Just installed 3 NMO mounts on my car with the help of this video. I had never done one before. The Greenlee chassis punch is definitely the way to go. Used a step drill bit to make the 3/8 pilot hole, and the chassis punch did the rest effortlessly! Thanks SurvivalComms! Note: The Greenlee chassis punch in the video has a small bolt on top, and Amazon will show this too. However, it has been discontinued, and it'll have a 1" bolt on it. No biggie, I just didn't have a wrench that big so I had to get one.
Thanks to this video, I learned to professionally install NMO antennas on different vehicles. I was around 15 years old when I first watched this video almost 6 years ago and I took this mans advice. I still have my Greenlee chasis punch after all these years and I treasure that tool like you can't imagine. Thanks SurvivalComms for recommending this tool which makes installing NMO antennas fast and simple.
You are welcome ! One of my mentors way back when told me to get one and I scoffed at how much it cost. The punch was 70 bucks IIRC at the only place that had it which was a small tool and die company. It still cuts beautifully after all these years and unfortunately I see a bunch of really awful hole saw NMO installs from upfitters that are truly cringeworthy. A fresh purpose built antenna saw is good for 15 to 20 installs IMHO where one of these will last a lifetime of car body perforating. Thanks for watching !
Thanks for the video! I'm slowly getting the confidence to actually do this. Couple of questions: - How's the performance on the trunk vs the roof? Is there enough of a difference to make the extra hassle worth it? - Is the engine noise reduced? I was listening to my HT inside the car the other day, and it was *awful*
I've done a few of these mounts and I've had trouble with the Greenlee punch. In one case a brand new punch left a pucker in the sheet metal making a water tight seal impossible. If you use that method do it with caution. My current install was done on a 2011 Toyota Camry. It also had a piece of stiffening sheet metal at the trunk lid center. I drilled straight through with a brand new hole saw. The 3/8's pilot bit for the 3/4 hole saw makes a hole in the stiffening sheet metal you can route the cable through. In my case there is a large opening in the protrusion to route through at the front edge of the trunk lid. I de-burred the metal and painted the bare edges with touch up paint. The end product is dead center and looks awesome.
There is one big plus side side for these. Over any other method, this method for mounting provides a much larger ground plane so you can get better signal qualities. If there is no antenna you can simply put a cap over the hole/ plug. Nicely performed! -KN4OQW
That’s how it’s done! Not some drilling and sweeping the burrs scratching the paint! If drilling is the only option, step drill is way better than the NMO drill as it tends to go dull after about 4 to 5 holes. Always use vacuum while drilling. My experience with Japanese cars is they have thinner sheet metal hence your NMO mount will have elevated center and if over tightened it bends the roof. I’d put a thin sheet metal as a washer to fix the issue . Recommend same type of metal such as galvanized sheet.
Thank you ! I agree hole saws are a mess. Even the most fastidious sweep and vacuum aficionado cannot keep up with the ragged mess a hole saw happy installer leaves in their wake. Clean penetrations is where it is at. Thanks for watching !
Great video, thanks for posting that! I'm mounting mine to the roof of my truck for a 2M/70cm antenna. I've never drilled a hole in a vehicle, for an antenna, so I'm SUPER worried about water leaking through the roof. How do I eliminate that?
Thank you and you are welcome. NMO mounts installed correctly have a great track record of remaining sealed. If you want the best seal possible select a Pulse / Larsen antenna with a superseal gasket. www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000565
Just wondering, but why didn't you put it in the void below the center of trunk? Friend of mine who does installs for local depts. puts them there where its center and its hid. I'm not downing your work, just curious.
You can do it that way with a holesaw and they do well in most cases - always ensure you have a good sharp holesaw as they can make a real mess otherwise. The chassis punch makes a perfect size clean hole. I am guessing the void you are mentioning is the one proximal to the rear window ? If we would have went there the whip would have interfered with the trunk opening and closing . Thanks for watching !
You really should follow Motorola's installation instructions. The mount requires a1/8" paint removal under the ferule to establish a correct radiation pattern for the antenna. This is accomplished when an "Antenna Hole Saw" is used such as the Laird Antenex or Ripley products. Not trying to criticize, just pointing out an industry standard procedure.
This was a very informative video but I had a question....Don't you have to place a rubber washer over the threads before screwing in the NMO antenna to make it a bit more water proof?
The O- ring in the base nut provides a seal for the mount. If sealing the antenna to a better degree concerns you go with the pulse larsen line. The gasket system they use is the best seal you can get. Thanks for watching !
