Comet is an awesome company. The base for my SBB7 broke internally after 20 years of great use. On a whim, I called to see if I could just get the base and expected the normal "we don't sell individual components" comment. Instead, they told me absolutely I can. After some financial and logistic information exchange, I was all set and it's been back in operation since. I recently acquired a Little Tarheel II and ordered the Comet HD-5 for it to mount to. I'm looking forward to getting it all installed and running...after Christmas.
Welp, got my ATAS 120A antenna yesterday. Been working on the install for a couple hours now. I got a Comet 3D4MD coax pkg for the installation on my 2016 F-350. The issue for me is how much thicker my coax seems to be than yours. 'Slinking' the coax into the truck is holding me up. The diesel engine takes up A LOT of space and accessing the firewall is almost impossible. Grrrr. But I think I'm just going to hook up the antenna and radio to see how it works by running the coax in through the window. 😏 Added later: I've decided to just run the wire along the hood and into the cab via the door. The wire is coiled up on the dash. Done! I hooked up the radio, the battery, and the antenna. Man, it works like a charm! Thanks for your helpful (and convincing) video on this cool antenna.
For routing through the firewall, just poke a hole along side the brake booster. You'll need a few 12 inch extensions along with a stepper bit and a fish stick to complete the install. It would be smart to put a grommet around the hole too, but I used the plastic corrugated conduit and haven't had an issue in 3 years.
@@DarkShadowCustoms Yeah so I’ve heard. People go pretty fast here in Detroit too, and our cops hardly pull people over, but when they do you are so screwed.
@@NebulaHatesWatchdog here in the SW corner of Michigan there are a lot of people with Illinois plates that go 80 to 85 mph down I-94 between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Congratulations! I don't have a car and can't drive, but I really enjoyed watching the install process to learn how it works. I especially appreciate that you found a non-destructive way to do it. And, of course, your joy at getting this set up and working is infectious. Enjoy!
I also have not drilled a hole through the firewall of my Honda Ridgeline. Instead, I use a battery box like you do. It works like a champ and ensures that my battery is handy for POTA activations. Recently, I purchased a rugged 12 w solar panel and hooked it up to the battery box in hopes to always have my battery topped off. We'll have to see how it works. Thanks so much for another great video!
I Used to run an ATAS on the fender of my Tacoma with a standard stainless NMO fender bracket and a SO adapter with no issues for a few years. Sometimes the KISS method is better than over hamming an install.
Very nice! I didn't see anything for Toyota or Jeep. I need a passenger side for my ATAS on a Tundra. My jeep has the 3axis Diamond for the atas and it works great on the back liftgate.
I finally got the 891 and ATAS installed in my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I used the K400 mount on the hood, and I wish Comet or anyone made an antenna mount like this for my vehicle. The K400 made me very nervous while driving to work this morning. It seems a bit too flexible in the wind on the highway.
Love it! Not only do you have HF and VHF/UHF on the same vehicle, you've also upgraded to DoubleDisembowel(tm) capability! 😉 This may be one of the few times where AM is better than sideband! 😂 Unfortunately, Comet doesn't make a custom mount for my vehicle, so I'll have to consider an alternate way to mount the ATAS. I was considering a MagMount on the roof, but worry a bit about height and clearance. Enjoy your videos, the dark humor, and hope to hear you on the bands one of these days!
Hi Mike. I have mounted my ATAS to the roof of my truck with a SO239 panel mount. Zero ohm between outside of SO239 to anywhere on the truck body and radio, Even zero ohm to the wheel nuts. Run 857D of separate battery. It auto tunes on all bands - good SWR. When testing at 80W, guys within 3km can't hear me. When I run coax from 857D in my truck to my DX Commander and TX at 5W, the same guys get me 59+40. What could be wrong?? What am I missing? Could my brand new ATAS 120A be faulty?
I will have to see if they make one for the passenger side of a 2016 Ram 1500 because I want to put put an antenna on that side for either 11 meter or HF ham. Glad to see the ATAS will hold up to highway speeds. Makes me want to get a Yaesu for HF in the truck.
