View Full Version : Motorola ICOM improvised antenna
Suivez Moi
04-02-2011, 06:02
We have Motorola ICOM radios. They do not work in our rooms and I need to find a way to improvise an antenna that I can run to the roof. Do you guys have any idea on how to do this?
http://www.bikudo.com/product_search/details/32739/helical_vhf_antenna_for_motorola_gp300.html
The current antenna looks like anyone of those. Maybe 6 inches long with a male end on it that screws into the radio on the top.
Paragrouper
04-02-2011, 09:26
Do you know the frequency band you are using? Most of these radios operate in either VHF or UHF. If you are not sure can you send the model number of the radio?
Once the frequency is known the antenna is not too difficult. No-hertz supplied some good links in this recent forum for some decent field expedent antennas: http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32734
The trick will be sorting a decent connector between the handheld and the transmission line.
Motorola makes an BNC antenna adaptor for several hand helds like Sabre etc....
It has a connector that normally connects to the programing port of your HH and has a BNC pigtail. If they make one for your model get it and all you have to do is get a MAGMOUNT antenna that is in your band with and attach it outside to pickup calls that are blocked due to the buildings construction.
Suivez Moi
04-02-2011, 13:19
Thanks for the responses. I don't have time to order anything for this project. We don't have too much longer out here and mail sometimes takes forever to get here. I am trying to hook up antenna cable to the short antenna and run it to the roof and hook another antenna to the end on the roof. I stripped of the insulation so there was metal to metal but it didn't work in the first try. I had to stop messing with it because I needed to go on a ruck march.
I got the antenna that was screwed into the cable and put it outside. I touched the copper to the lead on the ICOM and got it to work. Stripped the plastic off of the antenna and connected the cable to the metal but it didn't work. I am going to mess with it more tomorrow.
no-hertz
04-02-2011, 13:42
Thanks for the responses. I don't have time to order anything for this project. We don't have too much longer out here and mail sometimes takes forever to get here. I am trying to hook up antenna cable to the short antenna and run it to the roof and hook another antenna to the end on the roof. I stripped of the insulation so there was metal to metal but it didn't work in the first try. I had to stop messing with it because I needed to go on a ruck march.
I got the antenna that was screwed into the cable and put it outside. I touched the copper to the lead on the ICOM and got it to work. Stripped the plastic off of the antenna and connected the cable to the metal but it didn't work. I am going to mess with it more tomorrow.
Starting off, your post confuses the hell out of me, I am not sure exactly what you have done.
Too make sure I understand, You have taken a rubber duck antenna, connected to the radio. You have stripped coating off of this antenna, and hooked "antenna wire" (Coax? copper wire?) to a bare spot of metal inside the rubber duck hooked to the radio
you ran said "antenna wire" to the roof, and hooked up another antenna at the end of the run. What type of antenna was this?
I may have it all wrong, but it sounds like you are trying to feed transmission line off of some bare wire in a rubber duck antenna, and feed another antenna with that? I have never tried this, but it seems like it would not work very well at all. Let me know if it does, would be interesting.
Your best bet is going to be feeding some sort of transmission line directly from the radio into an antenna designed for your band. If you do not have the time or access to the BNC connectors mentioned earlier, you can always try and make your own solution with hot-glue, tape, so on.
Suivez Moi
04-02-2011, 14:21
Starting off, your post confuses the hell out of me, I am not sure exactly what you have done.
Too make sure I understand, You have taken a rubber duck antenna, connected to the radio. You have stripped coating off of this antenna, and hooked "antenna wire" (Coax? copper wire?) to a bare spot of metal inside the rubber duck hooked to the radio
you ran said "antenna wire" to the roof, and hooked up another antenna at the end of the run. What type of antenna was this?
I may have it all wrong, but it sounds like you are trying to feed transmission line off of some bare wire in a rubber duck antenna, and feed another antenna with that? I have never tried this, but it seems like it would not work very well at all. Let me know if it does, would be interesting.
Your best bet is going to be feeding some sort of transmission line directly from the radio into an antenna designed for your band. If you do not have the time or access to the BNC connectors mentioned earlier, you can always try and make your own solution with hot-glue, tape, so on.
You are pretty much correct. I used coax cable. The second antenna was the same as the one connected to the radio. It worked with the coax touching the port on the radio and the second antenna screwed into the coax.
It seems tomorrow is not going to be as busy as we planned for so I should have some time to play with this some more. I will take pictures if I can get it to work.