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MOBILE INSTALL: 579 Peterbilt

Slowmover

BANNED
Feb 17, 2015
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Where the West Begins.
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This is the critter. First, some basic data.

A stock photo. The “EPIQ” Package is increased fuel efficiency. Separate Unibuilt sleeper, single occupancy. 450-HP/1850TQ with an Eaton Automated Manual 10-speed.

The fleet truck I’m in has upgraded interior and also features battery-powered engine-off AC plus an Espar diesel-fired bunk heater. The truck has two battery systems, Engine Start, and House (AGMs).

GPS truck locator, Sat-Com, Sirius/XM and plenty of onboard noise-makers.

TARE, with driver, gear and max fuel is 20,400-lbs.

I’ve been meaning to start this, have delayed as I hadn’t figured on how to:

1). Access electrical power. The length of that run to the radio rig changes AWG.

2). Same for coaxial run to factory-provided antenna mount (back of sleeper). How to get coax into truck without drilling holes.

The radio rig (the, Ha!, “portable base station”) won’t be exclusive to this truck. It’s a little my test bed as personal pickup truck and 35’ aluminum travel trailer will also be set up for radio installations. So it’s presently a pair of TAC-COMM TRC-2 Radio Carriers bolted together.

Below is detail of back-of-sleeper factory antenna mount (other types were available).

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The original antenna is 3’ wire-wound Fiberglas. About good enough to talk *#>€ across the truck stop parking lot. (You know, with the extra-long chromed mike cable so’s you can hide in sleeper behind closed curtains. Just gotta remember to cover up the Nitro Knobs on the radio. Play possum).

Well, the replacement shown is better. I’ll be using it until exterior door mirror mounts get built.
 
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A view of the radio rig waiting for tech at Clays CB (Robert) to go over it with me. And basic bench test.

Rig sits on passenger seat.

Presently:

1). RigRunner 4005 45A
2). Galaxy99v2 Transceiver
3). RM ITALY 7505v Amp
4). MFJ 945 Tuner
5). West Mountain Radio ClearSpeaker
6). Rk-56 microphone.
7). Palomar 12V Filter
8). Palomar CMC Filter

(I’ll add more to this post — and more posts with questions inviting your advice or thoughts — as time permits).
 
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But first, let’s go back in time to the original. This is in using the factory-provided location for a CB Radio. This post for other drivers primarily.

It works very well, performance is so good I recommend it strongly to others where totally stock is the operative term. (Also used in a previous “New Model” Freightliner Cascadia).

1). Uniden 980 AM/SSB (shown is my 880. Not shown is my 885)
2). RM ITALY 203 Amp
3). West Mountain Radio ClearSpeaker
4). Skipshooter top load antenna(s) to 13’5” height.

The rig will run off the provided 15-A binding posts. Use “Industrial” labeled Velcro to attach amp to radio, radio into cubby, and for speaker-mount.

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Though in our fleet it shares the overhead with a PEOPLENET GPS truck locator

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(Shown hanging forward for access to posts. See first photo this series for as-mounted to left of CB).

About all that’s needed is a power cord with disconnects for the radio, speaker & amp.

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Hear, and Get Heard. Some juice added to the radio and (most importantly) the digital signal processing speaker THAT CUTS THE NOISE!

On this 579 with sleeper-back antenna, changing the 3’ stock antenna to a 5’ Skipshooter on an SS spring brought the antenna tip 4” above 53’ van. Haven’t whacked anything in 48k miles doing drop & hook.

.
 
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A view of the radio rig waiting for tech at Clays CB (Robert) to go over it with me. And basic bench test.

Rig sits on passenger seat.

Presently:

1). RigRunner 4005 45A
2). Galaxy99v2 Transceiver
3). RM ITALY 7505v Amp
4). MFJ 945 Tuner
5). West Mountain Radio ClearSpeaker
6). Rk-56 microphone.
7). Palomar 12V Filter
8). Palomar CMC Filter

(I’ll add more to this post — and more posts with questions inviting your advice or thoughts — as time permits).
Looks like a nice set up!
 
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Is that speaker really worth 5the price? What makes it better than a standard external?

A standard externa speaker gives one the option to buy something both larger and the ability to mount it for best performance, both relative to what one’s ears can best receive and cab resonance. (A Uniden BC-20 preferred over a Cobra S500. Don’t bother with others).(As a further aside on standard external speakers, take a cue from the past and try mounting it as the car makers used to mount the single AM piece: dashboard center, firing upwards. This uses the windshield to reflect it equally. May or may not be ideal. But it’s generally better than aiming at one’s self. It’s where to start).

The DSP speaker takes away the hash, static and just plain old noise. Or mutes it’s effect on one’s ears.

Your radio (speaking here of CB and 10-Meter Export) is better than you think it is (is how I address this to others). But the environment it has to work in is less than ideal (mobile).

There are conversations going on of which you barely hear one side. And still others not at all perceptible. But they will be now.

Compared to an otherwise identical rig in identical vehicle (etc), you’ll hear things the other guy can’t. Or you’ll hear them several miles earlier.

And besides the best rigs broadcasting, all others will come in more clearly. The general run of things.

The filtration amount is variable. Generally, you’ll have it to one position while driving. Stays there 95% of the time. Maybe once parked on a good night you’ll open up everything to see what you can receive.

There’s a set of relationships to work out with:

Radio Volume
Mike Gain
RF Gain
Talkback Gain
Speaker Volume
Filtration Gain

I run my radio volume low. And use the speaker volume to change cab perceptions. The others are sort of set-and-forget. Have another give you feedback as you go thru the steps. As if a whole new radio rig and mike were installed. (You may not be able to use Talkback per speaker position).