Direct battery connection is USUALLY good to great, but some electronic noise may be troublesome, a battery box with Anderson Power poles gets around that problem
Hello Mike, WA9RZY here in Southern Indiana. I bought a 2024 Explorer ST in March and have yet to decide which type of antenna to install. Drilling is not an option. I have a FTM-300DR that was mounted in my 2007 Cadillac Escalade. I sold the Caddy in Apr 2024. It had a special stainless steel bracket that I bought that fit between RF fender and edge of the hood, but that bracket work won't work on the 2024 Ford Explorer ST. Is there a bracket that will work with my 2024 Ford Explorer ST. I was using a NMO mount in the special stainless steel bracket and a Comet CMA-SS-680SBN which I'd like to use in a new bracket for the 2024 Explorer.
On my car, my I punctured the grommet in my firewall to feed power cables to my GMRS radio, but honestly, I like the idea of a battery box instead. What do you use? It’s too bad my G90 can’t do 6 meters. Maybe it’s time to save up for an FT-891 and an ATAS. I have a 2017 Ford Fusion, so not sure if antenna brackets will work well with my car. My three antennas are all mag mounted to the roof of my vehicle (best ground plane). - KF0QNM/WSCL244
First, that is a "LOCK WASHER" and should go under the bolt head to keep the bolt from loosening. Good video and nice install. A big problem is that the hinge for your hood is rubbing your coax and will eventually cut through the shielding.
Actually it's a star washer. The idea behind using one is so that the sides of each of the points can dig in through the paint to make contact with the body making for a good ground and in this case the other side digs into the stainless bracket. Using star washers makes what is known as a gas tight seal. Same principal behind IDC's (insulation displacement connectors).
Suggestion for power: check if your cigarette lighter acc is fused at 20 amps. My Nissan Titan is and I run my 891 from the acc w/ no issues. You just need a power werx cigarette adapter
That's how I did my FTM-300. My 891 is on the driver's side and in the trunk. It works great, though I have not gone 100 MPH with it. LOL. Talk about simple pota from your AC car. LOL Time for Rover POTA. You need to get the Warthog award. 6 parks in one day.
The link is in the description but it's this: cometantenna.com/amateur-radio/no-holes-mobile-mounts/antenna-mounts-and-brackets/ For my car it's the EXANTNCG & EXANTNCG-R
To each their own, but you typically want to give yourself the best chance at keeping your antennas from smacking tree branches ! So that comes from mounting your larger antennas on the Drivers side, as the passenger side sits closest to the road shoulder, were greater chance of overhanging branches, or other road side obstacles are likely ! 🤔....? Just Say'n !
I literally address exactly that in this video, and why that is not a good idea. Time stamped for your convenience. th-cam.com/video/6fqDoB2s9Ds/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZKmKc-LrJ_8SvsB4&t=757
What kind of radio are you using? It's a Yaesu for sure, but I'm agonizing over what Yaesu radio I should get for portable, mobile, and POTA. I have an FT-710, but it's set up as a base and I hate having to take all the wiring and stuff apart whenever I want to go mobile or do POTA. I love how this radio and the ATAS worked together.
Truly wish we would get away from the old UHF connectors. N type is so much better. I dont know if vehicles have them any more but many used to have precut holes in the firewall that were plugged with a plastic plug , I think it was for upfitter reasons and for features not included on a particular model.
I just need someone to make these for 2011 and up Durangos. With so many police departments switching over to them, someone has to make one, I just haven't found it yet.
Not trying to be smart a$$, but there's one in every crowd 😂😂. First off that's not a truck it's an suv, next they make those mounts for 3/8 x 24 mounts which would have been closer to the size hole you needed. Anyways nice job, looks good. 73 Jimmy N5JEW
Hi Mike, great video, Buuuuuuuttttt I am also a highway patrol officer. I'll be DM'ing you an address you can send your fine, to be able to avoid prosecution and we'll just look the other way on the speeding ticket. cheers and 73 mate!!
