Author Topic: Mounting my antenna without a rollbar (Read 11160 times)

BigMike · « **on:** Dec 03, 2004, 04:09:07 PM »

Hey guys I am looking for some suggestions as to where I should mount my antenna.

First, let me express my dislikes.

I hate those nasty chrome 90° ball joints that the jeepers use.
Second, I dont think I want to mount my antenna on the back of the vehicle off the side of the bed.

So this is what Im thinking about doing. I'll build a 90° bracket and use 2 8mm bolts to attach it to the upper driverside corner of the back of the cab. I know the reception is best when you get the antenna up off the ground, and also I can use the flat surface of the cab's roof to bounce waves into and out of the antenna.

I'm wondering if anyone's done this and what they think about it. I've actually gotta get going, so Im keeping this breif. I quickly made a couple pics to show what Im talking about.

Comments please! $Beer Chug\'n$

BigMike · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 04:11:45 PM »

The title says it, but I forgot to mention that as of right now I have no plans on using a roll bar. Im still thinking about it. If I choose to build an in cab cage, then im not going to use a rollbar. If I decide against a cab cage, then I'll think about a roll bar.

So for right now I dont have one nor have any plans for one, so that's why Im thinking about where to mount my antenna.

Mike D · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 04:53:36 PM »

heres my bro's

BLACKDOG · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 07:18:29 PM »

my grandpa drilled a hole right behind his cab, on the bed rail and then mounted the antenna straight into the bedrail

KYOTA · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 07:48:56 PM »

Mines like MikeD's but on the drivers side. I think if you mount it to the sheetmetal like that, every time it whips back and forth it will be pulling on the sheetmetal in that spot and could rip after awhile.

Mike D · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 07:54:23 PM »

that is why you buy the little springy thing that lets it sway like crazy

KYOTA · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 07:59:11 PM »

I had a spring on my Wilson antenna, once you get any speed on the road it just lays over against the cab, the springs are good for the wimpy small antennas though

Mike D · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 08:04:57 PM »

yeah my bros will smack the cab sometimes

KYOTA · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 08:23:10 PM »

I'm actually considering taking the Wilson off of my 83 and going with a light fiberglass antenna like a Firestik so I can use a spring, that big Wilson is too stiff and going thru brush and branches without a spring and really tweaks on the mount.

Mike D · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 08:55:22 PM »

the fiberglass one sare cheap to

brainlessfool · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 09:26:51 PM »

how about a base load mag. mount on top of the cab?

TURBO · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 09:39:34 PM »

hey on my wilson i mounted the base first, then the 10 inch shaft, then the spring, then the oil can, with the whip on top, and at freeway speeds it lays back about 5-10 degrees not bad i'd say

on the trail it flops around like crazy though

BigMike · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 10:34:39 PM »

Quote from: TURBO on Dec 03, 2004, 09:39:34 PM

hey on my wilson i mounted the base first, then the 10 inch shaft, then the spring, then the oil can, with the whip on top, and at freeway speeds it lays back about 5-10 degrees not bad i'd say

on the trail it flops around like crazy though

Yeah but you've got a roll bar

I'm not sure if Im into the whole front of the cab mounting location. It is nice because if you mess up on the hole or it gets damaged its just a fender which is eaisly replaced unlike a cab

Hey blackdog, I thought about mounting it on the railing of the side of the bed, but then the top of the antenna wont be up as high and the cab's gonna block its' vision?

I'm still thinking about what Im gonna do but I gotta decide quick because I am picking up my cb/mic/antenna on Monday and I want to get it installed sometime within the next 2 weeks.
Thanks for the suggestions guys - I really appriciate it!

On a side note, Mike, I've noticed that alot of your attached pics are super large in file size.
Your image is 139kb and here's the same shot after I decreased its size down to 45kb

BLACKDOG · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 10:40:39 PM »

my gpa had a long antenna, so it wasnt too bad. his antenna was something like 6 ft tall?
do you have a box? you could mount it on that

Mike D · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 10:53:12 PM »

bigmike how you do that with out doing the percentage thing

KYOTA · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 10:59:34 PM »

Quote from: TURBO on Dec 03, 2004, 09:39:34 PM

hey on my wilson i mounted the base first, then the 10 inch shaft, then the spring, then the oil can, with the whip on top, and at freeway speeds it lays back about 5-10 degrees not bad i'd say

on the trail it flops around like crazy though

I cant remember what model number my Wilson is but its not the one with the can, it just a straight (like 1/2" round) wound antenna with the tunable tip, its heavy and with a spring it lays over too easily

BigMike · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 11:07:20 PM »

Quote from: Mike D on Dec 03, 2004, 10:53:12 PM

bigmike how you do that with out doing the percentage thing

Hey Mike - I've gotta get going but I'll get back to this tomorrow evening or so-

blackdog - If I did that then I think I would use a long antenna and do something like this...

