Folding antenna bracket

[mat02920]

Hi guys,

Has anyone made their own folding antenna bracket? I want to put my uhf antenna on the roofrack but will need to be able to fold it away to get into car parks. Has anyone made their own? What materials did you use? Preferably available at Bunnings... pics would be great.

Thanks

Mat

[Wicks747]

Kinda hard to explain but I am thinking of doing the same. Was going get a section of agle iron and weld a peice of round tube to one end for a bolt to go through as a hinge and bolt to a peice of flat plate. Then weld one of those Spring type dead bolts gate latches to the flat vertical side of the angle and just drill two hole in the plate to receive the pin. One in the up right position and one in the down. This leaving the flat horizontal top side to drill a large hole to bolt the antenna through. Can draw a diagram and post later when I'm home if your interested?

[geopaj]

From my build thread, here is how I made a folding antenna mount to be attached to my roof rack (though I "cheated" started with a commercial folding gutter mount that I modified)-

UHF Antenna Mount

Finally starting to find some time to tackle some of those small niggling jobs... I prefer to run a roof mounted UHF antenna (best for range & not a visual detraction like some other mounting options).

On the NL I used a folding gutter mount which was a great solution - easily folded for low clearance areas (ie city carparks) and folds down if you hit something in the bush rather than breaking the antenna mast. No gutters on the NT though so I decided to make a bracket to attach a modified folding gutter mount to the roof rack.

The bracket's design means that the bracket easily folds and, when folded, is lower than the top of the roof rack platform.


'Stubby antenna' mounted to the new mount



Antenna folded flat



Close up for the bracket and modified folding gutter mount.

[mat02920]

Thanks for your input - I think modifying an available gutter mount version is the way to go

[Herman4x4]

G'day Geopaj,
Is that a Benelec gutter mount you modified? Was it as simple as cutting the cutter mount bits off, the ones highlighted?
Thanks,
Andrew.

[geopaj]

G'day Geopaj,
Is that a Benelec gutter mount you modified? Was it as simple as cutting the cutter mount bits off, the ones highlighted?
Thanks,
Andrew.

Yep and yep (plus two counter sunk holes for mounting)

[Herman4x4]

Thanks Geopaj. Looks like this is the way I will be going.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Herman4x4]

Sorry Geopaj. One more question. How did you run the cable from the roof to inside?
Thanks,
Andrew

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[Herman4x4]

Fitted it up today. Cut the gutter mounts off, made a plate that slides in the roof rack channel and bolted to that. Have 2 whips, a normal size and a small one.
Cheers,
Andrew.


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[zoiks]

Looks great guys. Just bought one of these brackets myself.

How did you route your cable into the cabin?

[Herman4x4]

Sorry for not responding sooner. I ran it down under the rubber strip on the roof and then siliconed it along the side of the windscreen next to the windscreen trim, through to the engine bay and then a grommet into the cabin.
Cheers,
Andrew

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[Dicko1]

Looks great guys. Just bought one of these brackets myself.

How did you route your cable into the cabin?

Looks like he ran it under the roof rack gutter slot and then down along side the windscreen pillar rubber. Into the engine bay and through firewall.

I highlighted the area that I think shows cable coming from rack gutter (see rubber not 100% covered) and then what looks like antennae cable running out and down window...

[Herman4x4]

Spot on Dicko. You explained it much better.
Cheers,
Andrew

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[zoiks]

Thanks guys. I was thinking of doing it either this way or running down the back, through the rear door through a grommet and back to the front.

Rear would probably look better, but take a lot more effort.