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Slowmover

BANNED
Feb 17, 2015
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Where the West Begins.
33352C08-8D3A-4789-9C88-932847603716.jpeg

The victim.

An ‘04 Triple Nickle CTD (Cummins TurboDiesel) with the mans’ trans.

Nearing a quarter-million. Stock, but for road performance anti-roll bar changes (after a Peterbilt, it’s my diesel Corvette) with a bit more to come along that line to further enhance towing. A 1T, but with IFS plus rack & pinion. 2WD, 8’ bed.

Started life as a business vehicle, now it’s my garage for what I don’t want in the Silver Streak (background). As 24-MPG Highway is my Solo planning number, and 15-MPG Towing, it’s a great vehicle.

I’ve had a few sits-on-the-center-console Radio setups as where to mount is sure different than 1974.

Giant antenna mag mounts, hood lip mounts, etc, have been used, but as I’m going to keep the LEER-brand composite topper, a bed mount antenna is out.

I’ve worked my way thru the Undertaker museum certification course on mobile AM antennas, so that end is covered except one.

1). The selection is of 5’ plus antennas extends to 102”. But I’d also like to run a Larsen NMO-27.

I know there are adaptors both directions. But, quality? (Opek doesn’t give me tingles).

— So, before I get to roof cutting next week with a Greenlee Chassis Punch ordered, I also need to order from BREEDLOVE MACHINE a 3/8-24 mount. Or?

— Any thoughts generally, and any on being able to swap in an NMO Mount Larsen — with an adaptor— on occasion?

— I’m not averse to more than one hole (the Larsen isn’t any priority) so a separate NMO Mount is fine. A future job.

Radios will be the modern Uniden digital series (880, 885, 980), President McKinley or Lincoln. Plus a grab bag of Galaxy (979, 99v2, maybe a 95T). The truck is an AM/SSB platform till further notice. From 4W to dual finals to outboard amp.

Whatever I get in the future (for big truck, travel trailer or pickup) gets installed and tested here. Any type or description (a Yaesu t450d is waiting it’s turn).

There’s no true “base station” for me, as it were. My gear will always be “mobile” in a sense (even if someday it’s not considered mobile or portable).

So until some receiver or transceiver for which I’ve earned licensure to TX/RX, the pickup MAY be part of testing. Even if driven away from trailer to get reports.

So, first hole & first mount . . .

How would you proceed?

(Thx for your consideration).

.
 
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Spent a fair amount of last night and a bit this morning reading K0BG’s posts on QRZ back thru 2014. Think I’ve read his site easily 4-5 times. Some embarrassing moments in the Q&A he answers. But I sure enjoyed learning what problems my old pickemup DOESN'T have.

Went back to QRZ since you guys tripped all over each other in your rush to post to this thread. Head-banging grey-hairs . . . not good.

I know I’ve seen an adapter. Most, of course, are NMO to 3/8 style. The baldies on QRZ haven’t seen the other way round (I get the reasoning).

So, the lowly wheel holder trudges on.

Larsen A4 SO-239 Adapter

Not an ideal.

Cheap enough at $10 to keep in the gear bag or taped to that antenna. Giga-Parts, Antenna Farm, Amazon, etc.

Looks like a separate NMO Mount is on the plan board. Otherwise need to be able to put a big ol’ antenna on that roof (within Texican reason . . . .).

Guess I’ll have to lay out hay fields and pastures separately, just like Cousin Undertaker warned me (The Bard of Blum, still singin’ above that old roaring tractor). Have to figure drainage. Prevailing winds. Hedgerows. Even an antenna farm needs its elbow room (ha!).

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One of those questions I never got around to: that 8’ topper. Any benefit to lining its interior with copper foil? (Specs? Glue-down?). Think I read where someone said you’d have to solder copper strips in order to bond it.

The McMaster-Carr price isn’t encouraging, but . . . .

(Okay. One at a time this time).

.
 
