Subaru Outback

[VETCOMMS]

Are there any Subaru Outback Wilderness owners here?   I thought about mounting a ghost or Compactenna on the rear drivers side roof but was curious what others have done and how they route the coax. 

[WRXP381]

How far do you want to talk?  Do you want to talk in all directions or just 1.   A ghost antenna is about the worst thing you can put up on anything if you want more than a few miles.  They are also ground plane antennas.  So all those pictures you see of them mounted on the edge of thing are BS.   The best place for any ground plane antenna is in the middle of a metal roof.   Do you have a steel or aluminum roof.  Do you have a roof rack that you load up?   If not, and a steel roof just get a mag mount and a good antenna like an mxt26 from midland.  If is aluminum drill a hole and put in a hood nmo mount.  If you MUST use your roof rack and you need an edge mount you will need a non ground plane antenna like midlands off road antenna. 

[VETCOMMS]

I want to talk 69.9 miles in every direction but am a realist.   10 would be nice.   It's a metal roof with a rack made of aluminum that gets items like Thule pods, bikes and the occasional canoe carried up there.   I have 13" of clearance to get in my garage, hence the shorter antennas mentioned. 

[WSAM454]

As '381 mentioned,  a quarter wave ground plane is about 6" long, and so would fit and clear the garage, and while not a gain antenna, with a good ground under it, it will probably out-perform the ghost type antenna.

If the carrier might hold items that can get in the way of the antenna, then a compromise might be a magnet mount antenna; not ideal, but still might be a better performer than a ghost antenna.

[TDM827]

1 hour ago, WRXP381 said:

How far do you want to talk?  Do you want to talk in all directions or just 1.   A ghost antenna is about the worst thing you can put up on anything if you want more than a few miles.  They are also ground plane antennas.  So all those pictures you see of them mounted on the edge of thing are BS.   The best place for any ground plane antenna is in the middle of a metal roof.   Do you have a steel or aluminum roof.  Do you have a roof rack that you load up?   If not, and a steel roof just get a mag mount and a good antenna like an mxt26 from midland.  If is aluminum drill a hole and put in a hood nmo mount.  If you MUST use your roof rack and you need an edge mount you will need a non ground plane antenna like midlands off road antenna. 

Agree with WRXP381 on the NMO mount, mag mount or edge mount, and a Midland MXTA26. Their GMRS antennas need no tuning, so it's about as easy as it gets. So if it's an option its a great place to start. OffRoaderX reports some fine performance with an MXTA26 mounted lower on his jeep in what many would say is a less than desirable manner, but works for him.  

If that's not workable, the antenna farm has 1/2 and 5/8 wave NMO antennas which cover the 450-470Mhz range, not sure if they need to be, or can be trimmed, for optimal performance.

Like many things GMRS you may have to experiment a bit to see what works for your particular situation        

[Hoppyjr]

I agree with those who think a NMO mount in the roof is the best plan, but I’d avoid the whip. On my 4Runner I did NMO in the roof with the Midland “Ghost” antenna. Low profile and works fantastic here in the PNW.

I recently picked up the Pulse-Larsen LP450NMO, which also screws onto the same NMO mount, but has given equal or better performance to the Midland Ghost. The Larsen is shaped like a hockey puck, so it’s shorter than the Midland Ghost and larger diameter. The bottom has a nice foam weather seal.

This would likely work well for you and keep low enough for your rooftop accessories when needed.

[gortex2]

1/4 wave whip is 6" and will work better than both of the antennas mentioned.....

[VETCOMMS]

https://www.amazon.com/Tram-410MHz-490MHz-Pre-Tuned-Antenna/dp/B00IDTJ2VS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=P77KMTA85PBH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.P6hxMgh8Gk4o_5d7Bv3PSrxADrRdMWWXKpPlygv3tvYp8L7FFqIpkd-lRA2WsAyjKezn89K-3X1c1fbK1tuZIXLOWvJErjaHtXKSGF37h2HimAR2-i4MDZi6pP74yWHd2ICtoso_SThTdlDMarkDtPyHODLInEwrnnw1qLJlKiD3k8QKcYJVCb4aNKTvNwzXBpPEOBOsqkIQkMoghX9svQ.U_u3WeR_bclOmSE_vppdzdd2gqulUABGw2EyetGYqFE&dib_tag=se&keywords=1%2F4+wave.tram+uhf+antenna&qid=1714388200&sprefix=1%2F4+wave.tram+uhf+antenna%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1

 

Something like this then?

[WSAM454]

Yes, that is a typical 1/4 wave NMO mount antenna, as has been mentioned in the posts.