ATAS is great when it works. When it seizes up, it's very costly to repair. The design is way too complex to have that outdoor ruggedness like on a mobile setup. Good luck.
I have a 2014 Explorer. To get my 12v line into the car, there is a oval shaped rubber plug on the drivers side floor under the carpet. Pull out the plastic kick trim, pull up the carpet and you will see it. Run your power wires down the inside of the drivers fender, zip it in a couple of places under the car and make a small but in the rubber plug to run the wires through. Put some silicone sealant on the underside of the plug and inside where the wires come through. Easier and safer than trying to get it through the firewall. Shame on you for promoting going way over the speed limit from a retired AZ State Trooper..
It will be interesting to see if there are any legal cases for slashing pedestrians in accidents. Tesla Cyber trucks are already banned in the EU because of of the risks they pose to cyclists & pedestrians because of their sharp curves. If you sideswipe a pedestrian with one of these new mounts you could easily disembowel them with that protruding sharp edge. Deployment will always be personal choice, but given how litigious it can be in the US plus how foreseeable the consequences could be (ignorance will probably not be a great defence) I think I'd be sticking with "no-hole" triple mag mounts on the roof keeping the antenna clearer of the bodywork (& also higher). Look at 12:50 & think what would sliding past there at 30mph do to your six-pack?. I can foresee this being an unpopular post, but given it is so easy to do things safely why take the risk?
I don't even know how to respond to this comment so I'll respond with a quote. "Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
#1 dumbest comment I have read in 2024. Just because this thought popped into your pea brain doesn’t mean you have to actually comment on it. You really are a m o. Ron
Why? Coiling the coax does absolutely nothing negative. If anything it creates a choke to minimize any common mode current or stray RF from coming back down and into the radio.
Mike did you just admit to breaking the speed limit that’s crazy to loose your license over a antenna Lucky you were not in the uk 🇬🇧 the would have taken your license of you straight Away 👍👍👍👍😂🙏
Comet is an awesome company. The base for my SBB7 broke internally after 20 years of great use. On a whim, I called to see if I could just get the base and expected the normal "we don't sell individual components" comment. Instead, they told me absolutely I can. After some financial and logistic information exchange, I was all set and it's been back in operation since. I recently acquired a Little Tarheel II and ordered the Comet HD-5 for it to mount to. I'm looking forward to getting it all installed and running...after Christmas.
100 mph on the Autobahn is a daily occurence. Good job. 73 de DJ6JH
Welp, got my ATAS 120A antenna yesterday. Been working on the install for a couple hours now. I got a Comet 3D4MD coax pkg for the installation on my 2016 F-350. The issue for me is how much thicker my coax seems to be than yours. 'Slinking' the coax into the truck is holding me up. The diesel engine takes up A LOT of space and accessing the firewall is almost impossible. Grrrr. But I think I'm just going to hook up the antenna and radio to see how it works by running the coax in through the window. 😏
Added later: I've decided to just run the wire along the hood and into the cab via the door. The wire is coiled up on the dash. Done! I hooked up the radio, the battery, and the antenna. Man, it works like a charm! Thanks for your helpful (and convincing) video on this cool antenna.
For routing through the firewall, just poke a hole along side the brake booster. You'll need a few 12 inch extensions along with a stepper bit and a fish stick to complete the install. It would be smart to put a grommet around the hole too, but I used the plastic corrugated conduit and haven't had an issue in 3 years.
most youtubers wouldnt go a hair above the speed limit on video, this is why I love your channel LOL
Well in Texas if you aren't going at least 80 to 85 MPH you will get ran over.
@@DarkShadowCustoms Yeah so I’ve heard. People go pretty fast here in Detroit too, and our cops hardly pull people over, but when they do you are so screwed.
@@NebulaHatesWatchdog here in the SW corner of Michigan there are a lot of people with Illinois plates that go 80 to 85 mph down I-94 between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
I'm glad Comet reached out to you. I emailed them half a dozen times to get parts for my BB7V and not a single reply.
The BB7V is not a Comet product, you would have reached out to diamond.
