 73!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for visiting, Rick! I have most details at stealthgti.com/adapting-the-factory-antenna-hole-to-nmo/. Good Luck!

[@BhamJames]

Very nicely done, with lots of useful information.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for visiting!

[@NEW_GOO]

Installed this EMwave Combination Mount 3 months ago and GPS antenna has failed. RMA'd for a replacement. Hopefully it will be trouble free.

[@StealthGTI]

Darn! I hope if was a fluke! Post an update if it happens again. Thanks for visiting!

[@eagl3seyes]

How has your replacement been so far?

[@jacbobo56]

Newcomer to the hobby. I have a 2014 VW Tiguan - which has something resembling your shark fin on it as well. I am keen to try something like this. Can you provide more information about removing trim in a car? This part is a bit daunting for the new person.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for writing, Jacob! The rear piece snaps out quite easily. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHe9q2yeoZqths0. The first minute shows that you don't even need a tool to remove the rear trim piece. From there, the rear portion of the headliner just folded down for me. Good Luck!

[@jadue42]

Scott- Where did you find the fender washer? I have not been able to find one in this size. Thank you!

[@StealthGTI]

The one shown in this video was pilfered from the plastic mount that I had tried first. A standard 3/4" flat washer from your favorite hardware store may be large enough. If it's not, then perhaps amzn.to/3PgTlBo will work. It's expensive for what it is, perhaps it's one of only a few samples that I could spot. BUT keep in mind that your roof my not be flat at the hole. Mine is not. Over-tightening may pull the roof out of its natural shape. So, the standard washer may be better, if it's large enough to cover the hole. Good Luck!

[@Ei2iP]

Very informative, could I ask is the cap hat homebrew or commercial?

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! The caphat is commerical, but a one-man operation. Search for W8UZZ and you'll find his stuff. I'll share a video about my caphat soon. Thanks for visiting.

[@radiotec76]

I have been using a Larson mag-mount and a 2 Meter 5/8 wave Larson antenna on my Nissan Leaf connected to my dual band Kenwood rig. My roof antenna is pre-shark fin but roof mounted in the spot where the shark fin would go and about the same size. Will the EMWave Sharkfin mount NMO combo support Sirius XM radio receivers?

[@StealthGTI]

No. The EM only supports NMO (and whatever is attached at each end) and GPS. Thanks for visiting!

[@timfreeeed]

can I mount a 5G 4x4 MIMO improvement instead? Or do you please know how to improve 5G phone reception in the car? band n71 3,5ghz

[@StealthGTI]

You can mount any NMO antenna. Still, I chose to use a WeBoost cellular signal booster for my 5G needs. I think I mentioned it in this video. Thanks for visiting!

[@edcnorcal]

When you say you had The Antenna Farm cut the cable to 24", were you referring to the GPS antenna cable?

[@StealthGTI]

I had both cables cut. This part has a cable for the NMO mount and the GPS cable. I had them both cut in case I need to remove the mount for paint maintenance. I'd much rather pull out 24" than 13 feet. Thanks for visiting!

[@terryboyle]

Thank you, very informative.

[@StealthGTI]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting!

[@ShortArmStrongArm]

Neat video. Wish I knew what to use for CB…

[@StealthGTI]

You can do it! Visit theantennafarm.com and search for "Larsen NMO27B." It will work with this mount. Good Luck!

[@Hax0rZ1]

Hi great video. Didnt see in the links below the video a link to the cell booster. That is always a nice to have and the size is very small. Please link me. Thanks!

[@StealthGTI]

Updated with this link: amzn.to/3t2posB. Thanks for pointing out my omission. Take Care!

[@cbennett1]

Thanks for the video. Which connectors did you select on the drop down lists for radio and gps on the product page while purchasing?

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the comment! Here's a quote from a write-up at wp.me/pevkSZ-7l: "I bought my mount from The Antenna Farm. They’ll install most common connectors for a modest fee. I chose an SMA male on the NMO feed line and an SMA female on the GPS feed line. I also had them cut back the cables to 24 inches so that I can easily remove the mount for cleaning or maintenance." Feel free to check out the rest of the article if you're interested. Thanks for visiting!

[@cbennett1]

@StealthGTI I should've checked the article before commenting! Thanks for the reply, I'll check out the article. I have a 2018 gti autobahn I plan to do this to for an external antenna for my FT3D. 73

[@cbennett1]

@@StealthGTI Follow up question, do you still recommend having both the cables trimmed to 24 inches if I have no existing cables run, and install my own, or just use the mount as it comes? Thanks!

