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MOBILE INSTALL: 579 Peterbilt

Yes, and it was not a vertical spring, but acted more like a torsion rod, where the coil was along the length of the shaft and twisted "back" n "forth" from the torque of when the whip would hit something - whipping it to offset the impact and offsetting the balance - the thing then found it's "center" and would return to supposed vertical position.

They were not as popular because of the "Wind whack" while driving would make the mount reverberate as winds and the drive-by semis passing it tend to make it move off it's "detent" - making for a noisy commute at times on the highway.

Remember a local Driver back in the early 80's used a set of these when he drove for gravel trains. The antennas did better (last longer) but the mount had it's own problems with "slop" where even a hard stop at intersections would "Tonk-tunk-tunk-tunk" could be heard thru his microphone - it's how his wife would know his condition.

It was made for antennas that you couldn't tune or adjust length for - those pre-set ones that if you added a shock spring it was either too heavy (wouldn't stand up) or de-tuned it' - thru length - beyond resonance.
 
Yes, and it was not a vertical spring, but acted more like a torsion rod, where the coil was along the length of the shaft and twisted "back" n "forth" from the torque of when the whip would hit something - whipping it to offset the impact and offsetting the balance - the thing then found it's "center" and would return to supposed vertical position.

They were not as popular because of the "Wind whack" while driving would make the mount reverberate as winds and the drive-by semis passing it tend to make it move off it's "detent" - making for a noisy commute at times on the highway.

Remember a local Driver back in the early 80's used a set of these when he drove for gravel trains. The antennas did better (last longer) but the mount had it's own problems with "slop" where even a hard stop at intersections would "Tonk-tunk-tunk-tunk" could be heard thru his microphone - it's how his wife would know his condition.

It was made for antennas that you couldn't tune or adjust length for - those pre-set ones that if you added a shock spring it was either too heavy (wouldn't stand up) or de-tuned it' - thru length - beyond resonance.

That sounds exactly like the ones I'm talking about.
 
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Hmmm

White boys can’t dance

White boys can’t jump

It’s pretty funny you get a black guy can’t shift like one in my CDL training class . . . and remind him that rhythm ain't supposed to be his problem.

My instructor was on me one morning BECAUSE I was pretty good at the outset. But not that morning. I told him I felt it my duty to make things easy for the next guy (five of em crammed into sleeper), that I was therefore grinding them gear teeth down EVENLY.

.
 
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Learn by doing. Read & re-read. Suffer the pangs and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Sitting at shipper wondering how bad it’ll be to to start down thru Chicagoland in another hour from well north, down, down into the maelstrom thence hopefully to emerge once around the lake into Michigan.

The outhouse of evil. Home to Jarrett, Obama, Rodham, Ruby, Giancana, and lesser minions. The Archetype of Corruption. Bubbles and Festers below the toilet lid.

And the Truckers reflect it. No matter where we’re from. It’s in the air.

It’ll be a fine time to stir that s-pot on 80/90. Covid Cookery for Un-Ending Miles of Big Trucks. On Friday Evening.

And, there’s no end of named groups to insult. Race, Country of Origin, Religion.

1). Crank the powah,
2). robot the voice,
3). aggravate with echo echo echo,
4). Rodger the Bip.

Put on the full armor of . . . .

Yea, though I walk thru the Valley of . . . .


The Dark Side is calling me.

.

 
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266F3E02-7A20-4474-A055-6DBBF07F65F7.jpeg

Here’s an MFJ-347 Dipole (Ham-stick) Mount. Pieces rearranged, but stock. Note bracket bent. One of two owned.

46FA25C0-0BA4-4A1E-9500-588ADEE5A284.jpeg

Here it is modified to better grasp a round bar mount. I used some pieces from some Wilson mounts to find a matched pair AND some longer bolts. Double-nutted.

Downside to this is potential contact with “cold” antenna.

I was pleased to find this arrangement FAR better than as provided by MFJ. Using the stock 347 on truck means it slips, eventually. Note bent bracket on each from use.

Someone might find this approach useful (hamstick mount).


F76D6BAD-DEEF-4CA9-B337-E75F12E31B04.jpeg

Here was the attempt to use the TOP GUN TEC Z-Mount for a Dipole. Those are 5.5’ Francis.

That there is some pill poppin SWRs. (3.0+). Matching length Cold antenna nearly touching steps.

Figured it was worth a try. I like the idea.

Antenna of same height stolen from truck last week was at same position on different mount where SWR was 1.3 or less. (See pics above).
.
 
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AAB8934A-E862-4E4E-BE1F-3C87ED769F1B.jpeg
Here’s where I’d like to try that idea. Dipole. Drivers-side. Stuck between plastic fairing pieces. Plastic one-piece cab & sleeper.

(Stainless Steel) Twisted-L Bracket
TOP GUN TEC
(Bobs CB)

375AC3E1-F09D-4785-987B-9E780954EF04.jpeg

Doesn’t stick out too far. I’ll measure distance mirrors have from body to establish a range.

9A4988B2-CAE7-4F35-ABAB-E61EA33E9A51.jpeg

But the “twist” is the wrong direction. (The bracket is not moved for any picture; another fastener hidden). The bracket from sleeper to fairing is steel.

I have some short thick chrome convex spot mirror brackets I might try. Equal length bend.

Won’t do it this trip home, but if any ideas come to mind, pass them along.

(My preference would be a cophase pair. But the exhaust stack would seem to rule that out).

The Porkchop Rebbe is adamant about this one in many posts over on a truck CB forum. And has posted here of same (but using a sheet of stainless across the sleeper back). Essentially, where one has a plastic truck, a Dipole can work so long as the antenna is electrically-separate (etc).

A piece of stainless may be better versus cobbling brackets together. And move the antenna out a little farther.

