Need advice for antenna and mount for this Yaesu. (1 Viewer)

[DSkeet]

My 80 came equipped with this radio and for some unknown reason the PO had a K40 trucker cb antenna hooked up to it. Anyway, the rig has a fender mount on it now but I am wanting to move to a lip mount to put on my rear hatch. My problem is understanding all the specs when it comes to ordering an antenna. I know I need a 1/4 wave 2 band 2m/70cm antenna but want some input and links to affordable antennas and mounts that you recommend. I currently do not hold a license but will be studying to take my test very soon(in the middle of a move with a newborn). My uncle passed away in Feb and my aunt told me that he left all of his HAM stuff to myself and my dad which excites me because I have always been intrigued by the hobby and he has a TON of cool stuff starting back in the 1970's. Anyway, thanks in advance!

 

[1911]

The FT-1900 is a 2-Meter radio, so you wouldn't need a dual-band antenna.

The rear hatch lip is not an ideal place to mount an antenna; you may not have enough ground plane for a 1/4-wave antenna but it depends how close to the roof and how far above the roof you can get the mast. A 1/2-wave antenna will be much more forgiving of poor ground plane.

Larsen makes a good 2-meter 1/2-wave antenna; look on the third row down here:
Larsen Amateur Mobile Antennas NMO

They also make 1/4-wave antennas if you're set on one.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

For those of us that don't have a lot of roof space this is another option.

 

[Dragos80]

As stated above, your radio is a single frequency radio (2m) not dual. Don't bother with dual freq ant.

Read this thread, especially post #4 and 5.



Halp - First HAM Radio / Newb

 

[DSkeet]

I ended up going with a 1/4 wave. I live at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in Alabama. (LITERALLY the house across the street at the bottom of the hill where Choccolocco mountain offroad park is)

That being said, installed antenna and mount today. Now I have to source a cable and app to program this radio with.

 

[1911]

It's close enough to the roof that you will get some ground plane from it, but I would check the SWR with a decent antenna analyzer before transmitting if I were you.

 

[WB8LBZ]

It has been by luck that low tree branches seam to catch the passenger side antenna no matter how small it is. I have an antenna on both sides of my rear hatch on my usual driver and I put the tallest on the driver side.

Larry in El Paso

 

[FJ60Seth]

In my experience, you will need to buy the proprietary Yaesu programming software and cable. I was never able to get CHIRP and a 3rd party cable to work correctly.

 

[WB8LBZ]

I have been wondering what the Duct Tape mod does for the standard FT-1900 radio.

Larry in El Paso

 

[Mrtwooooo]

If you don't mind drilling a hole then look into NMO mounts. I run a dual band kenwood radio and have a Larson 2/70 dual band antenna mounted in my front bumper using an NMO mount. I also have another NMO mount in the center of my roof which can run my Larson 2/70 or my Larson NMO150 which is a single band 2 meter antenna.

 

[wapitimud]

Drilling a hole in roof centre is the way to go if you're not planning to sell the vehicle. I often find the dome light in the center of the cab roof comes out, and in the middle of that I drill a 1/8" pilot hole upwards while inside the vehicle.

An NMO cable in a drilled hole in the roof won't scratch the finish the way a magmount or clamp mount will. It will give a superior ground plane as well. It can later be plugged with an NMO plug.

Above the roof, I use an " NMO hole saw " to drill the proper hole using that guide. I've done this on ambulances, police cars, fleet vehicles. A two-way radio shop can do this for you, probably worth paying them as it won't be their first, and they should have the special hole saw.

 

[Mike6158]

I use a mount for 2m/70cm that I got from @reznunt. I think it was made by KP. I don't see it on his website though.

Massive Metal Shop - Land Cruiser Parts

Quality Land Cruiser parts created from start to finish right here in the USA by experienced American engineers, operators, and fabricators.

www.massivemetalshop.com

Yodateq Products has something similar

MOUNTS

yodaTEQ products & designs

yodateq.com

The Saltgrass linked system and Megalink system in NM are all I've used and I have no issues hitting their repeaters when I travel. I'm mostly an HF operator though.

The antenna comes NMO or SO239 (mine is SO239). The antenna is made by Comet. Already noted but you only need 2m. I think I bought mine from DX Engineering.

Installation photo:

2m / 70 cm

HF ATAS (not installed at the moment)

Both

I use RT Systems to program all of my radios: RT Systems FT-1900 Radio Programming Software
It's pretty easy to use

 

[saucebox]

I use RT Systems to program all of my radios: RT Systems FT-1900 Radio Programming Software
It's pretty easy to use

Second that, RT stuff is super easy to use.

 

[doug720]

Non ground plane on front bumper and it works great.