[@StealthGTI]

​@@cbennett1 - I do! You see, if you need to remove the antenna mount for replacement (unlikely), cleaning, or any other reason, then you'll have to pull out ALL of the coax that you've fed through the interior trim panels and headliner. By trimming the cables to 24", you can leave the main cables routed in the car and just pull out the first 24 inches. It's a convenience that you may never need, but its great if you do!

[@Aleziss]

I was wondering, how to get vhf and uhf tuned to the atas120 ? I do not find any information on how to run vhf and uhf out of the atas-120. Also how did you screw the atas-120 to your car on the nmo mount ? which adaptor did you use to get nmo to so239 ? lastly, did your mount was strong enough to use your atas120 while driving ? that is rather a big antenna for the small mount I see in your video no ? thank you !

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for writing, Aleziss! The ATAS-120A tunes VHF/UHF right out of the box. What I don't recall is whether the antenna has to be in the compacted position or if it'll work those bands from any position. IF the "TUNE" button works while on a VHF/UHF band, then I suspect that the radio will move the antenna coil to where it needs to be automatically. As for adapting the ATAS to my NMO mount, I used this: amzn.to/3zCFxcx. Somehow, I doubt that an NMO mount, its adapter, or my specific roof mount are intended to support the weight of the ATAS. I've driven with it up there, but it's probably not a good idea. I think it's best to mount it after the car is parked unless you have it on a sturdy mount that's supported. These days, I mount my Scorpion mobile HF antenna whenever I want to work the HF bands. Take Care!

[@jamesperry1944]

Stellar video.

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! I hope you found it helpful!

[@reidlanham2011]

Awesome, thanks for this video! I have a 2017 GTI and from your video years ago I've been thinking about adding my 2m/70cm antenna. I'll check this out once I verify that it shouldn't interfere with the sunroof. Oh, and to be clear, you still have your SiriusXM antenna unhooked, correct? Thnaks!

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for the note! I cannot imagine how this mount will interfere with the sunroof. It's just 3/4" longer than the sharkfin antenna. Let me know if your measurements conclude that it won't work with a sunroof. And, yes, my SiriusXM and CarNet antennas are still disconnected. Take Care!

[@reidlanham2011]

@@StealthGTI I did a quick look at lunch and you are right, I can't see that it would interfere. Now to figure out how to keep my Sirius/XM while using this as I do listen to that alot. Thanks!

[@StealthGTI]

@@reidlanham2011 - That's good! I guess the answer to the SiriusXM depends on your tolerance for visible wires. You could get an external mag-mount antenna, run it through the seal as I did for that WeBoost antenna, then find a way to adapt it to the FAKRA adapter under the headliner. Another possibility is to see what the SiriusXM connector is on the back of the radio. If it's a common connection, you may be able to get an external antenna that'll plug into it, then route the wire to have the antenna sit on the dash, tight toward the windshield so you barely see it. You MAY have the occasional skip due to a shadow in the signal from the roof... maybe. Just a couple of ideas.

[@jadue42]

@@StealthGTI Scott - Thank you again for your videos and your website. Would you be able to share any additional information about how the WeBoost antenna cable runs from the antenna, through the seal and into the car? I need to do this with an XM antenna.

[@StealthGTI]

@@jadue42 - The antenna wire in this video simply runs through the hatch and under the door seal. In this case, I peeled the seal back just enough to pass the wire beneath the seal and then pushed it back into place.

[@cjespers]

Great video. Thanks for posting. KB0TUV

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for visiting!

[@Sys-Edit0r-1995]

Are there retrofit mounts that connect to a cars stereo antenna (on with a diplexer for AM/FM + VHF and up type of setup? I want to see if I could do something like that for my dad's 1997 truck...

[@StealthGTI]

I'm sure there are. Try a web search for "disguise antenna" and variations of that. Unmarked police cars use special antennas that mimic factory roof antennas while adding the functionality of a subdued tri-band antenna. Good Luck!

[@billruttan117]

How does the signal from the GPS Satellites enable your compass indication? Is this a ‘Direction of Travel” readout, or an actual heading display (which, in a road vehicle, are about the same thing anyway)?

[@StealthGTI]

I think it is a "course" (travel direction) marker instead of a heading display. Oddly enough, backing the car 10-20 feet doesn't seem to change the heading. So, I'm not sure. But I'll stick with "direction of travel." Thanks for visiting!