BigMike · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 11:09:10 PM »

Actually thinking about that method, it would be the easiest way to mount is, all I've gotta do is drill the appropriate hole and bolt it down, and if its really long then its gonna work just the same

BLACKDOG · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 11:34:54 PM »

my grandpa put a piece of pvc about a foot and a half long over it, so it wouldn't whip and hit the cab. It worked, but it lookied kinda tacky, but he didnt want to drill too much, he used to buy and sell vehicles all the time, i think he had that truck for about 8 months, he knew he was going to sell it when he bought it

lilbuddy · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 03, 2004, 11:45:56 PM »

I put my 4 foot on my passenger side bed rail. Works just good, put a little locktite on it and it is good. I need a spring though. From me hitting low lying brances it made the holes bigger than they should be. Doesnt come near the cab and its in the corner in the front...works good

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 05:52:38 AM »

Hey Mikey, ShawnB has his 5 foot firestik on a flat mount in the center of the front of his bed. It has survived the last year of HIS driving so I think it would last a lifetime of yours.

I had dual 5 footers on the 84 mounted to the flat bed. I never had any issues with ripping them off either. On my 83 its mounted basically to the front bumper. Its going to get moved eventually to the front part of the bed. For the bracket you are thinking of why not just go to a truck stop? They sell those mounts for like $5 with all the mounting hardware included. It sure beats building them sometimes just for simplicity's sake.

TURBO · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 11:54:41 AM »

i think i like this idea better

Quote from: BigMike on Dec 03, 2004, 04:09:07 PM

I'll build a 90° bracket and use 2 8mm bolts to attach it to the upper driverside corner of the back of the cab. I know the reception is best when you get the antenna up off the ground

but it's your truck

and i'd use 3 bolts in a triangle

they sell verious springs, say light duty and heavy duty, just get a heavy duty one and the only time it would flop over would be if say it hit the roof at the drive threw or some branches

BigMike · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 01:15:36 PM »

These suggestions all sound really good and I think I am going to mount a long 5 foot or longer antenna to the railing of the bed at the corner behind the driver.

I'll work something out to prevent it from wacking the cab. I was thinking about that if I made that o-ring style holder at the top of the cab, then Im gonna break the antenna off it I go into my garage or something low because it wont let the antenna move

Possibly I will see about just finding a simple rubber bump stop at the wrecking yard and epoxy it to the top of the cab so the antenna can bounce off of that instead of the cab. Sure it can go sideways and hit the cab but the rubber would be simple enough and I wont have to drill into my cab

I'll get it installed early next week so I will reply back here with some pics!

WHITE_TRASH · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 01:25:01 PM »

Tennis balls make great bumpstops for the antenae.....Oh wait, use a racquet ball! Its blue to match the truck.

greengo · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 01:46:49 PM »

Quote from: WHITE_TRASH on Dec 04, 2004, 01:25:01 PM

Tennis balls make great bumpstops for the antenae.....Oh wait, use a racquet ball! Its blue to match the truck.

i second that sugestion. mike for you application you may want to use one of those dog toy tennis balls, they look like a tennis ball streched to about 6" long.

BigMike · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 04:40:19 PM »

reklund5 · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 05:50:39 PM »

Mike-

I have my antenna is mounted to a bar that bolts to the stock tie down hooks across the front of the bed. I fabbed up the bar to install fork mounts for my bikes, and also used it for the antenna. I have a simple bolt on bracket attached to the bar and I use a 4' antenna when wheeling... The fibreglass antenna is mounted without any kind of spring and only hits the cab if it snags a tree or something, which around here is pretty infrequently. I do remove it when I'm not using it so the truck will fit in the garage...

I'm also experimenting with a short 18" antenna, but since it doesn't stick over the top of the cab, the range is really limited. It works if you're in close distance on the trail, but if out of sight or more than like 100' away, it wont pickup.

Be sure to tune your antenna with a SWR meter when you're done and post up some pics!!!

Ryan

BigMike · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 05:59:43 PM »

Thanks Ryan, TURBO already has a SWR meter so I will adjust the antenna and do it right

If you have any pics of your mount Im interested in checking it out.

I was looking at the front of the bed and the center section has three verticle bolts on each side that I could build a bracket for the top two bolts that I could bolt on without having to drill any holes into my bed, if I really cared about it

reklund5 · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 06:10:53 PM »

Mike-

Heres a quickie picture of my setup. Notice the modified tacoma bedliner

reklund5 · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 04, 2004, 06:11:53 PM »

Oh, and never mind that all-poo sticker.... $That\'s Gay$

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