Finally bit the bullet and drilled for an NMO mount on my Tacoma roof after years of using mag mounts. The difference is night and day! Getting consistent 1.2:1 SWR across both 2m and 70cm with my Diamond SG7900A, compared to the 1.8-2.0 range I was seeing with the mag mount.

For those on the fence about permanent installation - the improved ground plane connection really makes a difference in both transmit efficiency and receive performance. Used a step drill bit as recommended and took my time with the weatherproofing.

• Better SWR across the bands
• Noticeably improved signal reports
• No more worrying about the antenna sliding around

Absolutely agree! Made the same switch last year and won't go back to mag mounts. The capacitive coupling through the magnet base is just too lossy compared to a direct electrical connection.

What kind of waterproofing did you use? I'm planning the same upgrade but worried about leaks in my daily driver. Did you use any backing plate to distribute the load?

Nice work! Center of the roof is the optimal location - you've got the maximum ground plane underneath that antenna now. Should see improved low-angle radiation for better range to distant repeaters too.