@@MStwertnik you are correct I stand corrected. Thank you
Congratulations! I don't have a car and can't drive, but I really enjoyed watching the install process to learn how it works. I especially appreciate that you found a non-destructive way to do it. And, of course, your joy at getting this set up and working is infectious.
Enjoy!
I've got a '23 Explorer ST. I frequently can be found in the post 100 range.
I also have not drilled a hole through the firewall of my Honda Ridgeline. Instead, I use a battery box like you do. It works like a champ and ensures that my battery is handy for POTA activations. Recently, I purchased a rugged 12 w solar panel and hooked it up to the battery box in hopes to always have my battery topped off. We'll have to see how it works. Thanks so much for another great video!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the ATAS! I ordered mine yesterday and hope to get it installed within the next week or so.
Thanks!
Hey thank you so much!
You've sold me! I'll be getting one of these for my F-350 crew cab long box RV tow vehicle.
I Used to run an ATAS on the fender of my Tacoma with a standard stainless NMO fender bracket and a SO adapter with no issues for a few years.
Sometimes the KISS method is better than over hamming an install.
Very nice! I didn't see anything for Toyota or Jeep. I need a passenger side for my ATAS on a Tundra. My jeep has the 3axis Diamond for the atas and it works great on the back liftgate.
I finally got the 891 and ATAS installed in my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I used the K400 mount on the hood, and I wish Comet or anyone made an antenna mount like this for my vehicle. The K400 made me very nervous while driving to work this morning. It seems a bit too flexible in the wind on the highway.
Love it! Not only do you have HF and VHF/UHF on the same vehicle, you've also upgraded to DoubleDisembowel(tm) capability! 😉 This may be one of the few times where AM is better than sideband! 😂
Unfortunately, Comet doesn't make a custom mount for my vehicle, so I'll have to consider an alternate way to mount the ATAS. I was considering a MagMount on the roof, but worry a bit about height and clearance.
Enjoy your videos, the dark humor, and hope to hear you on the bands one of these days!
How can you prevent the ATAS antenna from being stolen?
Good job Mike, happy mobiling, catch the DX on the highway. Rock on....
Like the battery in the back seat, also use it for dash camera
Hi Mike. I have mounted my ATAS to the roof of my truck with a SO239 panel mount. Zero ohm between outside of SO239 to anywhere on the truck body and radio, Even zero ohm to the wheel nuts. Run 857D of separate battery. It auto tunes on all bands - good SWR. When testing at 80W, guys within 3km can't hear me. When I run coax from 857D in my truck to my DX Commander and TX at 5W, the same guys get me 59+40. What could be wrong?? What am I missing? Could my brand new ATAS 120A be faulty?
I will have to see if they make one for the passenger side of a 2016 Ram 1500 because I want to put put an antenna on that side for either 11 meter or HF ham. Glad to see the ATAS will hold up to highway speeds. Makes me want to get a Yaesu for HF in the truck.
Do you need a left or right hand Crescent wrench for the installation?
Direct battery connection is USUALLY good to great, but some electronic noise may be troublesome, a battery box with Anderson Power poles gets around that problem
You can run your power through the door jamb like you did your coax. That's how I ran the power for my 891 in my truck.
Hello Mike, WA9RZY here in Southern Indiana. I bought a 2024 Explorer ST in March and have yet to decide which type of antenna to install. Drilling is not an option. I have a FTM-300DR that was mounted in my 2007 Cadillac Escalade. I sold the Caddy in Apr 2024. It had a special stainless steel bracket that I bought that fit between RF fender and edge of the hood, but that bracket work won't work on the 2024 Ford Explorer ST. Is there a bracket that will work with my 2024 Ford Explorer ST. I was using a NMO mount in the special stainless steel bracket and a Comet CMA-SS-680SBN which I'd like to use in a new bracket for the 2024 Explorer.
Awesome video Mike. Which Yaesu antenna is that?
ATAS 120
Thanks Mike.
On my car, my I punctured the grommet in my firewall to feed power cables to my GMRS radio, but honestly, I like the idea of a battery box instead. What do you use?
