What about something on the little box thingy at the front of the cargo rack?  We never used that for anything when my wife had her Xterra.

I'm using an Austin 500C on my Frontier crew cab, and really like it.

It's low-profile, rugged, and looks good. Uses a NMO mount, which is nice.



(The tip of the antenna just BARELY extends above the top of this image).

Boo! I had an ex that got an Xterra after driving her Cobra into my back bumper…always thought XJ's were much better built and had a much beefier rear axle (coming from a guy with a worn out Chrysler 8.25 in his).

I liked the 500C…just wasn't broadbanded for my needs on UHF (but no one had any information on that so I had to buy one and put it on an analyzer to find out). Now had it been a dual band antenna with a trap allowing for 1/4 wave on each band, would've been broadband enough.

NMO in the roof…specific to pretty much everything.

On my 2003 X, I needed to be able to still fit the vehicle in the garage as well as avoid hazards like tree branches and brush. Because it's strictly a field rig, it sees a lot of narrow roads with trees and sagebrush. I also don't like to compromise my antenna too much.

I decided to mount a Larsen NMO2/70B on a Diamond K400 trunk lip mount on the hood opposite the factory FM antenna. The mount is such that the antenna is inboard of the edge of the rig quite a ways, and does not need adjustment or removal to pop the hood. I never touch it. The radio is a Kenwood D710A. I mounted the radio under the passenger seat along with a 4005H. The head is mounted on the top of the dash, center. The mic is run through the center console and lives there when not in use. Wiring is clean and nothing is visible.

After 2 years, the antenna has proved to not be in a compromised location at all - I am often quite a long ways from the repeaters that I use and do not have problems getting back into the machines. The mount and antenna have held up just fine, and nothing has come loose (I used blue Locktite on the set screws for the mount). I also ran a plastic sheath (split clear tubing) on the K400 coax from the mount back through the firewall just to protect it.

All in all, I can't think of a better 2/440 setup on the X than this one, and I'd do it again exactly as engineered the first time.

According to Larsen the hood channel is -2 dB in reference to a roof mount NMO. I don't believe it but that's what they say. They also mention that roof mount mag is only a -.02 dB compramise to a roof mount.

I keep one of mine under the back seat of the XJ. Never have had a problem with it.

Never overheated the radio, and I run a local net on occasion for ~30-45min on it. I usually have it on the high output setting too.

The bumper is a one-of aluminum, weighed 45lbs before the winch. Awesome gussets and winch plate with the holes in the right places. Was not cheap but does the trick. If you decide you need one, the fab guy still has the CAD info for his table, and he ships Al Toyota bumpers all the time.



I believe it for the forward-facing direction perhaps, but not necessarily for the rear-facing. -2 dB is negligible when you have a 50w rig though. Again, operationally it's never felt restricted or compromised. APRS works great too.

I put my dual band antenna on the front bumper...works great...

Let me see if I can find a picture...

I like it, red and black are a sharp color combo.

this is different... im looking into getting it for my set up looks cool

And that's why I love my JCR bumpers on my XJ.

Although, my trucks haven't always had the cheapest bumpers on them in the past. The one I'm looking at right now has a Cattleman (not too fond of the brand but I'd take it over a Ranch Hand any day) front bumper on it…

It was a little over $1k, like double what a steel unit would cost.

Not an Xterra per se but it is in the same family and wearing an Xterra roof rack!!

Its a Browning dual bander, works surprisingly well for 40 bucks! Amazon baby!

No issues yet with HT's, receive and transmit yields great reports, use it a lot on the trail when all of the chicken band stuff is in use and drunken crude humor is not acceptable to the spousal unit and kids...

;)

I don't.. just little tid bits of online stories.. reports say its a winner.

Three words. Maximum Permissible Exposure.

Yep. Mine crossbands as well, and works pretty good. Don't use it much, but when we park on the top of a ridge and hike around the two sides...it comes in handy.

As for radiation....psssshhhh jk

I'm curious about a 2m/70cm radio/antenna combo to get me started in a Ford explorer. Ijust passed my tech last weekend. I'd like to avoid drilling holes in the vehicle if possible, but I just need some "go here and buy this" under $400 advice to get started.

I got along many years with a Larson dual band antenna and a magnetic mount. Note that you will still have to deal with getting the coax into the car.
73,
Rob