Hi-Q HF Antenna & FT-891 Install on a 2 Door Bronco

[AttackGuy64]

Give this a try.

https://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio

Used HF a lot before satcom became a thing in the military. Talked from Colorado to Puerto Rico a few times to test our setup.

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[Sea Monkey]

Thank you for the compliment! Doing it right and paying attention to RF fundamentals pays huge dividends. This website

http://k0bg.com/

Is the go-to site if you go mobile.

Wow! Thanks for the heads up on the K0BG site! Lots of great topics and info. Bookmarked for future reference. YouTube was a great go-to for good info and how-to's there for a while. But the quality has shallowed and the ads have increased so I'm back to good text sites now!

Thanks again!

 

[Kilgore]

Wow! Thanks for the heads up on the K0BG site! Lots of great topics and info. Bookmarked for future reference. YouTube was a great go-to for good info and how-to's there for a while. But the quality has shallowed and the ads have increased so I'm back to good text sites now!

Thanks again!

Thank you!
They don't come any better than K0BG. Have come to the conclusion that 80% of the YouTube sites are pure crap. After a lifetime in the engineering world, I wonder if these guys have a magic wand that bends or suspends the laws of physics.......

 

[Kilgore]

When you bond the body to the frame post some pics of it. Also, what antenna controller did you use?

Didn’t get as far as I would of liked to today, but I did explore the door (tailgate) post. Very easy to access by removing the trim which covers the hinge ares. Two 10mm bolts and four plastic expando screws and that's it.

The post is steel!! Had expected aluminum, but magnets don't lie. It will be a simple job to attach the bond strap and run it out under the rubberized lip of the removed trim and then to the antenna mount.

If things go as planned tomorrow, the ferrite for the common mode choke will arrive and I can then move forward with cabling.

 

[Sea Monkey]

Didn’t get as far as I would of liked to today, but I did explore the door (tailgate) post. Very easy to access by removing the trim which covers the hinge ares. Two 10mm bolts and four plastic expando screws and that's it.

The post is steel!! Had expected aluminum, but magnets don't lie. It will be a simple job to attach the bond strap and run it out under the rubberized lip of the removed trim and then to the antenna mount.

If things go as planned tomorrow, the ferrite for the common mode choke will arrive and I can then move forward with cabling.

Well done! I've watched two or three YouTubers who said any tailgate ground had to run back into the cabin and down to the frame below. Guess no one else tried the magnets. I'm surprised the post is steel myself, but it makes sense to have it at that corner. Nice find!

 

[Kilgore]

The ferrite came in this morning. The photos below show how the cable is centered inside the support tube by foam rings. The 8 ferrite beads are spaced between the foam rings. The coax shield will exit the tube at a right angle to the coax and will be bonded to the exterior of the tube. The coax is 98% shielded RG-8x with stranded center conductor. After the adhesives harden, the assembly will be stuffed into the support tube.

I'm sure the obvious question will be "what is ferrite and why is it there?"

Ferrite is a ceramic material made of various metals designed to o have specific magnetic properties. In this application the mix of metals was chosen to suppress any radio energy that flows on the outer shield of the coax. This energy is called common mode current and will cause problems with the radio system, especially at high power levels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_(magnet)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_bead

 

[Mammal]

Thanks for posting all this! It’s great to read someone with your experience sharing their thoughts! I am reassured by your K0bg.com reference. I referenced that site for my vhf/uhf install numerous times and have recommend it on this site a couple times.

If I put an HF antenna on the Bronco it will most likely be a screwdriver. But this is infinitely helpful. I’m currently learning CW and may want to get something like this built eventually.

Our rig is slotted for a mid March build. I am planning on inspecting the hard top and weighing the possibility of mounting a vhf/uhf 1/4 wave nmo to it with a home brewed ground plane inserted underneath the sound deadening. Not sure I’ll go through with it once I examine it. Anyway…

I was excited to see your post and look forward to reading on!!!

7 3 !

 

[Kilgore]

Thanks for posting all this! It’s great to read someone with your experience sharing their thoughts! I am reassured by your K0bg.com reference. I referenced that site for my vhf/uhf install numerous times and have recommend it on this site a couple times.

If I put an HF antenna on the Bronco it will most likely be a screwdriver. But this is infinitely helpful. I’m currently learning CW and may want to get something like this built eventually.

Our rig is slotted for a mid March build. I am planning on inspecting the hard top and weighing the possibility of mounting a vhf/uhf 1/4 wave nmo to it with a home brewed ground plane inserted underneath the sound deadening. Not sure I’ll go through with it once I examine it. Anyway…

I was excited to see your post and look forward to reading on!!!

7 3 !

Think twice about the rooftop NMO mount. Started down that path twice and turned back. The interior ground plane under the sound deadening turned out to be more messy than I wanted to deal with. Think bonding an aluminum sheet to the roof exterior holds more promise.

I ended up ordering the Bronco specific mounts from these guys;

https://topsyproducts.com/products/fender-mount-nmo-antenna-bracket-for-ford-bronco

They are well made. Be prepared to deal with routing the feedline through the narrow gap. Haven't done mine yet, but pretty sure I have a solution. Will start a thread when I start that job.

73

 

[Sparkherd]

You hams are crazy with your antennas. More power to you, sir. GMRS suits me just fine.

Yeah, I talked to a fellow in Germany this morning from my Low-Q Bronco in New Braunfels.

 

[Sparkherd]

Cool install for sure, I guess if you're going out by yourself a lot this make sense. Long distance, going to be able to get someone for help.