[@billruttan117]

@@StealthGTI As to the heading remaining unchanged despite the car backing up, the Track Indication on the airplane I used to fly exhibited the same behavior while we were being ‘pushed back’ from the Terminal Gate!

[@josephvandyke2150]

Do they make these for the Ford Maverick by chance?

[@StealthGTI]

They're universal. One may or may not fit, depending on the shape of your roof and the hole that came from the factory. Good luck!

[@chrishorne2740]

Nice piece...

[@StealthGTI]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@bobbyt2788]

So you still had to remove the headliner and run your antenna wire around airbags or you found another way?

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks for writing, Bobby! No need to remove the headliner. The rear 10-12 inches will fold down and allow access to the underside of the antenna after removing a very simple rear trim piece. You MAY need to put away the tops of the C-pillars, but the headliner can stay in place. See a photo at i0.wp.com/stealthgti.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/EM-Mount-06-1920.jpg and a full write-up at stealthgti.com/adapting-the-factory-antenna-hole-to-nmo/. Take care!

[@dso2805]

Thank you so much!

[@StealthGTI]

You're welcome! I hope you found it helpful.

[@carlosp7233]

Where did you say you got the 3" adapter?

[@StealthGTI]

I don't recall mentioning a three-inch adapter unless you're referring to my outgoing mount by Breedlove Mounts. It was not effective at UHF frequencies. Thanks for visiting!

[@zerobow9413]

Great vid

[@StealthGTI]

Thanks! I hope you found it helpful. Thanks for visiting!

[@davidb.4759]

When you say the UHF Antennas "wouldnt tune" what do you do to tune them? Are you cutting them shorter? I'm looking to setup 2m/70cm/GMRS and would like to use the fewest number of antennas possible. So far the dual band antenna I have gets bad SWR on GMRS.

[@StealthGTI]

Most agree that dual-band antennas come ready to use without a need to cut anything. I don't think I've ever trimmed anything other than a single-band antenna element. So, in this video, "tune" means "measure for low SWR." In other words, my 5/8-wave antennas were not exhibiting low SWR on the plastic mount that I had tried; only the 1/2-wave antennas that don't require a counterpoise. Should I find that an antenna has high SWR, odds are better that it needs replacing than it needing a trim ("tuning"). I hope that makes sense. As for finding an antenna that works on GMRS and amateur frequencies, you need to get one that's wide-banded enough and intended for the task. Comet's CA-2X4SRNMO is a good example. I share a few examples of what I use in this video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV62e2OabqaIbqc, if you're interested. Thanks for visiting.

[@davidb.4759]

@@StealthGTI Thank you. Yes that helps clarify it for me. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

[@elsuperpollo2273]

I'm not using the suirus radio in my ram 1500 can I remove that and put a antenna there for a 2m mobile radio?

[@StealthGTI]

You'll need to check the hole to see if it's compatible. Some OEM cut-outs are already 3/4" and perfect for an NMO mount. Mine is square and 41mm; so, I needed a different solution. Remove your antenna and have a look. Thanks for visiting!

[@cjvilleneuve1566]

That litle golf is sick man

[@StealthGTI]

I appreciate that! Thanks for visiting!

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Awesome, thanks for this terrific video thanks 73 from kb2uew

[@StealthGTI]

Glad you enjoyed it Thanks for visiting!

[@ewicky]

I appreciate the video, but I feel like your obsession with not cutting a hole in the roof is getting in your own way. BTW I have a SureCall booster (similar to the weboost) but I wired it to my factory sharkfin for a super-stealth look. The SureCall antenna and the cellular/OnStar/whatever part of the sharkfin are both wideband antennas designed for cellular frequencies. That way I retain the GPS as well as the satellite radio. The only thing I lost was BMW Assist, which was too old (Analog/2G) to function anyways.

[@StealthGTI]

I don't know that I'd call it an obsession, just a preference and a trade-off. Anyway, your use of the sharkfin antenna for the cellular boost is ingenious! I'll have to keep that in mind for potential use someday. Take care!

[@Robertcamacho73]

We’re can we buy this Mount ??

[@StealthGTI]

Links are in the video description. Thanks for visiting!

[@Robertcamacho73]

@@StealthGTI thanks

[@thingyee1118]

NMO means what!?

