UHF and VHF

[globalgregors]

I have a GME unit, but not dual antenna, I have both those antennas but just swap them out according to needs. Everyday and in hilly country I have the smaller 2.1SDb on, but if doing open country or deser etc I put the taller 6.6Db on.

Indeed, I guess I meant ‘twin pack’. I’ve got them squirreled away awaiting installation. Have you been happy with their performance?

 

[AnD3rew]

Indeed, I guess I meant ‘twin pack’. I’ve got them squirreled away awaiting installation. Have you been happy with their performance?

Very good

 

[DesertGecko]

Even out bush, it's much easier to check that your bull bar-mounted rigid radome antenna will clear the scrub than monitoring the clearance of a roof-mounted antenna under overhanging branches.
Latter I think less of an issue with whip aerials but these are somewhat less popular in Oz. GME has a sizeable chunk of the market just with it's dual antenna kit.

I think mounting off the roof is great as the range is better.. but you've got to have a folding mount if you are putting something up there. Frontrunner has a folding mount for their rack.

 

[DesertGecko]

Not a fan of dangling mic cords from the roof etc, I know some like them up there but it’s not for me, also not 100% sure there is soace up there for the hidden unit either and I definitely don’t want to be running aeriel cable down A pillars etc. Also I don’t like the aerial on the roof, it gets a bit better reception but you have to remember to knock it down going into carparks and it’s more vulnerable to trees etc on bush tracks. Just overall works better for me with the unit behind the dash, and the aerial on the bar.

Will be interesting to see if there is some kind of channel up there, but it may just be the wiring harness laid out and wired up before the headliner goes in, in which case it wouldn’t be just a matter of feeding a cable through, it would be a much bigger job.

I am also not a fan of dangling cords from the roof. I don't like it in my vision.

 

[YIPPE]

I am also not a fan of dangling cords from the roof. I don't like it in my vision.

You could mount the unit in the roof and then have one of these. Nothing to say it must be mounted to steering wheel. Mount somewhere easily accessible. https://www.gme.net.au/au/accessories/w1/

 

[globalgregors]

I think mounting off the roof is great as the range is better.. but you've got to have a folding mount if you are putting something up there. Frontrunner has a folding mount for their rack.

Yes, as do GME and Uniden. Being able to fold it and remembering to fold it might be more my stumbling block.
I will have a folding StarLink mount on the roof, I was also thinking a little distance might minimise any electromagnetic interactions.

 

[Tazzieman]

I will have a folding StarLink mount on the roof, I was also thinking a little distance might minimise any electromagnetic interactions.

Good update from Robert ,with a coupla mods you may have seen.

 

[Steveo]

You could mount the unit in the roof and then have one of these. Nothing to say it must be mounted to steering wheel. Mount somewhere easily accessible. https://www.gme.net.au/au/accessories/w1/

You could, but the compatible head unit is 1DIN size. Unlikely that's going to go behind the overhead switch panel. And the head unit has the only display. But it's a nice idea with the right unit.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

I'm planning on fitting this UHF radio with the base unit hidden behind the overhead switch panel so just the mic hangs down and clips on the panel.
It should be just a short coax run to the roof rack hopefully through the electrical roof socket run.

Would (lack of) ventilation be an issue with a transceiver ‘body’ installed behind the overhead switch panel?

 

[Ovrland Bill]

Most UHF antennas perform best when there is at least a 12 inch diameter ground plane underneath, but few of us are ready to cut a hole in the middle of the roof for an antenna mount. Has anyone had experience with ‘No Ground Plane (required)’ antennas (half wavelength?) that could be mounted elsewhere?

 

[TheDocAUS]

Even out bush, it's much easier to check that your bull bar-mounted rigid radome antenna will clear the scrub than monitoring the clearance of a roof-mounted antenna under overhanging branches.
Latter I think less of an issue with whip aerials but these are somewhat less popular in Oz. GME has a sizeable chunk of the market just with it's dual antenna kit.

RFI has a an extensive range of aerials including dual packages. I will have two UHFs install, mostly likely have a GME aerial on one and RFI on the other.

I am a big fan of the RFI CD63 range. I installed that in front of the driver with miniminal distraction, to the driver. The twists take out the road vibrations and I use to call it the hula girl when it wobbled away.

​

 

[Tomdoc]

I am about to pickup my Station Wagon in the next few days - I will try to post here my efforts installing both HF and 2/70 radios. I've been thinking hard how to do this and will obviously have to wait for the vehicle before committing to a final install plan. Will initially go with an IC7000 and a Yaesu FT400 with two antennas - a Tarheel II and a twin band U/VHF antenna. Fully automatic tuning on the Tarheel for all HF bands using a TargetTuner. I am fully aware this is a bit niche - but as this vehicle is designed for long/remote travels, radio communication/ antenna earthing and mounting is pertinent to a lot of prospective users. Hopefully watch this space!!

 

[Telliottaus]

I believe that the outlets for ‘roof power’ will be in the same recess as the tie-down rails. If antenna coax can follow the same path then, perhaps, those rails might serve as mounting locations for aerials (albeit off-center).