Having a hard time finding the Greenlee punch you used. I see a lot of conduit punches which you explicitly said that was not what you used. Have a part number you can provide? A kit with an assortment of sizes would be useful since I need a 5/8 for my truck puck mount.
The greenlee PN is 730-BB 3/4 for the 3/4" and 730-BB 5/8 for the 5/8" . I had a specialty tool store order mine 20 years ago and it is still going strong. It looks like amazon has them available and there are some less expensive alternatives too listed. Thanks and good luck !
@@maximusrow It would be for a mobile radio. You could use it for a CB radio if you wanted. You need to find the end of the cable in the passenger compartment.
I am good and thank you. It is not difficult to do - just study both sides of the mounting surface and the cable routing before you punch your hole. I don't like drilling into voids I cannot see both sides of . Take your time and you won't be a first timer anymore. Thanks for watching and commenting !
I have never had an issue or suffered any decrease in value when I sold a car so equipped. When selling the vehicle leave the mount and cap it with an NMO cap. I have never had anyone even mention it. Thanks for watching !
Why not just use a side trunk or hatch mount so you don't have to punch a hole in the body of the vehicle. I would imagine that will decrease resale value of the car.
Those mounts are less efficient and less durable in service. The set screws also cause corrosion issues. The effect on resale value is negligible in my experience. Thanks for watching !
I just found this video. Wow. Thank you! I'm getting ready to install a Yaesu 2M/70CM in my Cruze, and this is just what I need.
You are welcome ! Thanks for watching !
Just installed 3 NMO mounts on my car with the help of this video. I had never done one before. The Greenlee chassis punch is definitely the way to go. Used a step drill bit to make the 3/8 pilot hole, and the chassis punch did the rest effortlessly! Thanks SurvivalComms!
Note: The Greenlee chassis punch in the video has a small bolt on top, and Amazon will show this too. However, it has been discontinued, and it'll have a 1" bolt on it. No biggie, I just didn't have a wrench that big so I had to get one.
I am glad to hear it and you are welcome ! It really is like a hot knife through butter. Thanks for watching and commenting !
Thanks to this video, I learned to professionally install NMO antennas on different vehicles. I was around 15 years old when I first watched this video almost 6 years ago and I took this mans advice. I still have my Greenlee chasis punch after all these years and I treasure that tool like you can't imagine. Thanks SurvivalComms for recommending this tool which makes installing NMO antennas fast and simple.
You are welcome ! One of my mentors way back when told me to get one and I scoffed at how much it cost. The punch was 70 bucks IIRC at the only place that had it which was a small tool and die company. It still cuts beautifully after all these years and unfortunately I see a bunch of really awful hole saw NMO installs from upfitters that are truly cringeworthy. A fresh purpose built antenna saw is good for 15 to 20 installs IMHO where one of these will last a lifetime of car body perforating. Thanks for watching !
@@survivalcomms Yes I do agree...they are expensive but I am almost sure they will last a lifetime if used for their intended purpose. 👍
Thanks for the video! I'm slowly getting the confidence to actually do this. Couple of questions:
- How's the performance on the trunk vs the roof? Is there enough of a difference to make the extra hassle worth it?
- Is the engine noise reduced? I was listening to my HT inside the car the other day, and it was *awful*
I've done a few of these mounts and I've had trouble with the Greenlee punch. In one case a brand new punch left a pucker in the sheet metal making a water tight seal impossible. If you use that method do it with caution. My current install was done on a 2011 Toyota Camry. It also had a piece of stiffening sheet metal at the trunk lid center. I drilled straight through with a brand new hole saw. The 3/8's pilot bit for the 3/4 hole saw makes a hole in the stiffening sheet metal you can route the cable through. In my case there is a large opening in the protrusion to route through at the front edge of the trunk lid. I de-burred the metal and painted the bare edges with touch up paint. The end product is dead center and looks awesome.
There is one big plus side side for these. Over any other method, this method for mounting provides a much larger ground plane so you can get better signal qualities. If there is no antenna you can simply put a cap over the hole/ plug. Nicely performed! -KN4OQW
Thank you and exactly ! Thanks for watching !
I have been wondering how you make the hole. Now I know. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks for watching !
That’s how it’s done! Not some drilling and sweeping the burrs scratching the paint! If drilling is the only option, step drill is way better than the NMO drill as it tends to go dull after about 4 to 5 holes. Always use vacuum while drilling. My experience with Japanese cars is they have thinner sheet metal hence your NMO mount will have elevated center and if over tightened it bends the roof. I’d put a thin sheet metal as a washer to fix the issue . Recommend same type of metal such as galvanized sheet.