Bond truck as you have done your research. Drop the headliner and either do a nmo breedlove puck or so-239 puck.. You could also do both while you have the headliner down. If you dont have your ham ticket yet.. go get it.. run a sirio P5K for 10-11 meters on the SO239 and whatever flavor you want on the nmo for vhf-uhf... This will keep you busy on the bands from the mobile. Both mounts with some lmr400 ultra flex... These are my thoughts..
 
Have seen fiberglass toppers done with both copper wire “spiderwebs” and by lining with sheet metal. To what extent there’s a benefit in doing this over mounting on the cab, I can’t say.

Both solutions seemed to work as well as any other mobile in this town...20 or so years ago.
 
Bond truck as you have done your research. Drop the headliner and either do a nmo breedlove puck or so-239 puck.. You could also do both while you have the headliner down. If you dont have your ham ticket yet.. go get it.. run a sirio P5K for 10-11 meters on the SO239 and whatever flavor you want on the nmo for vhf-uhf... This will keep you busy on the bands from the mobile. Both mounts with some lmr400 ultra flex... These are my thoughts..

You’ve read my mind. AM/SSB for now.

Thought I was closer to licensure study time last year this point. Same with son. He’s suddenly married, and my list of chores at home grew. Important for us both. His new wife fully capable (academically).

I’ve been using the DX Engineering Davis Buryflex equivalent.
Found that in the Pete it has just enough flex to make big turns.

Thanks
.
 
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Have seen fiberglass toppers done with both copper wire “spiderwebs” and by lining with sheet metal. To what extent there’s a benefit in doing this over mounting on the cab, I can’t say.

Both solutions seemed to work as well as any other mobile in this town...20 or so years ago.

I’ll get tempted at some point. As the Silver Streak will need some supply buys, McM-Carr catalog stays handy.

I wasn’t planning to mount an antenna on it, just “maybe” up the performance of what’s on the cab roof.

Happily, I WILL get a Rig Expert Antenna Analyzer.
First.

.
 
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Worked well enough that some folks around here thought they could improve their steel roof by installing copper wire. Some even believed it worked.

I’ve long thought that if I were to create an “artificial” ground plane on fiberglass...If lean towards conductive copper tape for most of the heavy lifting.
 
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Worked well enough that some folks around here thought they could improve their steel roof by installing copper wire. Some even believed it worked.

I’ve long thought that if I were to create an “artificial” ground plane on fiberglass...If lean towards conductive copper tape for most of the heavy lifting.

That’s a suggestion I’ve seen by a fellow from your state. A sunburst pattern of tape radiating out from underside of mount. As my headliner is a lost cause, I might just try that in the cab.

I’d be at a loss knowing what pattern under topper except to run cross-wise to travel and touch bond strips.

Thx
 
Back around 92' dave and i riveted over 1000 feet of chicken wire rolls on underside of my high top ford conversion van. We used 2 pucks on top . I never lost a 500z class anywhere with it, In fact I wont Augusta 1 alt class where I beat guys w 3s and 6s . So that works but was about 100 man hours of work , would never do again, especially being almost 30 years older.
 
You’ve read my mind. AM/SSB for now.

Thought I was closer to licensure study time last year this point. Same with son. He’s suddenly married, and my list of chores at home grew. Important for us both. His new wife fully capable (academically).

I’ve been using the DX Engineering Davis Buryflex equivalent.
Found that in the Pete it has just enough flex to make big turns.

Thanks
.
I like the Buryflex. Got mine from another supplier in Jersey somewhere.
 
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Back around 92' dave and i riveted over 1000 feet of chicken wire rolls on underside of my high top ford conversion van. We used 2 pucks on top . I never lost a 500z class anywhere with it, In fact I wont Augusta 1 alt class where I beat guys w 3s and 6s . So that works but was about 100 man hours of work , would never do again, especially being almost 30 years older.

Okay. There’s something to it.
But . . . I don’t want take that much ADVIL.
Thirty years is just that. (Now, where are those grandsons).

Thx

.
 

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