Comms and GPS

PDXDave · 08-28-2023, 05:15 PM

Finally finished the start of my comms install and got the dedicated GPS mount in as well.
The antenna mounts are on wedge shaped shims and bolted to the fender with nut-serts
The CB antenna mount is empty for now, as I'm still waiting on an antenna and radio to show up.
The radio will be a President McKinley mounted to the overhead console.
The commission a Yeasu FTM500 and everything is on RAM mounts on the dash.

dbhosttexas · 03-05-2024, 01:23 PM

So, and this is MY experience so far...

Radio, President McKinley II FCC. President DigiMike. The stock mic is fine but I REALLY prefer a heftier mike. Just a tactile feel thing.

Mount is one of those van fender channel mounts.

Coax is a FireStik FireRing cable / stud mount.

The ONLY way I could get reasonable SWR with any antenna I tried, and I tried with a Firestik II 3ft, too short, Wilson 2000 Trucker, coils too low, finally an old came off a Jeep I owned decades ago Radio Shack 102" SS whip on a 6" ProComm barrel spring and SWR is 1.1 flat across the band.

You will want that mount on the furthest forward fender bolt hole, any further back and again, too much reflectivity from the upper part of the van bodywork.

Another option that worked well RF wise but not so good clearance wise was a WIlson 1000 mag mount on the exposed metal part of the roof, much less directional but hit stuff way worse than the 102 does...

My McKinley is mounted on the overhead console, I had to "adjust" the width of the sun visors to get them to work with the radio... The Sportsmobile overhead console is too shallow to hold the radio inside so it hangs below.

GPS for me will be in dash mounted part of a to be installed infotainment system.

Additional COMMS will be a dash bracket for my smart phone, and a handheld GMRS radio.

larrie · 03-05-2024, 09:39 PM

Our HAM and CB antennas are fender mounted too. They are very vulnerable to tree branches and bushes on tight trails. Have ruined a couple of them.

Orv · 03-06-2024, 05:34 PM

Makes sense! You just can't beat a 102" whip for range. Anything else is a compromise.

arctictraveller · 03-07-2024, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbhosttexas

So, and this is MY experience so far

Coax is a FireStik FireRing cable / stud mount.

The ONLY way I could get reasonable SWR with any antenna I tried, and I tried with a Firestik II 3ft, too short, Wilson 2000 Trucker, coils too low, finally an old came off a Jeep I owned decades ago Radio Shack 102" SS whip on a 6" ProComm barrel spring and SWR is 1.1 flat across the .

Was the Firestick you tried a NGP (no ground plane required ) model? That can make a large difference. Additionally, my ham antenna and GMRS antenna are the fold over type so I simply fold them down when I am bushwhacking, and have yet to destroy one.
I do a lot of moderately difficult off road travel, and probably only use 4wd about 3% of the time. If you have some sort of limited slip or locker, along with airing down your tires and even better, traveling with a buddy, you should have very few issues without four-wheel-drive. If you travel a lot in snow, ice, mud, sand, or very loose rocks, then four-wheel-drive might be a good idea.

Fitz · 03-07-2024, 12:08 PM

Arctic,

I have a fold over ham antenna that is yet to be installed, can I ask where you have your two antennas installed? I was thinking up on top of the side ladder, but I have yet to decide.

dbhosttexas · 03-07-2024, 09:56 PM

@Arctictraveller nope. No NGP antenna. Don't need it for the 102. Got an 8ga lead running from the mount to chassis ground and like I said the 102 dials SWR in dead flat. Well one of them does, the other is slightly curved. I have two of them. One the Corona ball got whacked off of it on a tree limb in Sam Houston National Forest about 20 years ago... I seriously don't mind having a 102 other than it is just a LOT of antenna. And I don't have my amateur ticket (yet), the guys I off road, and hunt with are all on CB or GMRS, and the GMRS guys are few and far between... Of course the guys I hang with are all in their late 40s on up...

dbhosttexas · 04-05-2024, 02:24 PM

@pdxdave Where did you get the nut inserts / rivnuts? I have the van fender mount for my 102" that is on the drivers side, I would like a mount for a GMRS on the passenger side and would love to just mirror the drivers side mount, and do the thread inserts to the inside of the fenders to secure them.

I have an adjustable one that might do the trick, as long as the mount hole is the same size as a standard CB antenna mount I am good.

So far the President McKinley II FCC has been an awesome radio.

I am absolutely not worried about hurting a 102" whip. I have run them for a very long time and never had an issue. On Jeeps, on my 4x4 pickups, and now on the van... Yes I have popped corona balls off, but not a big deal in reality...

Honestly I could like to lower the ceiling console in the van, and remove some of the brace material that blocks off more than half of its depth so that I can get the McKinley mounted up over the drivers head with a compact GMRS next to it...

GPS duties will come in via the Boss infotainment system / stereo so no need for an add in. Just use Google maps / navigation with offline mode if need be...

arctictraveller · 04-05-2024, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fitz

Arctic,

I have a fold over ham antenna that is yet to be installed, can I ask where you have your two antennas installed? I was thinking up on top of the side ladder, but I have yet to decide.

I made a couple brackets that use a bolt for the front fender. The brackets bolt on just under the gap between the fender and the hood, one on each side of the hood.

PDXDave · 04-06-2024, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbhosttexas

@pdxdave Where did you get the nut inserts / rivnuts? I have the van fender mount for my 102" that is on the drivers side, I would like a mount for a GMRS on the passenger side and would love to just mirror the drivers side mount, and do the thread inserts to the inside of the fenders to secure them.

I have an adjustable one that might do the trick, as long as the mount hole is the same size as a standard CB antenna mount I am good.

So far the President McKinley II FCC has been an awesome radio.

I am absolutely not worried about hurting a 102" whip. I have run them for a very long time and never had an issue. On Jeeps, on my 4x4 pickups, and now on the van... Yes I have popped corona balls off, but not a big deal in reality...

Honestly I could like to lower the ceiling console in the van, and remove some of the brace material that blocks off more than half of its depth so that I can get the McKinley mounted up over the drivers head with a compact GMRS next to it...

GPS duties will come in via the Boss infotainment system / stereo so no need for an add in. Just use Google maps / navigation with offline mode if need be...

Since I originally posted this, I removed the antenna mounts and fabricated a proper set that do not require the wedge shaped shim. At the same time I moved them down the fender to get farther from the van body. I also upped the nut-sert size from 10/32 to 1/4"
The whole thing works better now and is much more solid.
The nut-serts and associated tool came off the Snap-On truck probably 25 years ago, but you can get nut-serts on Amazon as well as a very good Marson tool for installing them, if you don't have one.