As to the everyday use and practicality, I don't think you're going to find many trail group partners to communicate with via Ham. GMRS is the way to go out on the trails for groups. So inexpensive and easy.

There are quite a few Amateur (HAM) Radios which can also be used on GMRS.

 

[Sparkherd]

Hi fellow Hams. Two years ago I took delivery of a Badlands and almost immediately was struck with the 7 speed manual death rattle. Decided to wait until Ford sorted things out before installing any ham gear. 7k miles since Ford performed the fix, the tyranny is silent, and the install has begun.

My first HF mobile install was 1976. The rig was a Kenwood TS-520 in a 1972 Datsun Pickup with hustler whips and resonators for antennas. Several compromises were made, like eliminating the ability to carry a passenger..........

My last install was a yaesu FT-891 and Diamond SD-330 screwdriver in a Jeep. That install served me well over 100k miles without a failure and great performance. The 891 will get a full once-over and firmware update on the bench and move over to the Bronco. The 330 will be recycled in a different truck.

The Diamond SD-330 still works great, but has been upgraded to a Hi-Q antenna. The big driver for this change is the ability to handle more power. The 330 is limited to 200 watts, the Hi-Q is rated at 1.5Kw. Although the install will not initially include the amplifier, it will be designed to accept the amp later.

This post will document the full install project in steps. The first step is where to mount the freaking antenna!! Ford didn't do us any favors here. No steel roof, no rear bumper mount if you have lane change sensors, and of course a thin aluminum body.

The Hi-Q is a big, heavy antenna with lots of wind resistance and mass mounted high. If your not familiar with one, go here for a peek;

https://www.hiqantennas.com/gallery/

After a lot of poking around, the only place that makes sense was the tailgate. It's designed to handle a heavy spare tire, and has accessible hinges that can be utilized as load bearing points.

After a rabbit trail of building a plate to capture the tire mount and hinges, I found this on Amazon:

Advanced Accessory Concepts Bronco 21+ Tailgate Reinforcement https://a.co/d/bwnWw7Z

Perfect starting point, and the price was right considering the time and materials I would avoid. The first test fit went well. What became evident almost immediately was the tailgate is not vertical. This causes the plate to have a 3.5 degree tilt forward at the top. Normally not an issue, but with a tall antenna, it looks really bad.

Next was the mount itself. My preference for strong, high power handling antenna mounts is the Breedlove Puck:

https://breedlovemounts.com/store/ols/products/high-power-puck

Have used them in many installs and never a failure, even at full legal limit. In this case, the mount would be mounted on a length of 2 inch aluminum tube, so the mounting ring was machined to have a slight interference fit to the tube. Final mounting was by heating the ring to expand it over the tube. After cooling, three locking TIG welds were performed between the ring and tube. Photos below.

The tube was secured to the plate with some angle stock and aluminum tubing clamps. Before drilling the final mounting holes for the Tubing clamps, the antenna was temporarily installed and made vertical. See photo.

The last photo is the completed mechanical install. Also installed is the breakover fitting for the whip. Its also a Breedlove product and recycled from the former Jeep install. Very useful in parking structures!! At this point the overall height is 13 feet. The whip will be trimmed down to give 12.5 feet where I am comfortable.

No grounding or bonding has been done yet. That will be in the second installment.

73, Bob
WB6AGE

Aw cool! Now there's TWO of us with HF Broncos!!!
I took the opposite route...wish I had the money for a Hi-Q!!!
Hope to catch you on the bands!!!
73s de W5DGV

 

[Mammal]

Think twice about the rooftop NMO mount. Started down that path twice and turned back. The interior ground plane under the sound deadening turned out to be more messy than I wanted to deal with. Think bonding an aluminum sheet to the roof exterior holds more promise.

I ended up ordering the Bronco specific mounts from these guys;

https://topsyproducts.com/products/fender-mount-nmo-antenna-bracket-for-ford-bronco

They are well made. Be prepared to deal with routing the feedline through the narrow gap. Haven't done mine yet, but pretty sure I have a solution. Will start a thread when I start that job.

73

Good to know. I appreciate the info! I doubt I will be willing to take on an interior hardtop mod if it’s that messy of an ordeal.

It sounds like you’ve done your research! How much of a compromise on performance do you feel those fender mounts are compared to a traditional (non bronco/jeep) roof mount nmo? I’ll probably stick with a Larsen 1/4 wave regardless.

7 3

 

[Kilgore]

Good to know. I appreciate the info! I doubt I will be willing to take on an interior hardtop mod if it’s that messy of an ordeal.

It sounds like you’ve done your research! How much of a compromise on performance do you feel those fender mounts are compared to a traditional (non bronco/jeep) roof mount nmo? I’ll probably stick with a Larsen 1/4 wave regardless.

7 3

Not enough of a compromise to matter if your working repeaters or simplex in every day situations.

We went from roof mounted to fender mount uhf antenna company trucks years ago just based on installation cost savings and resale value. No decernable coverage differences were noted in everyday use.

Regardless, not mounting in the center of the roof will have some negative impacts on coverage. Larsen antennas has a good article on this in their catalog. It's on page 16 & 17 of the attached.

Go with a 5/8 wave to get ~3db gain which will offset a bunch of the loss from a fender mount. My goto is the Larsen NMO150/450 in black.

73

 

[Kilgore]

Aw cool! Now there's TWO of us with HF Broncos!!!
I took the opposite route...wish I had the money for a Hi-Q!!!
Hope to catch you on the bands!!!
73s de W5DGV

Post some glamour photos!!!

 

[Sparkherd]

Post some glamour photos!!!

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/low-q-bronco.84929/

or QRZ

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