Mounts

Today's vehicles don't have a lot of room to mount amateur transceivers of any size, and some are so cramped for space, you have to use extraordinary means to mount just the remote head safely. As I point out in my Safety article, there are a few things to avoid. One of those is the top of the dash. While inviting, and maybe even handy, it is safety hazard which can't be ignored.

Whether or not you agree with Fed mandated safety devices, they are here to stay. One of these is the SRS; the proverbial airbag. Folks, these things aren't airbags! They are filled with an explosive compound which in most cases is sodium hydride. When ignited, they accelerate at speeds up to 200 mph! Anything is their way, or attached to them, will be propelled asunder, and perhaps directly at you! You might remark that you have to be an idiot to mount a radio atop an SRS, but I have seen exactly that! And the amateur was bragging about how handy it was!

Whatever you do, whatever radio you use, regardless of any remote head it may or may not have, it should be mounted away from all safety devices (SRS), and not be in a position to interfere with any of the vehicle controls, no matter how minor they may be. These points cannot be over emphasized.

My Install article, and the Photo Gallery depict how others have installed their radios and heads, and have avoided most of the pitfalls. Both good reference material.

With the aforementioned in mind, you have a few options. But first, you have to decide how you're going to get the job done. Are you going to use a commercial mount, or perhaps a home brewed one? Let's cover a few points here before we go on.

When I speak of mounts, I'm not talking about the ones shipped with your new transceiver. No matter who made the radio, the supplied (usually at extra cost) mounting brackets are rather brief. They're certainly not universal, but just a basic bracket which can be used to mount the remote head (if there is one), and/or the main body. As long as the mounting surface is flat, and you have lots of available space, they'll do just fine. We all know this is not the norm.

If you're a DIY (do it yourself) kind of guy, just about every decent hardware store carries DIY aluminum. All manner of rod and bar, flat and square, angled or what have you, is available. You can bend it, form it, drill it, and even tap it to suit just about any mounting situation. Unfortunately, not all of us have enough hand tools to fashion such a mounting bracket. Thankfully, adroit manufacturers have come to our rescue (I cover home brew later on).

There are a few companies who specialize in mobile mounts. Ram Mounts is one of them, and they have a very good selection aimed at us amateur radio operators. Their web sites offers a plethora of examples. The photo at left is just one of many.

Doug Johnson, W9IIX, has two different lines of mobile mounts, and enough accessories to go with them to mount just about any amateur transceiver. His e-mail address and telephone number are listed on his web site.

Gamber-Johnson, is most likely the largest manufacturer of mobile mounts in the world. That's one of their pole mounts shown below left. Just about every police, fire, governmental, or allied safety organization uses them exclusively.

Trust me, you pay for the privilege, but I'd like to think you get exactly what you pay for. While Ram Mounts' products (and most others) are universal, Gamber-Johnson's are designed for specific vehicles. Next time you see a parked police vehicle, look inside. The chances are you'll see a G-J mount.

In addition, Panavise, Havis, and Jotto Desk all make customized radio mounts for just about every vehicle you can name. Standard model prices vary from as little as $20, to as much as $200. Large custom mounts can run into the thousands.

I like to think every amateur has enough tools and wherewithal to make whatever brackets they need. However, this pie-in-the-sky notion isn't reality. If you look over my Install article, or the Photo Gallery, you'll see all matter of home brew brackets holding everything from antennas, to remote heads, batteries, and more. Some of them were fashioned by the amateurs themselves, and some had the help of a machine shop and/or welding shop. No matter, if you designed it, it's yours, and that fact makes it a home brew project. I can't speak for you, but I get great joy (and pride) in making all manner of brackets, and even electronics that I install in my vehicles.

At left are a few examples of home brew brackets made out of DIY aluminum. Not all were successful, and that's part of the fun. The bracket on the left was used to mount a 1 Farad cap which I don't use any more. The one on the right secured one end of an SG235 Auto-coupler. The one in the middle didn't work like I thought it would. In fact, I remade the bracket three times before I got it like I wanted.