I did this, then under the seat, just need to go behind the Curtin airbag

 

[Telliottaus]

Can't answer for the Goodwood vehicle but the tie down recess roof panel looks to be a removable plastic insert with a rear lip seal.

View attachment 7794195
View attachment 7794196

So if should be possible to drill and grommet for a waterproof through connection.

It's just a shame that the panel is concave and so doesn't seem to offer a flat surface for some of the other types of waterproof through connectors.

View attachment 7794197

If you have the aux power, you can just reuse that grommet

 

[RobH]

Has anybody had any thoughts on where the cabling for UHF/VHF radio may track?. Power to radios probably not an issue, however getting the coax cable from the radio to the aerial on the roof, bumper rear or front could require some neat thinking.

RobH
I have just had a UHF radio installed and had the arial put on 1st roof mount on drivers side. Arial is adjustable 1/. Perpendicular; 2/. 45 degrees; 3/. horizontal. In horizontal to it does not protrude above roof rails. Arial cable follows the same pathway as the wires for the plug socket in that area. Radio is mounted under the dash on right of driver and currently microphone comes out in passenger side. Also have a 6 inch very flexible arial that can replace the larger 2.1dbi.
If I eventually purchase a roof rack, which I am trying to avoid I will move arial to the roof rack.

 

[RobH]

Has anybody had any thoughts on where the cabling for UHF/VHF radio may track?. Power to radios probably not an issue, however getting the coax cable from the radio to the aerial on the roof, bumper rear or front could require some neat thinking.

RobH Refer pictures:
Arial is 2.1 dbi with a separate 6 inch very flexible one.
When folded flat it does not rise higher than roof rails.
Wire follows down the path of the electrical connection in that position. I believe the installer removed the 6 screws holding that whole area in position.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

Any issue with unintended rotation of the ‘grab bars’ that the antenna is attached to?

 

[Mr. Largo WINCH]

Bonjour à tous.
Je cherche comme beaucoup d'entre nous, à installer une antenne VHF sur le Grenadier sans faire de trou dans la carrosserie.
J'envisage de positionner l'émetteur / récepteur sous le siège arrière droit au plus près de la batterie auxiliaire pour l'alimentation de cette VHF. Il suffira alors de tirer la liaison vers le panneau de contrôle de la VHF vers le tableau de bord en passant en pied de porte par exemple.
Une VHF / UHF à clavier déporté comme la ICOM IC-2730 E pourrait faire l'affaire.

Cela pourrait donner

Pour positionner l'antenne, les supports de toit côté Avant droit semblent une bonne solution.

Il y a en effet des passages dans la carrosserie à cet endroit

Le fil d'antenne pourrait descendre dans le montant de la porte arrière droite.

En retirant le cache avant droit

Un repère existe déjà sur le cache

Quelqu'un a t-il déjà retiré (et repositionné ...) ce cache en plastique noir ?
Merci de vos retours.

 

[Mr. Largo WINCH]

Bonjour à tous
J'ai trouvé une solution plus simple pour la mise en place d'un câble d'antenne VHF/UHF en partie arrière du Grenadier sans percer la carrosserie. L'objectif était de disposer d'une antenne VHF / UHF extérieure, le plus en arrière possible, le plus en hauteur possible, démontable facilement avec une liaison jusqu'au local de la seconde batterie (pour y positionner l'émetteur récepteur avec une liaison au tableau de bord vers une face avant déportée) ou jusqu'au tableau de bord. Une fois à l'intérieur de la caisse, il est facile de passer le câble d'antenne vers l'avant sous les garnitures arrière droite et sous les seuils de porte.

Le passage de la tige métallique fine (réalisée avec un cintre de pressage...) est un peu délicat. Il faut accompagner la tige en la guidant à la main puis à la pince, par l'intérieur. En recourbant l'extrémité extérieure de la tige sur le câble d'antenne et en graissant un peu le câble avec de la graisse silicone, c'est beaucoup plus facile.

Le câble est positionné dans le cache en plastique qui se trouve à l'arrière de la caisse. Le câble est ainsi bien protégé.
Il reste à coller au silicone, la sortie dans la goutière et à raccorder une antenne.

 

[Mr. Largo WINCH]

Bonjour à tous
Poursuite de l'installation du câble d'antenne VHF / UHF. L'objectif après avoir passé le câble d'antenne du toit vers le logement situé dans le cache arrière droit, est de continuer jusqu'à l'emplacement de la batterie secondaire sous le siège Arrière droit, pour y installer l'émetteur récepteur et fourni de l'alimentation directement sur la batterie auxiliaire (avec interrupteur et fusible). Si besoin, il également facile de faire transiter le fild'antenne jusqu'au bas du tableau de bord en passant sous les caches en plastique des pieds de porte. Personnellement, je compte mettre l'émetteur sous le siège et tirer au tableau de bord, un câble pour bénéficier d'un écran déporté, plus petit que l'émetteur lui-même. J'ai également fait un premier essai d'un support d'antenne fixé sur la barre de toit arrière droite. Il est très simple de faire transiter le fil sous le cache arrière droit qui laisse un espace de quelques mm par rapport au coffre.