Any comments on this NMO mount install video?
Forums:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eJcC1mNLGc [15:07]
He uses one special tool, a 3/4 hole cutter designed with a lip to prevent it from continuing through and mangling your headliner. For the remainder of the install, he improvises using an adjustable wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers.
He didn't state it in the video, but that silicon lubricant is the same stuff as "spark plug boot release grease", and they sell tiny packets -- more than enough for a couple installations -- at auto parts stores near the checkout.
I would guess the grease would also help to hold the O-ring in place while you tighten everything down.
Coincidentally, I put an NMO
Coincidentally, I put an NMO mount in my 2008 Nissan Frontier so all the trim he removed looks familiar.
A couple of things I didn't see in this video that he may have done but doesn't show it:
Dropping the headliner. It's a big pain to do even partially in the truck but it lets you see where you are drilling and gives access to the other side of the hole for the second thing I'll get to. But by not dropping the headliner, you risk hitting something you can't see. There are ribs in the truck roof for instance, that had he drilled into with that hole saw, he may not have completely cut through. And had he hit them dead center and been able to cut through, his mount may not have been able to handle the additional thickness (there are NMO mounts made to handle thicker material that I have seen online though). There is also the possibility of hitting unseen wiring or drilling into other lighting. This truck has a rear light ceiling right up against the roof and wiring running to it. Dropping the headliner also helps in routing the coax.
The other thing that I did was remove the finish surrounding the underside of the hole. I did this in two ways. One I used a small handheld file that is S-shaped and ran it around the hole from the outside. I also reached in under the partially dropped liner and used a Dremel tool with a bullet-shaped grinding wheel. This was all done of course to make a better ground.
He could have tested the grounding with a VOM from the PL239 end before he was done, between the shield and truck chassis.
Another thing he could have done is avoided the side airbag all together by running the coax down the inside of the pillar between the front and back or just down the back side and along the inside of the bottom of the doors. It might have made the run longer but it would have avoided any risk of setting the airbag off, during install or afterwards.
Thanks Gary!
Thanks Gary!
If it wasn't in this video, another video had him slightly hitting a roof support rib. He dealt with the issue off-camera but talked about how he resolved it.
It both a recent and a well rated video, and the guy seemed like he knew what he was doing for the most part. I'm somewhat amazed a ham (or at least a ham that publishes videos under his call) didn't rank higher.
Anyway it's good to get feedback.
One other comment I forgot.
One other comment I forgot. There's another grommet right below the one he used, to run the power through the firewall, that's totally un-used. I found it by searching a Nissan forum and found a guy that had done an amateur radio install in the same year Frontier as mine. Complete with detailed pictures. I previously found a post about retro fitting fog lights in my truck, again with great pictures and only using Nissan factory parts.
The lesson is: search forums for your brand/model before you begin an install. You may not find a ham radio install but you may find a great way to get power or route cabling.