Install nmo mount

More details and measurements available on the next post. This is a keeper. Plus the standardization of NMO provides a large number of various whips from many manufactures to try in the future.

A dual-band model is the next logical step for my dual-band FM rig. You totally used the wrong bit to drill that hole! That is better used for soft materials like wood or plastics maybe. Home Contact Us Log In. Featured [more] Motorola CMD Belden Bird Technologi.. Blackbox 2 Way.. Browning Coleman Cable I.. Commander Techn.. This standard is still used today by many different manufacturers on their antennas. NMO is a style of connection which the antenna will screw on to and can also be referred to as a NMO mount.

Both terms call out the same type of connection. The picture to the right shows what the NMO connector looks like with the antenna removed from the mount. The mount can either have a coaxial cable terminated to the back side or a coaxial connector such as a type N or UHF.

Typically the mount is made out of brass and the center contact is gold plated. NMO mounts come in various styles and the only difference is how the NMO connector is terminated on the opposite side. This would be used to mount an antenna on a roof of a vehicle.

In the lower center is a mount which would terminate in a N-Type female connector on the bottom. This would be used to mount an antenna on an item such as a control box. Above that is a magnetic mount base and to the right is another NMO mount with a cable. These are just a few examples of the styles of NMO mounts available.

When the antenna is mounted properly on these mounts, you will have a water tight seal where the NMO mount penetrates the metal base. This is because on the underside of the brass nut, there is a rubber O-ring seal. We also have a seal when the antenna is screwed on to the NMO mount. The result is a connection would be waterproof and can be exposed to the outdoor elements.

Depending on the manufacturer, the appearance of a NMO type mount on an antenna can vary. However, even though they appear different, since they are NMO type mounts, they will work with any NMO mounts we discussed earlier.

As you can see in the picture, the center contacts vary on these antenna bases. The center and right antenna use a spring loaded contact for the center connection.

The advantage of the spring loaded contacts is that they are less likely to have connection issues over time. The most practical application for the NMO type cables is to mount an antenna on a vehicle. If anyone is interested I'll be using an NMO mount. I'll appreciate any advice. Last edited: Sep 6, N4LBL , Sep 6, If it was me, I'd forget the NMO in the topper, and install a fender mount. W9DSD , Sep 6, Dave: If you meant front fender then I think you are talking about a bracket thru the hood-fender seam.

That is my fall-back position if I don't cut a hole in the roof of the cab. I don't pretend to understand antennas but that seems like a lot of ground shielding the high current part of the antenna. If you meant rear fender then I didn't follow you. Back in the day, we used the adhesive lead foil used on windows for burglar alarm systems -- just lay out a radial field and ground it to the mount. Not sure if you can still find it, but I'll bet the metallic tape used to seal air conditioning ducts and plenums will work.

Plan B would be to drill a hole in the center of a large pizza pan and mount it inside the camper shell. W9GB , Sep 6, The only problem with so-called ground plane-less antennas, is the common mode flowing on the coax shield. A hood seam mount would work a lot better. K0BG , Sep 6,