[@StealthGTI]

NMO stands for "New Motorola." However, there's nothing "new" about it and Motorola is no longer the exclusive maker of NMO mounts. In fact, the design has been improved over the years so that it can fit into even smaller holes that the original 3/4" design. There was a time when people used to "Xerox" documents. Xerox was first to market what we now call "photocopy" machines. It took a while to change our language, just like we may stop saying "Google it" when other search engines become more prominent. Still, the term "NMO" has stayed over the long run, exceeding 25 years, even though hardly anyone thinks of Motorola when they say it today. I hope the extra history lesson was helpful. Sometimes I dive too deeply into details. ;-) Take Care!

[@eagl3seyes]

Has anyone done this on a newer model Toyota vehicle?

[@StealthGTI]

This is such a niche channel that I doubt many Toyota drivers have both found this video AND done the mod. I'd ask in the Mobile forum at QRZ. With that said, the only way to really know if it'll work on YOUR Toyota is to remove the factory antenna to see if the hole is at least 3/4" but less than 1-9/16", then see if your GPS signal is using a fitting that can be matched to this device. I'll say this, though: Installing this combination mount on a sedan, or anything without the immediate access to the headliner that a hatchback provides, would be way more difficult. Good Luck and Thanks for visiting!

[@CarleeOlsson-n5v]

Layla Land

[@StealthGTI]

Who's Layla? Is her land a good land? ;-) Thanks for visiting!

[@Shaunemayfield]

Totally misleading. Should be titled, Ham Radio Without Cutting a New Hole IF You Already have a Hole. Really? Terribly misleading, no where is there n explanation that you must have a particular vehicle with a particular antenna with a particular hole already… then you don’t have to drill another hole.

[@StealthGTI]

Misleading? HA! No where did I have to cut a new hole. That's what was said, that's what was presented. The vast majority of modern cars have a hole in the roof for a multi-function antenna. This video shows how to replace that antenna with a new mount... no cutting! You left the video with an understanding of what needs to be done... Mission Accomplished. Thanks for visiting!

[@ramjet4025]

ITs a classic example of how modern Amateurs are applicance operators and generally don't have a clue about how the antenna is constructed or works. The "stealth" antenna deserves tearing apart and an explanation of how they work relative to known antennas.

[@StealthGTI]

Again, this is not an antenna video, this is not a ham radio channel, and this was not about equipment construction at all. If you want a "stealth" antenna torn apart, buy one and tear it apart or find someone who has (and possibly sponsored to do so). I'm not here to do that, not on my budget. Take Care.

[@ramjet4025]

Another video that fails to show how these "stealth" antennas work or how efficient they are or are not.

[@StealthGTI]

The video is more about the mount and how I made my connections than about the antennas. I am drafting ideas to discuss the different antennas that I use on the car. So far, I've collected SWR and bandwidth info and my impressions while operating on a daily 2m net. Thanks for visiting.

[@WillW7WRP]

Great video. I was wondering since the video, how the GPS antenna / NMO combo mounts was performing? This will potentially going on my Chevy Silverado for a dual band 2M/70CM antenna. Thought it was a neat option to utilize the factory existing GPS antenna hole and still maintain use of the GPS. I posted some of my questions on a FB group I'm part of "Ham Radio Crash Course - facebook.com/groups/hamradiocrashcourse/posts/4780121838770594", and didn't find anyone else that has used these mounts. I thought maybe you had some insight that you found prior to buying yours. How did you determin you GPS plug? Did you find any blog or other videos of this mount? Another thing, what made you decide between the EM-MG110022-SP-195 and the EM-MG11006-SP-195? Thanks in advance.

[@StealthGTI]

The mount is working great! I'm not aware of any other videos that discuss this mount, which is why I made one of my own. My blog entry at stealthgti.com/adapting-the-factory-antenna-hole-to-nmo/ shares some details, too. One of my viewers asked me what I thought of the mount. I had never heard of it; so, I checked it out. It is slightly wider than another mount that I had been using (details on that blog page). That alone was enough to convince me to buy one for a test. I bought the 11006 over the 110022 since I didn't figure I needed the GLNSS capability. As for determining my GPS plug, I could only figure that one out by removing the factory antenna and then figuring out was a "Fakra" connector was. From there, I got to searching for an adapter. Again, details on my site. But no guarantee that yours is the same. The Antenna Farm added the connectors for a nominal fee. Feel free to contact me through my website for more assistance. 73, Scott