Recommendation on super low-profile NMO mount (no ground plane) antenna?

[Sbsyncro]

Just took my Jeep out for the first time with the hard-mount GMRS radio and antenna (Midland 6db mounted on the roof rack).  Performance is great, but when we got into the trees on one of our trail runs,  my antenna was taking a beating!  (I could hear the spring sproinging constantly).  It made me want to be able to swap out for a super low profile antenna that would be good enough for maintaining comms on the trail when we're spread out over maybe a mile or so.

Any recommendations for a "puck" style antenna that will work without a ground plane?

[rjrieger]

Edit: Deleted link as it was not for an NGP antenna.

 

 

[gortex2]

Just grab a standard 1/4 wave antenna. It will work fine and be out of the beating area. A puck antenna is as effective as a handheld radio.

[Sbsyncro]

8 hours ago, kb2ztx said:

Just grab a standard 1/4 wave antenna. It will work fine and be out of the beating area. A puck antenna is as effective as a handheld radio.

Many folks in one group I run with are using HT's so performance of an HT is probably fine for tree-lined trails where we are spread over less than a mile or so.  My alternative I suppose is to just put the rain/dust cap on and switch to using an HT myself...   But where's the fun in that.  

 

hmm...  looking at the "stealth" and "puck" type antennae, it looks like they all require a ground plane.  Looks like I need to either fine a 1/4 wave antenna with a spring base (I often have branches dragging the top of the Jeep) or just switch to an HT when I'm in the woods.

[gortex2]

 1/4 wave will be fine...Ive had them flattened on ambulances that went under low hanging buildings and trees. Just bend the antenna back up and continue. Its $5

[Sbsyncro]

 1/4 wave will be fine...Ive had them flattened on ambulances that went under low hanging buildings and trees. Just bend the antenna back up and continue. Its $5

Having a hard time finding a no ground plane NMO 1/4 wave...


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[MacJack]

OK I have been reading all these post... I have a 2018 JLR which is all aluminum BUT I have a steel front bumper to protect my antenna...  It is a Midland MicroMobile MXTA12 Antenna Mag Mount MXTA12 with a Midland MicroMobile MXTA26 6db Gain Whip Antenna MXTA26.

It seems to be working ok but I have not run the cable through the firewall yet as I've been happy with the HT and the high gain antenna.  

I should say I'm very happy with the HT in my area and may install in base and/or Jeep at https://baofengtech.com/product-category/amplifier/ and may add 30-50W Output (2-6W Input), Analog and Digital Modes, Amplifier.  

This will cut down number of radios I have and I'm more of a HT guy.  

Pick what is best for you and feel free to ask me question...

Jack

 

[Sbsyncro]

OK I have been reading all these post... I have a 2018 JLR which is all aluminum BUT I have a steel front bumper to protect my antenna...  It is a Midland MicroMobile MXTA12 Antenna Mag Mount MXTA12 with a Midland MicroMobile MXTA26 6db Gain Whip Antenna MXTA26.
It seems to be working ok but I have not run the cable through the firewall yet as I've been happy with the HT and the high gain antenna.  
I should say I'm very happy with the HT in my area and may install in base and/or Jeep at https://baofengtech.com/product-category/amplifier/ and may add 30-50W Output (2-6W Input), Analog and Digital Modes, Amplifier.  
This will cut down number of radios I have and I'm more of a HT guy.  
Pick what is best for you and feel free to ask me question...
Jack
 

For me an HT definitely has its place but while in the road or trail I greatly prefer a fixed high powered unit. I was following some friends (we’d left camp about 30 minutes apart) and every time I crested a hill I could reach out to them with updates about the folks behind me.

They were on 8w HTs and I could barely make out their transmissions from 15 miles away but they could apparently hear me clear as day even when I wasn’t “looking down on them”. If only I could get all my trail running buddies to upgrade to 50w radios...


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[gortex2]

You said your antenna was on your roof rack. As long as its made out of metal a 1/4 wave will work fine. If your worried buy the 6" aluminum disk that they sell. 

