2m or 70cm Ground Plane Antenna Bracket

thingiverse

This is the bracket I used to make my 70 cm ground plane antenna, which can also be adapted for a 2 meter ground plane. It's made from 1in aluminum tubing and features 3mm nuts that are pressed into the base. To assemble the bracket, ensure that the screws thread into both the nuts and the plastic at the same time. This allows the nuts to provide clamping force on the ring terminals for the ground radials while the bracket simply holds the antenna in place. For secure coax attachment, use cable ties to fasten your coax to the tubing. Allowing coax to hang freely can lead to problems over time, particularly with the dynamic load of a long coax causing wear on the plastic fasteners or damage to the coax termination. The vertical element is secured through the central hole using silicone sealant or an equivalent substance to prevent water ingress. I used 10awg copper solid for this purpose. The top hole is 3mm in diameter, while the side holes are designed to accommodate 5mm bolts but can be drilled out to a coarser size if needed. The SO-239 fittings employed can be sourced from Amazon via the link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DC1JYZL/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_axw-Eb4STZJVK.