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Antenna on Landrover Defender 90?!

HI out there!

My wife will get her Defender 90 (built 1990) this Saturday, and as she is a ham radio operator, it will be my job to drill some holes into the roof and mount some antennas.

Although mounting antennas belongs to my job I never did this with an Al chassis, and I doubt that the roof can carry ome VHF/UHF antennas (maximum length about 1m / 3ft) without some reinforcement of the roof? Or am I wrong, and I just can drill the holes (like into steel), mount the stuff, and am done?!

Any hints are appreciated. This will be our first Defender, but hopefully not the last one :-) I hope to follow her next year or so with my own 90...

regards - Ralph

Reply to
Ralph A. Schmid, DK5RAS
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I used to rig a mag-mount CB antenna by putting a piece of steel sheet inside the roof. The mag-mount would hold it. Not practical if you have a roof lining. You had to be careful to be clear of the reinforcing ribs. I still do the same with one of those amber beacons.

I don't know the details of the post-series roof, but I doubt you'll have a big problem. You may want to fit a spreader-plate (a _big_ washer) and pay attention to the potential for electrolytic corrosion. The roof structure is up to it, but I'd be wary of a single bolt-hole tearing.

(Yes, I know about gutter-mount antennae, and I know what that does to the radiation pattern.)

Have you thought of getting an FFR ex-MOD landie?

Reply to
David G. Bell

Pretty much. I use gutter mounts but you could drill the middle of the roof for such short stuff.

Beth

Reply to
Beth Clarke

This sounds good. I will give it a try.

regards - Ralph

Reply to
Ralph A. Schmid, DK5RAS

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