It’s too bad my G90 can’t do 6 meters. Maybe it’s time to save up for an FT-891 and an ATAS.
I have a 2017 Ford Fusion, so not sure if antenna brackets will work well with my car. My three antennas are all mag mounted to the roof of my vehicle (best ground plane).
- KF0QNM/WSCL244
Nice! One little thing, I hope your seat when adjusted won't smash or cut your coax.
Very interesting. I would like to have heard you use it to make some SSB contacts (not just FT8) to see how the antenna performed on the highway.
What kind of battery box is that? Or maybe the brand?
How many db’s do you think your losing with that mount?
Yaa. Same antennas on my F150. In Breedlove stake pocket mounts.
Steel or aluminum body? I had great luck with Breedlove on my steel 150s, but can't get any of their mounts to work decent on the aluminum one.
@@dougdaniels steel
First, that is a "LOCK WASHER" and should go under the bolt head to keep the bolt from loosening. Good video and nice install. A big problem is that the hinge for your hood is rubbing your coax and will eventually cut through the shielding.
Actually it's a star washer. The idea behind using one is so that the sides of each of the points can dig in through the paint to make contact with the body making for a good ground and in this case the other side digs into the stainless bracket. Using star washers makes what is known as a gas tight seal. Same principal behind IDC's (insulation displacement connectors).
All wrong information but thanks for watching none the less.
I WANT ONE for 2022 explorer xlt!! CV2ANTNCG-R : Passenger side installation. ATAS-100 and FT-100D
Hey Mick how about a Toyota RAV4 2007 same setup both sides thank you very much.
I have been looking for my 2018 RAV4 right side. No luck so far.
Hope your tires are good.
Question, why do you place the antenna on the front hood ? why not mount it on the trunk tailgate?
I made a whole video about that.
Great video Mike! Love my Atas.
Suggestion for power: check if your cigarette lighter acc is fused at 20 amps. My Nissan Titan is and I run my 891 from the acc w/ no issues.
You just need a power werx cigarette adapter
I will not support Powerwerx but I do have my VHF radio connected to the cigarette lighter socket in back for power.
@@hamradiotube you’re welcome
Does he make them for the 23 tacoma do you know. Do you have a website.
Nice Jurassic Park reference
Outstanding! That’s awesome they made that for you! Hope they decide to do that more for vehicles! 2021 GMC Canyon 😜
KK7SWB- Hi Mike, i see you have the 891 w detachable setup, very cool- what is the unit below that on the upright mount?
FTM-300
That's how I did my FTM-300. My 891 is on the driver's side and in the trunk. It works great, though I have not gone 100 MPH with it. LOL. Talk about simple pota from your AC car. LOL Time for Rover POTA. You need to get the Warthog award. 6 parks in one day.
Texas is too big. There aren't parks close enough.
Mounts for a Subaru Outback please!!!! KB9VBR and I can’t be the only two hams driving Subarus.
Don't forget to do your RF Exposure documentation! :)
lol!
The only other thing I would do is put some sheet metal screws in the part of the mount that's touching the car to add a little more stability.
Where can I order that mount? Don’t see the link.
The link is in the description but it's this: cometantenna.com/amateur-radio/no-holes-mobile-mounts/antenna-mounts-and-brackets/ For my car it's the EXANTNCG & EXANTNCG-R
Hoping to be 1 of the 49. Ive got a 2017 limited.
Love to mount one for the house
Love it. Now if they would only make them for the Chevy equinox so I could get one.
Rock N Roll Brother! 🤘
To each their own, but you typically want to give yourself the best chance at keeping your antennas from smacking tree branches !
So that comes from mounting your larger antennas on the Drivers side, as the passenger side sits closest to the road shoulder, were greater chance of overhanging branches, or other road side obstacles are likely !
🤔....?
Just Say'n !
I literally address exactly that in this video, and why that is not a good idea. Time stamped for your convenience. th-cam.com/video/6fqDoB2s9Ds/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZKmKc-LrJ_8SvsB4&t=757
@@hamradiotube
Good luck with that !
