Glass Mount Mobile Ham Radio Antenna Install ~ VHF UHF Repeaters

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Solder Station

I install the Tram Browning 1191 Amateur Dual Band Glass Mount Antenna UHF 440-450 MHz and VHF 144-148 MHz PL-259 for Icom HYT Vertex Mobiles two way radio antenna
VHF 144-148 MHz 2.5 dBd gain
UHF 440-450 MHz 4.5 dBd gain
Max power 50 Watts
VSWR less than 1.5:1
28 1/2" Height

Easy installation. I chose this for my vehicle has glass. I used it in the "out of the box" condition and experienced poor performance. To properly use this antenna you will have to sweep it to check SWR. I used a MFJ-226 and was able to see the SWR change in real time as I adjusted the small screw. I was able to get the antenna down to 1.24, but when I added the clip for a ground plane it dropped all the way down to 1.19. Again simple to trim if you have the proper tools. The SWR at 144.100mhz was 1.45 and at 148.000mhz it was 1.50. It fell to 1.19 at 146.675mhz. I had a hard time trying to figure out the way to use the ground plane. I found it to be effective if you tighten the fitting on the hook to keep it in place. Look at the pictures. When you use the ground clip, be sure it is perpendicular to your whip.
00:00 Introduction
00:57 The Connector
01:30 Cleaning the Surface
01:42 Placement of the Antenna
01:55 Silicone Sealant
03:53 Testing the SWR

[midwestoffgrid]

Great video! Thanks for the sub. This is exactly what I need. I tried a cheapo antenna from Amazon a while back that was a magnet bottom and wired down the side of my car door. After a while it just fell apart. I’ll try one of these. I’m a total noob at HAM life. But trying to learn a bit as I go. Thanks dude.

[whalerlife]

Trim the glass and antenna base out with blue painters tape. Run your bead all the way around then remove the tape. No mess and perfect lines. I do the same thing when i use a caulking gun. Tape both sides if necessary run your bead of caulking, smooth out with your finger then remove tape. Works perfect.

[MCCRITTERS]

A tip my dad showed me many years ago, dip your finger in some liquid dish soap before you smooth out the silicone. The wet silicone will not stick to your finger and the fillet comes out very smooth and less cleaning up to do after it dries. ;-)

[brucel]

I've used several of these over the years on different vehicles. Never had a problem. I currently have one for GMRS use on my pickup and my inlaws RV. Due to restrictions in my neighborhood, I have one attached to the only single pane window in my home. They all work perfectly.
CHEERS from Colorado

[BakerStudiosIndy]

Funny thing: I've been installing glass mounts for more than 30 years in both ham and commercial applications... Mainly Larsen, but quite a few Tram models... And I've never had one fall off. I've seen them last ten or more years in use. I've had my own last more than five despite Illinois winters and weekly automatic car washes. And I've never had to seal any of the hundreds I've installed and maintained. Seems like overkill, but if it makes you feel more secure, go for it.

[mackfisher]

I work for a two-way radio shop we installed hundreds of ASP's glass mount 800 MHz antennas the installation kit came with silicon rubber and the instructions spelled out using silicon around the mount of the antenna on the outside of the glass to reinforce the 3M double-sided tape pad, We use silicon rubber on both the antenna and a coil on the inside of the glass.

[mrfancypants]

The silicone sounds like possibly a good idea. I never would’ve thought of this either!

[Neil_Morris]

I had one of those aerials about 15 years ago. I don't think the glass I attached it to had a flat enough profile and it flew off into the distance some months later :( While I had it I was extremely impressed by how well it worked on both bands. I believe you've made a better job of sticking out on than I did so let's hope it stays with you for many years :) 73 de G0TVJ

[jamesrussell]

Interesting install! Silicone wouldn't have been something I would've thought of using for a good tight seal, especially on glass for an antenna but I understand as to why you use it. Been thinking about putting two different glass mount antennas on my car to do away with my two stud mount antennas and seeing how you've done yours, looks to be s very good idea. Thanks for your informal video! It's very helpful

[lornevebxk]

I have found that by craping off the paint on the L shaped ground rod on the end that screws and attaches onto the RF connector,   the SWR tuning is 100 % better than before with better return loss etc.

[tonymcgee]

I've used glass mounts before with good performance. I'm not trying to hit repeaters 100 miles away, just local ones. No problems hitting some repeaters 40-50 miles.

[Captain-kurm]

The silicone seems like a very good idea...but, really and truely, I've used these on-glass antennas for 30 years, and never had one fall off, not even close. In fact, I've often taken the old antennas off the cars when I got a new car, and reused the same antenna by using the remount kits with new pads, after cleaning off the residual adhesive pads on the used bases.

The antenna bases are rock solid on the window using the adhesive pads provided, and when removing the bases to move them to another vehicle, I've had ro use Glue Gone, a putty knife to pry the bases loose, and it took some real elbow grease, and very cautious effort not to break the window. That's how tightly adhered to the window they have always been.

Now, my vehicles are always garaged, and perhaps if vehicles are outside all the time, the silicone sealant is necessary. I live in St. Louis too, where Ham Radio CQ indicated he also lives. So the weather I experience is the same as he experiences. Perhaps it's something that someone would experience in a different climate where the sealant idea would be necessary. But, for over thirty years, and probably six or seven antennas, some remounted using the remount kits, sealant has never been necessary. Just my two cents that might save an extra step.

[pnowikow]

Another St Louis ham. Nice to meet you kf0oqa.

[dwgelle]

Installed a ton of those for Cellular and worked well with out the silicone layer

[jay-rus]

With glass being such a good insulator, how in the world is this so affective? I would think the glass would negatively impact the reception. I realize that RF isnt electrical supply, but I wouldnt have thought an antenna like this would be good at all.

[denelson]

That's essentially a dipole, with one side outside the vehicle and the other side inside.

[IsqueiroMusic]

I didn’t know about this solution it looks awesome and very practical thank you for sharing this idea!! 73

[johnryding]

My problem with a similar installation was not the mount itself, but the antenna coming loose from the mount.

[dereklea]

I’ll never trust another glass mount antenna ever again. I bought a new Dodge Dakota in 1999, didn’t want to drill a hole in a new truck and definitely didn’t want a mag mount scratching my paint. So, I bought the Larsen dual band glass mount antenna. It performed ok for about three years. I noticed a gradual decrease in received signal strength and I also noticed it was more and more difficult to get into my usual repeater (about 15 miles from me). It got so bad that I checked the SWR, which was acceptable right after installation, and it was in excess of 4 to 1. I was using a tri band Kenwood 742A at the time and the 2 meter module wouldn’t transmit more than a few watts no matter what the power setting was. I used a different antenna, temporarily, and still the same RF output was indicated. I rarely used 70 cm so it wasn’t affected. The glass mount antenna was removed and when it was, I could hear a sloshing noise in the plastic base the antenna screwed on to. There it was, water created a dead short and ruined the RF final on my radio. I examined the base and couldn’t find how the water entered the plastic case but, it did somehow. That was my first, only and last experience with a glass mount antenna. If they work for some folks, great. I ruined an expensive radio with one of them.

Since I had that experience, I decided to drill a hole in the Dakota and have a proper mount. Every vehicle I’ve owned since has had a hole drilled and a proper mount installed. Not one issue with any of those mounts and I’ll never use anything else.

[soupdragon]

Great video, would this antenna work for a scanner or is there one similar for police scanners ? Thanks .