Example is that crossing OKC afternoons & evenings on IH40 from W-E I can now decipher the base & mobile crowd chats from the scale house at El Reno to just barely past Tinker AFB. Downtown at the 35 & 40 crossing is midway (meaning strongest reception). That’s many TOTAL miles farther than before. (Because this crowd of regulars have some outstanding rigs, I can also get accurate feedback. In a different truck with co-phase 7’ Skipshooters, I heard some disbelief).

A DSP Speaker (West Mountain or BHI):

It will change your life

Might be hyperbole. But less than you think. Especially when you realize
that $130 AM/SSB Uniden 980 is MUCH better than you thought it was. You thought it was, “yeah, okay for the money” (Ha!).

Does the DSP speaker take the place of all other antenna & clean power improvements? No. But it knocks the snot out the first 70%+. And as further changes (bonding, CMC chokes, clean power, etc) improve the radios working environment, the speaker still shines.

A guy with a company truck is limited in what he can do. And even O/Os reach the end without perfect satisfaction having started from scratch.

So slap a 70W baby amp & ClrSpkr to a digital Uniden. $400 total. You won’t find comparable performance with a radio of that price. It may be “better” in important respects, but it WON’T have comparable reception filtration.

A guy has a well-sorted 955 Stryker. By now you shouldn’t have to ask if it will benefit.

A guy wants a “big radio” this is where he starts. Put in this rig. And begin working on the attendant Transceiver Environmental Problems. Leave more expensive radios out until that “TEP” is done.
.
 
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Here's an idea for mounting the cb antenna. The body style is identical.


While both the KW and Pete are respectively similar fleet offerings of their PACCAR parent they’re not the same at this point.

The 680 Kenworth is a single unit cab & sleeper. The 579 Pete is separate cab & sleeper. (The latest “Ultraloft” or some such from Pete IS a single unit condo. We are receiving some of those, but I don’t know if they’re reserved for teams. To make it more confusing, we’re receiving Fitz gliders as well).

Only the KW has the mirror mount arms. I wish the Pete did just from ease of install. The then-new KW880 I was running a few years ago was an easy install.

Of course I’ve seen this of yours over on T-R. And thanks for posting it here. I’d very much have fun making some antennas to length. And may still.

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These are the NEW MODEL Cascadia SS antenna mirror mounts Robert (Clays CB Shop, San Antonio, TX) had a local machine shop make after I gave him one of my newly-released PRO-COMM mounts. Medium Duty, and Heavy Duty.

This was the PRO COMM mount. Co-phase harness with 7’ Skipshooters. Good enough that limitations were the other mans rig.

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Was at that shop in December and a take-off of the 579 Peterbilt mirror was made. Left a message today to wake him up, “Hey, I want the first two”.

I’ve the usual pending order sitting at DX Engineering, and among other items in it are a pair of 102” whips (managed to forget mine after divorce). Still need the potbelly SS springs. (Still have pickup & trailer to do).

I’d imagine they’ll be too long. But one of those other order items is a Rig Expert. So I plan on testing a few configurations.
 
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A close-up of the WEST MOUNTAIN RADIO CLEARSPEAKER.

Missed the Edit cutoff above. Takes 12VDC and has 3.5mm audio cable.

Mine survived two years banging around oilfield. I sent it back to be checked. Was great. Now in fifth year of use. (300-days at 10-12/hrs daily X 4-years as of September last).

I turn the speaker on last. On-Off is also volume. I make sure radio volume is Low to Off. Speaker goes thru self-check and comes on after that moment.

.
 
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Thank you for showing us a way to make it work.

Not a lot of OTR drivers have the time or ability to get the time - to do the work to make mobile setups more like base radio installs.

  • (Let alone have the guts to take pic's inside their cab in fear of reprisals from their Shops or fellow drivers - a lot of shops are locations of truck suppliers where they hire contract workers that work independently and have to show just cause for charging the company for the repair work. The independent OTR's are less affected by this policy because they pay for their own expense - however companies do not take kindly to those going above and beyond the course of action and if for any reason the Truck gets sent to a shop or towed there, a lot of questions get raised and sometimes the driver is shown the door)
I just wish companies were a little more open and transparent to the efforts the drivers use to make their stay in the cab as best comfort as possible due to the extra day stress of driving to and from, let alone in, conditions that are not always the best ideal types for driving - let along the locations and driving in them - safely.
 
Thanks, HA.

I’m being careful for all good reasons. Let’s say the company owner were a HAM. Could I in good conscience show him the work done? (These trucks run about $200k when new).

Alterations frowned upon (nothing permanent), but installations (might be inverter, etc) are to be of the One Wire type (which I read as POS to BATT, and NEG to Engine Ground) per Drivers Manual.

(Leeway is sometimes about the driver. The range of who takes care of equipment and who doesn’t is vast. It doesn’t perfectly track against productivity, either).

Problem here (as in first post) is AWG requirement for a 30A draw (which I’m calling 20A running everything on Low) as potential power leads length looks prohibitive.

Don’t know yet, IOW. I’ve found a non-permanent way thru firewall. But routing distance for NEG could be 20’. POS at 12’.

If I can do it 8-ga, that’d be a happy thing. So I’m still looking (as time/energy/weather permit) for shorter routing.

The voltage drop problem is what’s running things. (And, yeah, I can ratchet jaw even worse than I post. “Life, what life”?). I “can” make things shorter, but “permission” is what I want to see, maybe here, or eHam, or two-way (Motorola) guidelines.

No, I don’t yet know operative amp draw at idle, or under varying levels of power (anywhere from 10W to 180W).

.
 
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