Make sure all connections are tight to prevent interference. It is important that the spring and antenna are isolated using the washer from the vehicle ground. From top to bottom, our mount goes like this: coaxial cable, bottom part of stud mount, mount/ground to body, isolation washer, top part of stud mount, bendy spring, and finally antenna. Use a volt meter and power source to confirm the mount is receiving a proper ground. We raised the mount to ensure the coaxial cable could plug into the bottom of the antenna. We simply bolted everything together and gave it a quick weld for extra strength. See photos on right, but it took about 10 minutes of cutting metal strips and drilling holes. We created a simple bracket that fit to the existing roof rack rails using a few bolts. This step will depend on how you mount your antenna. STEP 4 - Mount antenna: It is very important that your antenna has two things: 1) a good ground to the vehicle body and 2) the antenna needs to be isolated from the body and ground. Choose the one that will work with your setup the best. Firestik also sells cowl mounts, bumper mounts, and magnetic mounts. We got a simple stud mount since we'd be creating the mounting bracket ourselves. The location of your antenna will determine what kind of mount you need to buy. Shorter antennas require more work done in a smaller space and mean that the middle channels 10-30 usually work better than 0-10 and 30-40 on the edge of the band. Basically, the taller the antenna, the greater the spread is of good channels. The shorter the antenna, the less "good range" you'll have. We selected the 2' Firestik II with a spring to provide give if we ever hit anything. Because we have a roof rack with little obstructions, we figured mounting direct to the roof would provide the best reception and range. Do you need to park in a garage or low clearance area often? How often will you use your antenna? What kind of range are you looking to get? The higher you can mount the antenna the above the roof line, the better. STEP 2 - Choose antenna location: There are several factors you need to consider when determining where to mount the antenna and how long it should be.
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