Mobile installs on multiple vehicles.
Posted: Dec 21 2023, 17:07
So I have too many vehicles for one person, but in my defense it didn't start that way, as a widower I ended up with one less driver...
We had his truck, her car / SUV, and I picked up when I became a widower a camper van mostly to keep from going nuts.
I have regaled you with tales of setup woe for my antenna system for my camper van / tiny RV, a pop top Ford Econoline camper van conversion. The fiberglass and canvas pop top made antenna placement kinda tough... But it's done.
So the setup, and aside from coax and mounts is the same between the van and the truck, but done for now in the van.
President McKinley II FCC run into a 102" SS whip antenna, insanely low SWR, insanely effective, but boy the noise floor can get bad around here lately...
Antenna is connected using Firestik FireRing coax to a van specific fender mount and has a ProComm stainless steel barrel spring. I am going to dig in my spares sometime over the next week to see if my old ProComm stud mount upper will work with the FireStick FireRing lower pieces for the mount. I think it should and give me a beefier mount.
The pickup is an '04 F150 Supercab 4x4 that I am doing an engine replacement on and fresheining this old girl up. If it wasn't for this truck having so many good memories with my late wife I would have just gotten a Powerstroke Superduty and done away with the 1/2 ton... but I digress.
Radio for the truck is another President McKinley II FCC, run from the DIN size pocket in the center stack of the dash under the lighter / 12v power outlet in front of the Transfer case stick. We are replacing a Realistic TRC-465 here. Antenna is mounted using a ProComm giant stud mount in the rear bumper. I am going to do a HD off road bumper / swing away spare tire carrier on here and will move the mount to the carrier. Coax is purpose terminated RG8X, and again, another Realistic 102 SS whip, ProComm stainless steel barrel spring will be replacing my rusted out allegedly stainless steel Hustler spring.
My late wifes car I still have, a Nissan Pathfinder Platinum, she liked Cushy cars... I tend to drive that when I need extra seating. I have no intention of poking any permanent holes in it, so the setup intended there will be...
Realistic TRC-465 AM/SSB, not much going on with FM anyway, and no need for weather for a car I only use in town. Realistic noise cancelling power mic, and I will be picking up a Wilson 1000, or Wilson Lil Wil, I need something mag mount that won't damage the car. Just pop the antenna center of the roof, verify SWR and go...
So that's my barefoot setups, need to finish the engine job and radio install on the pickup, and antenna on the Nissan but we otherwise are good to go...
What's your mobile setup look like?
We had his truck, her car / SUV, and I picked up when I became a widower a camper van mostly to keep from going nuts.
I have regaled you with tales of setup woe for my antenna system for my camper van / tiny RV, a pop top Ford Econoline camper van conversion. The fiberglass and canvas pop top made antenna placement kinda tough... But it's done.
So the setup, and aside from coax and mounts is the same between the van and the truck, but done for now in the van.
President McKinley II FCC run into a 102" SS whip antenna, insanely low SWR, insanely effective, but boy the noise floor can get bad around here lately...
Antenna is connected using Firestik FireRing coax to a van specific fender mount and has a ProComm stainless steel barrel spring. I am going to dig in my spares sometime over the next week to see if my old ProComm stud mount upper will work with the FireStick FireRing lower pieces for the mount. I think it should and give me a beefier mount.
The pickup is an '04 F150 Supercab 4x4 that I am doing an engine replacement on and fresheining this old girl up. If it wasn't for this truck having so many good memories with my late wife I would have just gotten a Powerstroke Superduty and done away with the 1/2 ton... but I digress.
Radio for the truck is another President McKinley II FCC, run from the DIN size pocket in the center stack of the dash under the lighter / 12v power outlet in front of the Transfer case stick. We are replacing a Realistic TRC-465 here. Antenna is mounted using a ProComm giant stud mount in the rear bumper. I am going to do a HD off road bumper / swing away spare tire carrier on here and will move the mount to the carrier. Coax is purpose terminated RG8X, and again, another Realistic 102 SS whip, ProComm stainless steel barrel spring will be replacing my rusted out allegedly stainless steel Hustler spring.
My late wifes car I still have, a Nissan Pathfinder Platinum, she liked Cushy cars... I tend to drive that when I need extra seating. I have no intention of poking any permanent holes in it, so the setup intended there will be...
Realistic TRC-465 AM/SSB, not much going on with FM anyway, and no need for weather for a car I only use in town. Realistic noise cancelling power mic, and I will be picking up a Wilson 1000, or Wilson Lil Wil, I need something mag mount that won't damage the car. Just pop the antenna center of the roof, verify SWR and go...
So that's my barefoot setups, need to finish the engine job and radio install on the pickup, and antenna on the Nissan but we otherwise are good to go...
What's your mobile setup look like?