grounding my antenna?
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,213
Likes: 21
From: Grand falls, Newfoundland
grounding my antenna?
I have installed my antenna on the third light. I am trying to figure the best way to ground the antenna. I was thinking of running inside the jeep with a good ground wire. That way I can get to bare metal on the body with no rusting issues. Any length restriction on ground wire?
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 4
From: Bella Vista, AR
Effectively, you need an RF return for your mount to the body/chassis of the vehicle. This return "ground wire/strap" should be absolutely as short as possible and with the least resistance possible.
This means it should be either copper strapping, copper braiding or thick solid copper wire. Any of these are fine. The bigger (thicker/wider) the better.
An antenna has two primary parts or "poles". When we think of vehicle antennas, we typically think of the "stick" or vertical piece of metal rising above the vehicle as the antenna. That's really only half of it. The other half or "pole" of the antenna is just as imporant. In most mobile applications, the other half is the vehicle body and chassis.
The ground must be short. Because mobile installations are by thier very nature a balance of compromises, we don't want to add too much weakness to our system by throwing in a load of ground losses. The "power" that your radio puts out needs to radiate fromt the vertical component of the antenna. If your "ground wire" becomes too long your radio may think it is the part you want to radiate. Also, the shorter it is, the less ground losses and resistance it has.
Your current mount is a challenge because it's both a long way from the body/chassis and you have amoving hinge to content with. You might consider a "ground wire" down to a bolt in tire carrier and then a second strap bonding the tailgate to the body/chassis over toward the hinge. If you run a single wire/strap, just make it as short as is possible, but your results may not impress you.
Here is a link that explains "grounding" in pretty comprehensive terms:
Grounds, RF & DC
K5PO
This means it should be either copper strapping, copper braiding or thick solid copper wire. Any of these are fine. The bigger (thicker/wider) the better.
An antenna has two primary parts or "poles". When we think of vehicle antennas, we typically think of the "stick" or vertical piece of metal rising above the vehicle as the antenna. That's really only half of it. The other half or "pole" of the antenna is just as imporant. In most mobile applications, the other half is the vehicle body and chassis.
The ground must be short. Because mobile installations are by thier very nature a balance of compromises, we don't want to add too much weakness to our system by throwing in a load of ground losses. The "power" that your radio puts out needs to radiate fromt the vertical component of the antenna. If your "ground wire" becomes too long your radio may think it is the part you want to radiate. Also, the shorter it is, the less ground losses and resistance it has.
Your current mount is a challenge because it's both a long way from the body/chassis and you have amoving hinge to content with. You might consider a "ground wire" down to a bolt in tire carrier and then a second strap bonding the tailgate to the body/chassis over toward the hinge. If you run a single wire/strap, just make it as short as is possible, but your results may not impress you.
Here is a link that explains "grounding" in pretty comprehensive terms:
Grounds, RF & DC
K5PO
Last edited by arjeeper; Sep 18, 2012 at 05:00 AM.
Thread Starter
JK Junkie
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,213
Likes: 21
From: Grand falls, Newfoundland
Effectively, you need an RF return for your mount to the body/chassis of the vehicle. This return "ground wire/strap" should be absolutely as short as possible and with the least resistance possible.
This means it should be either copper strapping, copper braiding or thick solid copper wire. Any of these are fine. The bigger (thicker/wider) the better.
An antenna has two primary parts or "poles". When we think of vehicle antennas, we typically think of the "stick" or vertical piece of metal rising above the vehicle as the antenna. That's really only half of it. The other half or "pole" of the antenna is just as imporant. In most mobile applications, the other half is the vehicle body and chassis.
The ground must be short. Because mobile installations are by thier very nature a balance of compromises, we don't want to add too much weakness to our system by throwing in a load of ground losses. The "power" that your radio puts out needs to radiate fromt the vertical component of the antenna. If your "ground wire" becomes too long your radio may think it is the part you want to radiate. Also, the shorter it is, the less ground losses and resistance it has.
Your current mount is a challenge because it's both a long way from the body/chassis and you have amoving hinge to content with. You might consider a "ground wire" down to a bolt in tire carrier and then a second strap bonding the tailgate to the body/chassis over toward the hinge. If you run a single wire/strap, just make it as short as is possible, but your results may not impress you.
Here is a link that explains "grounding" in pretty comprehensive terms:
Grounds, RF & DC
K5PO
This means it should be either copper strapping, copper braiding or thick solid copper wire. Any of these are fine. The bigger (thicker/wider) the better.
An antenna has two primary parts or "poles". When we think of vehicle antennas, we typically think of the "stick" or vertical piece of metal rising above the vehicle as the antenna. That's really only half of it. The other half or "pole" of the antenna is just as imporant. In most mobile applications, the other half is the vehicle body and chassis.
The ground must be short. Because mobile installations are by thier very nature a balance of compromises, we don't want to add too much weakness to our system by throwing in a load of ground losses. The "power" that your radio puts out needs to radiate fromt the vertical component of the antenna. If your "ground wire" becomes too long your radio may think it is the part you want to radiate. Also, the shorter it is, the less ground losses and resistance it has.
Your current mount is a challenge because it's both a long way from the body/chassis and you have amoving hinge to content with. You might consider a "ground wire" down to a bolt in tire carrier and then a second strap bonding the tailgate to the body/chassis over toward the hinge. If you run a single wire/strap, just make it as short as is possible, but your results may not impress you.
Here is a link that explains "grounding" in pretty comprehensive terms:
Grounds, RF & DC
K5PO
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 4
From: Bella Vista, AR
If you already have the wire, give it a shot and see how you came out. I think it'd likely work.
Most people use the subwoofer bolt if you have one. Ideally, you'd want a chassis ground, but I'd try that bolt first for ease of access.
For grounding purposes, if wire is used, usually solid copper wire is used, but again, I think it'll work.
This is not an ideal antenna spot anyway in terms of RF, so these compromises are inevitable.
It is the ideal spot in terms of not getting it ripped off by a tree limb on a Jeep, though!
Most people use the subwoofer bolt if you have one. Ideally, you'd want a chassis ground, but I'd try that bolt first for ease of access.
For grounding purposes, if wire is used, usually solid copper wire is used, but again, I think it'll work.
This is not an ideal antenna spot anyway in terms of RF, so these compromises are inevitable.
It is the ideal spot in terms of not getting it ripped off by a tree limb on a Jeep, though!
Last edited by arjeeper; Sep 18, 2012 at 07:12 AM.