I’ve seen discussion that the short distance of MFJ bracket-spacing really makes for a collinear antenna.

Ideas on bracket stud spacing? Other?


.
 
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0E65CFA9-CE83-4EEB-AEB5-5979AF3F8E69.jpeg

(Ignore strike thru)

The popular antenna mounting point on a “fleet-spec” composite body truck is the side-mirror body mount bolts.

The ubiquitous Freightliner Cascadia has mirror mounts from a half-dozen sources.

Unfortunately, the forward portion of a similar mount on the 579 (would) encounter interference with the body. Neither full bracket or bird perch type have offerings at retail.

This is (almost) the only way to mount a 6’ or 7’ antenna and stay below 14’ clearance..

My past experience with 7’ Skipshooters on a Cascadia was very good.

When I get back to Texas I’ll jury-Rig one of several pairs of Cascadia mounts to the rear bolt pair to see how far off it is. I’d like to run a pair of 102” whips.

;The passenger door “spot mirror” mount used currently is okay for receive. Just, okay.

.
 
I guess I was mistaken about the body being the same as the kenworth.
If you got a spot mirror on the passenger door I think that's probably the easiest and cheapest antenna mounting location.
I would never mount it behind the cab under any circumstances unless you want to bring it outside the rear fairings which is a lot of work.
Bob sells a stainless steel Z bracket Which bolts to the passenger side door. Getting it out from behind the cab is always a good thing.
https://www.topguntec.com/antenna_mounts.htm
 
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View attachment 37625
Here’s where I’d like to try that idea. Dipole. Drivers-side. Stuck between plastic fairing pieces. Plastic one-piece cab & sleeper.

(Stainless Steel) Twisted-L Bracket
TOP GUN TEC
(Bobs CB)

View attachment 37626

Doesn’t stick out too far. I’ll measure distance mirrors have from body to establish a range.

View attachment 37627

But the “twist” is the wrong direction. (The bracket is not moved for any picture; another fastener hidden). The bracket from sleeper to fairing is steel.

I have some short thick chrome convex spot mirror brackets I might try. Equal length bend.

Won’t do it this trip home, but if any ideas come to mind, pass them along.

(My preference would be a cophase pair. But the exhaust stack would seem to rule that out).

The Porkchop Rebbe is adamant about this one in many posts over on a truck CB forum. And has posted here of same (but using a sheet of stainless across the sleeper back). Essentially, where one has a plastic truck, a Dipole can work so long as the antenna is electrically-separate (etc).

A piece of stainless may be better versus cobbling brackets together. And move the antenna out a little farther.

I’ve seen discussion that the short distance of MFJ bracket-spacing really makes for a collinear antenna.

Ideas on bracket stud spacing? Other?


.
That would be a great solution if you could make it work.
 
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I guess I was mistaken about the body being the same as the kenworth.
If you got a spot mirror on the passenger door I think that's probably the easiest and cheapest antenna mounting location.
I would never mount it behind the cab under any circumstances unless you want to bring it outside the rear fairings which is a lot of work.
Bob sells a stainless steel Z bracket Which bolts to the passenger side door. Getting it out from behind the cab is always a good thing.
https://www.topguntec.com/antenna_mounts.htm

That’s the mount I’m using.

.
 
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That would be a great solution if you could make it work.


1). How far away from body is reasonable for a dipole on a big truck at that location (rear fairing), in your opinion?

2). In other posts with examples, I believe you’ve used stainless flat sheet and mounted antennas thru that. “Stuck between” a fairing gap (inside to outside).

— I’m assuming the exhaust stack on the passenger side means to run ONLY a single on drivers side. (Ideal seen as no metal paralleling antenna)

— Otherwise, a piece of sheet steel from one side to the other (with clearance for trailer swing).

3). What spacing between cold and hot whips? (Holes drilled).

4). Set cold whip with a stud that can accommodate degrees of swing from vertical to near horizontal? (Tuning).

5). RF Bonding that stack looks like a problem. It’s well secured down low — and, while a SS exhaust band can be obtained — I don’t know if there’s metal that high to which to run the bond.

6). Hell, I bought a compact SIRIO Boomerang. I’ll just bring it out from the bottom of the fairing on a j-pole satellite mast to accommodate that 12’ length. 8.5’ Tall and 3.5 Swing.

Find the 5.5’ fairing point, ha!

(Truly, I don’t know if it’s 15.5’ overall or the 12’ above).

.
 
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1). How far away from body is reasonable for a dipole on a big truck at that location (rear fairing), in your opinion?
Spacing was determined by keeping 9' between the elements and had nothing to do with proximity to the body. If the body has any metal in it you're probably barking up the wrong tree. It worked great on a peterbilt 387 which is all plastic body.
I’m assuming the exhaust stack on the passenger side means to run ONLY a single on drivers side. (Ideal seen as no metal paralleling antenna)
The peterbilt 387 had a stack on the passenger side and it didn't prevent me from putting an element on that side.
3). What spacing between cold and hot whips? (Holes drilled).
I didn't get all scientific about it I simply drilled a couple holes without putting any thought into it.
Find the 5.5’ fairing point, ha!
The Sirio boomerang seems like a pretty interesting idea.
 
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Thx. Heari
Spacing was determined by keeping 9' between the elements and had nothing to do with proximity to the body. If the body has any metal in it you're probably barking up the wrong tree. It worked great on a peterbilt 387 which is all plastic body.

The peterbilt 387 had a stack on the passenger side and it didn't prevent me from putting an element on that side.

I didn't get all scientific about it I simply drilled a couple holes without putting any thought into it.

The Sirio boomerang seems like a pretty interesting idea.


Thanks. Hearing of experience half the battle (getting rid of some questions).

Body is one-piece composite Ultraloft.
 
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