Thank you ! I agree hole saws are a mess. Even the most fastidious sweep and vacuum aficionado cannot keep up with the ragged mess a hole saw happy installer leaves in their wake. Clean penetrations is where it is at. Thanks for watching !
Great video, thanks for posting that!
I'm mounting mine to the roof of my truck for a 2M/70cm antenna.
I've never drilled a hole in a vehicle, for an antenna, so I'm SUPER worried about water leaking through the roof. How do I eliminate that?
Thank you and you are welcome. NMO mounts installed correctly have a great track record of remaining sealed. If you want the best seal possible select a Pulse / Larsen antenna with a superseal gasket.
www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000565
Fuck me
RIP all headphone users with that drill lmao
Just wondering, but why didn't you put it in the void below the center of trunk? Friend of mine who does installs for local depts. puts them there where its center and its hid. I'm not downing your work, just curious.
You can do it that way with a holesaw and they do well in most cases - always ensure you have a good sharp holesaw as they can make a real mess otherwise. The chassis punch makes a perfect size clean hole. I am guessing the void you are mentioning is the one proximal to the rear window ? If we would have went there the whip would have interfered with the trunk opening and closing . Thanks for watching !
Great presentation
Thank you ! Thanks for watching !
You really should follow Motorola's installation instructions. The mount requires a1/8" paint removal under the ferule to establish a correct radiation pattern for the antenna. This is accomplished when an "Antenna Hole Saw" is used such as the Laird Antenex or Ripley products. Not trying to criticize, just pointing out an industry standard procedure.
Ok..... Sounds like hole saw marketing hype to me. You should make a video. Thanks for watching
This was a very informative video but I had a question....Don't you have to place a rubber washer over the threads before screwing in the NMO antenna to make it a bit more water proof?
The O- ring in the base nut provides a seal for the mount. If sealing the antenna to a better degree concerns you go with the pulse larsen line. The gasket system they use is the best seal you can get. Thanks for watching !
So where do you get a Greenlee Chassis punch? I can’t find one anywhere! Would you like to rent yours out for $10? 73, Tom KC3QAC
Amazon has them - they are not cheap however. Thanks for watching
Having a hard time finding the Greenlee punch you used. I see a lot of conduit punches which you explicitly said that was not what you used. Have a part number you can provide? A kit with an assortment of sizes would be useful since I need a 5/8 for my truck puck mount.
The greenlee PN is 730-BB 3/4 for the 3/4" and 730-BB 5/8 for the 5/8" . I had a specialty tool store order mine 20 years ago and it is still going strong. It looks like amazon has them available and there are some less expensive alternatives too listed. Thanks and good luck !
How do you open the trunk when the antennas in place
With a key or trunk release. Thanks for watching !
@@survivalcomms love it!
@@davidboyd7773 Thanks for watching !
I have one of these on my car. What is it’s purpose? Thanks in advance!
They are mounts for two way radio antennas. Thanks for watching !
SurvivalComms so I’d by a radio and talk to friends with the same style radio? Like a wallow talkie? I’m really new to this.
@@maximusrow It would be for a mobile radio. You could use it for a CB radio if you wanted. You need to find the end of the cable in the passenger compartment.
Make sure to use a silicone if you want to get the most out of the gasket that came with it.
Yes indeed. Thanks for watching !
@@survivalcomms your welcome glad you posted this.
Hey how are you? Great video! Would you recommend a "first timer" doing this or professional installer ?
I am good and thank you. It is not difficult to do - just study both sides of the mounting surface and the cable routing before you punch your hole. I don't like drilling into voids I cannot see both sides of . Take your time and you won't be a first timer anymore. Thanks for watching and commenting !
👍👍👍👍👍👍💎
Thanks for watching !
To me that nmo looks better then Jerry rigging something
Its a great way to go for mobile antennas IMHO. Thanks for watching !
My question is what happens if you decide to sell the car
I have never had an issue or suffered any decrease in value when I sold a car so equipped. When selling the vehicle leave the mount and cap it with an NMO cap. I have never had anyone even mention it. Thanks for watching !
Why not just use a side trunk or hatch mount so you don't have to punch a hole in the body of the vehicle. I would imagine that will decrease resale value of the car.
Those mounts are less efficient and less durable in service. The set screws also cause corrosion issues. The effect on resale value is negligible in my experience. Thanks for watching !