Larsen 2/70 NMO Antenna install - RAM 1500

Installing a mobile radio seems to be one of those projects that just keeps on going.  There is always something to change or improve.

I have been planning to install an NMO mounted antenna on my truck since the beginning.  I installed a mag-mount antenna when first started operating with my handheld and it worked reasonably well.  I noticed recently the coax cable started to scratch the paint, so there was a bit of urgency to install the NMO mount.

I decided to order the Larsen NMO-2/70K kit from GPS Central after seeing it mentioned several times across many different forums.  I realize it is ridiculously tall, especially on a truck that sits about 6'2" on it's own, but I don't think it will be a problem.  I avoid parking garages already and life won't be that much worse if I have to walk into a restaurant instead of going through the drive-thru.  I did order the heavy-duty rain cap, which I'll leave in the truck if I absolutely have to take the antenna off.

I have seen two methods of creating the hole for the NMO - drilling and a hole punch.  Originally I thought the hole punch would be the better method - it appears to create a much cleaner hole.  However, the more I thought about it the more difficult it seemed.  A 3/4" hole punch still needs a 1/2" hole for the draw bolt.  Plus you need access to both sides to get it started.  After watching a few videos on dropping the headliner in a RAM 1500, I decided it would be way too hard to use a hole punch and went ahead and ordered a Larsen HS1 3/4" hole saw for NMO antenna mounting.  It arrived earlier this week, so I was ready to get started.

I disconnected the battery and dropped the headliner on the passenger side to get an idea of the roof structure.  There is a beam running between the B pillars - it's nearly a foot wide.  Basically the entire distance between the green tape marks below.  I will be installing a GFC camper that overhangs the cab a bit past the rear edge of the back door glass, so I figured installing in front of the beam would be safer.

Didn't want it too far forward and by eyeballing marked a spot I thought was just in front of the beam.  Turns out I was a touch too close:

Luckily, by mounting the NMO with the cable pointing to the passenger side, there was still plenty of room to tighten it down.  Lucky!  I used a bit of dielectric grease on the gasket under the NMO mount so it wouldn't bind as I tightened it down with the channel lock pliers.  I did the same to the top channel of the Larsen Super Seal Gasket so the antenna base would slide as it tightened.  I'm hoping two seals do the trick.

A wire harness near the windshield had these handy spare U-clips already attached, so I used those to route the coax down the passenger side A pillar (making sure to stay well clear of the airbag) and then under the glove box to the center console.

Since I was pulling everything apart, I decide to move the loud speaker as well.  The Bayou Goat mount I purchased was clearly not built for the weight of the Yaesu MLS-200-M10.  If I had ordered the "triple mount", I may have been OK as it appears to lay flat on top of the console, while the "single mount" I ordered is entirely supported by one leg on a flexible cross member.  It bounced around quite a bit and was fairly distracting.

There is quite a bit of room behind the center console under the screen.  In addition, there is a little storage near the bottom with a "ceiling" that slopes back into the console.  The "ceiling" is not visible from the front seats, so I decided to drill it full of holes and mount the speaker to drive down towards it.  In the picture below, the storage area is holding my sunglasses.  There is quite a bit more depth to it.  In the second picture you can see it from the back, full of holes.

There was a handy cross-member below the radio screen that I used to mount the speaker.  The bottom half is just plastic, but the top two holes I had to drill through a metal support (which is great - the speaker is heavy and I was worried about the plastic holding it).

I was a little nervous putting it all back together, but everything went together perfectly.  I do need to drive it at a higher volume level, but it's not as bad as when it was installed under the seat.

Overall, I think I am happy with the current state of affairs.  The antenna looks great and works great too.  It seemed like reception is better than with the 1/4 wave mag mount I was using previously.