[Sbsyncro]

After spending about $300 worth of time researching and thinking about this, I finally pried the $22 loose from my wallet and bought a Laird AB450 1/4 wave antenna.

https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_192_196_213&products_id=4476

We'll see if it fits the bill.  If not, I'll try a "puck" style next.

[gortex2]

That should work well. I would have went with the $10 one but the one you ordered is a nice antenna. It will outperform any puck style antenna all day long. 

The puck style antenna is just a circuit board with a copper foil tape on it in a circle. There is no true antenna. 

[WRFP399]

On 6/5/2021 at 3:02 AM, kb2ztx said:

You said your antenna was on your roof rack. As long as its made out of metal a 1/4 wave will work fine. If your worried buy the 6" aluminum disk that they sell. 

This is your answer honestly. 1/4 wave performs very well as a general purpose antenna in GMRS. It is only about 6 inches tall and if you need a ground plane you only need to put a small area of metal under it to give it one. Heck you could go get a cheap chunk of thin alum sheet from Home Depot and done.

I have been very impressed with my Tram 1126-B

[tweiss3]

On 6/4/2021 at 5:40 PM, Sbsyncro said:

Having a hard time finding a no ground plane NMO 1/4 wave...


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You won't find a NGP 1/4 wave. All quarter wave need a ground plane. If you want no ground plane, you need a 1/2 wave antenna.

 

If you are concerned about trees, you might need to look at fender mounts, or mount it dead center of your hood.

[Eltee]

I want to run a low profile antenna for my GMRS rig. Are all pucks equally bad or is the Larsen brand puck OK?

As an alternative, I was thinking about one of these with a magnetic mount.
https://www.theantennafarm.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191_192_196_218&products_id=8290

 

Any info appreciated.

[BoxCar]

Gain in a low profile antenna doesn't buy much as the key to any communications in the UHF range is antenna height. I have a Laird 1/4 wave wire stub at unity gain and it is virtually the same as what you are proposing. The key to understanding gain figures for antennas is to know what the gain figure represents. If it's in dBi. subtract 2.15 from the number to get it's true gain in dBd which is the amount of gain you get on a real antenna. So an antenna with a 2.5 dBi gain has .35 dBd more output than a 1/4 wave stub.

[djxs]

On 6/1/2021 at 10:07 AM, Sbsyncro said:

Many folks in one group I run with are using HT's so performance of an HT is probably fine for tree-lined trails where we are spread over less than a mile or so.  My alternative I suppose is to just put the rain/dust cap on and switch to using an HT myself...   But where's the fun in that.  

 

hmm...  looking at the "stealth" and "puck" type antennae, it looks like they all require a ground plane.  Looks like I need to either fine a 1/4 wave antenna with a spring base (I often have branches dragging the top of the Jeep) or just switch to an HT when I'm in the woods.

@Sbsyncro: I have no other comparisons for antennas as I only have two, and both are Midlands. I have the MICROMOBILE® MXTA25 3DB GAIN GHOST ANTENNA and MICROMOBILE® MXTA26 6DB GAIN WHIP ANTENNA. On one vehicle, I have the same radio you are running MXT400 MICROMOBILE®TWO-WAY RADIO. I have tried both antennas and mounting them to the MICROMOBILE® MXTA27 UNIVERSAL LIP MOUNT. With that said, do you think the "puck" type antenna, i.e. the 3b gain work for your applications and still provide enough boost given that you are pumping out 40 w? 

I have tried it with that combination in heavily wooded areas with great success. Of course, terrain is subjective. 

[djxs]

@Sbsyncro:I was reading another forum and I read someone saying they bought this Larsen Puck Antenna. Maybe this might work for you, but you would have to drill.

Anyone out their using a puck style like this?

 

[gortex2]

1/4 wave UHF is ideal. Unless your working good repeater the puck antenna isn't that great. They are designed for transit and public safety on systems.