I had purchased a Larsen NMO 2m antenna & install kit last fall, before I even had the Suburban. After my father-in-law gave me the drill bit I went to work on this install. After reading and researching I figured how I would do the install.
I pulled down the center light assembly and drilled a small pilot hole from the interior. Once the pilot was drilled I got up on the ladder, the Suburban is a little tall, then drilled my main NMO mounting hole making sure to strip down the paint for a nice ground plane connection. I fed the coax from above, pulling it out from the headliner with a wire coat hanger, ran the wire down the center column near the seat belt then up to the dash under the floor molding. Tighten the mount to the roof, solder the PL-239, add antenna.
Next, I moved to running the power. I decided I would drill through the firewall to run the wire. Making sure I wouldn't hit anything critical on the other side, I pushed a drill bit through the firewall on the driver side. Against the recommendations of some, I ran the positive to my suburbans auxiliary 30amp power source under the hood, and used a frame ground from inside the cabin. I didn't have any fancy grommets so I made a "redneck grommet" by wrapping some electrical tape around the wire into a cone shape then pulling it through the drill hole until nice and tight.
A few zip ties to hold the wires, it looks good, and works great, I am considering doing another NMO antenna on the Suburban. I'm sure if/when I do I'll share it.
-73 Bryan KG7CUL
I pulled down the center light assembly and drilled a small pilot hole from the interior. Once the pilot was drilled I got up on the ladder, the Suburban is a little tall, then drilled my main NMO mounting hole making sure to strip down the paint for a nice ground plane connection. I fed the coax from above, pulling it out from the headliner with a wire coat hanger, ran the wire down the center column near the seat belt then up to the dash under the floor molding. Tighten the mount to the roof, solder the PL-239, add antenna.
Next, I moved to running the power. I decided I would drill through the firewall to run the wire. Making sure I wouldn't hit anything critical on the other side, I pushed a drill bit through the firewall on the driver side. Against the recommendations of some, I ran the positive to my suburbans auxiliary 30amp power source under the hood, and used a frame ground from inside the cabin. I didn't have any fancy grommets so I made a "redneck grommet" by wrapping some electrical tape around the wire into a cone shape then pulling it through the drill hole until nice and tight.
A few zip ties to hold the wires, it looks good, and works great, I am considering doing another NMO antenna on the Suburban. I'm sure if/when I do I'll share it.
-73 Bryan KG7CUL