The white plastic in the photo is Delrin. It can be purchased from dozens of sources, and in several different formulations, but not all are RF transparent. Here is a site which lists the various properties of some of the more popular plastics. Although the chart (near the bottom of the page) lists dialectic properties in volts per mil, this figure is not in itself an indication that any given plastic will be RF transparent. If in doubt, ask, as most plastic suppliers have such information readily available.

One often recommended method is to place a sample in the microwave and turn is on for a few seconds. That may indeed work, but you have to be very careful. Some forms of PVC will explode into flames after just a couple of seconds. Personally, I just ask.

The point I'm trying to make here is simply this; brackets can be made from a variety a material. I've seen one very well made bracket fashioned from ironwood (Olea laurifolia). It was nicely shaped, drilled, tapped, and finished in gloss black lacquer. With brass hardware, it looked right at home in a 2001 Bentley!

What ever your level of expertise is, a home brew project can bring a lot of satisfaction. Besides, it keeps you out of the spouse's hair for a while.

There are a few things I think amateurs should stay away from when installing radios, and remote heads. These include double-sided sticky tape (or any type of tape), loop and hook (Velcro) fastening material, magnets (believe it or not), or any kind of spring, bungie cord, rubber band, or wedged in blocks of wood.

Some forms of the double-sided tapes are used by vehicle manufacturers to attach all matter of things together. However, the tape they use is made from industrial grade adhesives. Once they're stuck on, they stay stuck! If you know how much of your vehicle was put together using this stuff, you might be surprised. They even use Velcro, and its larger plastic "pin-cushion" cousin to hold down trim pieces inside of vehicles. If you've ever looked inside a crashed vehicle, you'd know all of trim typically flies off. One could argue that it is designed to do that, but a four ounce piece of trim is one thing, and three pound remote head is another! The safest method is always one that uses screws, nuts, and bolts. If you need to have a removable radio, then invest in a slide mount from one of a dozen different companies who make them.

Clearly, some mounting methods are far-less effective and secure than others. The essential element in any method you choose, is safety. If it is easy for you to remove (Velcro for example), then a crash will remove it too.

Recently, I was shown a very clean install of an IC-7000 in a Volvo. The head mount was properly attached by using existing screws in the lower dash. The problem was, it was held onto the mount with a magnet, albeit one of those insanely powerful neodymium ones. The proud owner demonstrated how secure the head was by trying to pull it off. Well, all I did was slide the head sideways about and inch, and off it came! This just proves that some things look and sound good in theory, but are poor in practice. It pays to think safety!

There are a few extras worth mentioning. High voltage lacquer is available from any good hardware store. The stuff is truly amazing. When properly applied, its insulating properties exceed two kilovolts per mil. From experience, its insulating properties extend well into the HF spectrum. Its only drawback is, it will discolor and/or damage some plastics and paints. Make sure you read the label instructions.

Don't use car polish on anything with RF around it. The majority of car polishes are conductive which speaks volumes. Further, the stuff can seal in moisture just as good as it seals it out. Every single ballmount I have had fail, did so because it had car polish on it. If you have to protect your antenna and/or mount from the ravages of weather, use RainX. Just remember, it too can discolor some plastics, so exercise care.

Don't forget grommets. If a wire goes through a hole, it should do so through a grommet. Sometimes, in the case of firewall penetration, this allows fumes and moisture to get into the cabin. I've seen just about everything used to seal grommets including RTV, plumbers putty, and coax seal. Everyone of these has some drawback. The best stuff I've seen is made by 3M (Lord, what isn't?). It's called Strip-Caulk, but most folks call it Dum Dum. You can buy it at most auto parts stores. Although it is gooey, it can be removed even years later. What little residue it has is easily removed with denatured alcohol.