What kind of radio are you using? It's a Yaesu for sure, but I'm agonizing over what Yaesu radio I should get for portable, mobile, and POTA. I have an FT-710, but it's set up as a base and I hate having to take all the wiring and stuff apart whenever I want to go mobile or do POTA. I love how this radio and the ATAS worked together.
891
Truly wish we would get away from the old UHF connectors. N type is so much better. I dont know if vehicles have them any more but many used to have precut holes in the firewall that were plugged with a plastic plug , I think it was for upfitter reasons and for features not included on a particular model.
2018 F-150 too please
I just need someone to make these for 2011 and up Durangos. With so many police departments switching over to them, someone has to make one, I just haven't found it yet.
Not trying to be smart a$$, but there's one in every crowd 😂😂. First off that's not a truck it's an suv, next they make those mounts for 3/8 x 24 mounts which would have been closer to the size hole you needed. Anyways nice job, looks good. 73 Jimmy N5JEW
Hi Mike, great video, Buuuuuuuttttt I am also a highway patrol officer. I'll be DM'ing you an address you can send your fine, to be able to avoid prosecution and we'll just look the other way on the speeding ticket. cheers and 73 mate!!
lol good luck.
Murder One has gone plaid. Ludicrous SPEED ENGAGED.
if you're doing 100 miles an hour that means that truck was doing 95 miles an hour incredible
We drive fast around these here parts.
Were you on the Autobahn LOL
I45 North lol!
I’m pretty sure you meant 100kph
Yeah? Why's that?
I can just imagine what went through Mikes head when he read this. "This is America son. We don't use no stinking kilometers in this country."
ATAS is great when it works. When it seizes up, it's very costly to repair. The design is way too complex to have that outdoor ruggedness like on a mobile setup. Good luck.
Been using it for years. It works great.
Noice!
Clean install ! nice job buddy :)
It's called a Satan wrench, right?
It's a croissant wrench.
😂
Umm... Check out the Tacoma mount
I have a 2014 Explorer. To get my 12v line into the car, there is a oval shaped rubber plug on the drivers side floor under the carpet. Pull out the plastic kick trim, pull up the carpet and you will see it. Run your power wires down the inside of the drivers fender, zip it in a couple of places under the car and make a small but in the rubber plug to run the wires through. Put some silicone sealant on the underside of the plug and inside where the wires come through. Easier and safer than trying to get it through the firewall. Shame on you for promoting going way over the speed limit from a retired AZ State Trooper..
It will be interesting to see if there are any legal cases for slashing pedestrians in accidents. Tesla Cyber trucks are already banned in the EU because of of the risks they pose to cyclists & pedestrians because of their sharp curves. If you sideswipe a pedestrian with one of these new mounts you could easily disembowel them with that protruding sharp edge. Deployment will always be personal choice, but given how litigious it can be in the US plus how foreseeable the consequences could be (ignorance will probably not be a great defence) I think I'd be sticking with "no-hole" triple mag mounts on the roof keeping the antenna clearer of the bodywork (& also higher).
Look at 12:50 & think what would sliding past there at 30mph do to your six-pack?.
I can foresee this being an unpopular post, but given it is so easy to do things safely why take the risk?
I don't even know how to respond to this comment so I'll respond with a quote. "Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
#1 dumbest comment I have read in 2024. Just because this thought popped into your pea brain doesn’t mean you have to actually comment on it. You really are a m o. Ron
im a hug fan of this install, but coiling the coax is sinful in my eyes... LOL!
Why? Coiling the coax does absolutely nothing negative. If anything it creates a choke to minimize any common mode current or stray RF from coming back down and into the radio.
You were testing that antenna at 100 mph in Mexico RIGHT, because in the US that would be illegal and you Mike are a Legal Ham
I'm not in the US. I'm in Texas.
80 mph with a 20 mph headwind
Mike did you just admit to breaking the speed limit that’s crazy to loose your license over a antenna
Lucky you were not in the uk 🇬🇧 the would have taken your license of you straight
Away 👍👍👍👍😂🙏
No officer, I wasn't speeding 🤣