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  • Antenna base: with or without spring

    I'm in the process of installing a radio (Oricom UHF180) and looking at which antenna to get. I haven't decided whether to mount it on the bullbar (Sovereign) or on the spare wheel bracket (http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...l=1#post335307)

    The antenna options I have found are:
    $89 Uniden AT870 6dB + 3dB combo http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261034107...84.m1438.l2661
    $59 6dB + 3dB combo without spring http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/270978170...84.m1423.l2649
    $69 6dB + 3dB combo with spring http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=280881867427

    I'm wondering if I mount it at the spare tyre, do I really need a spring base?

    Some pros and cons
    Bullbar:
    Pros: Easier to wire up
    Cons: Obvious that there is an antenna - easier to be stolen, not as protected against shrubs

    Spare tyre:
    Pros: Higher up, not so obvious when stubby antenna is mounted
    Cons: Sticks higher above the roof rack, can smack into the rear door but I have adjusted the roof rack further back, RF interence with rear window demister (???) which I hardly use, harder to get wire to the rear door
    amts
    Ninja Poster.
    Last edited by amts; 29-05-2012, 05:51 PM.

  • #2
    I'd go for bullbar mount as you already have the tabs on the bar and it is way easy to wire up. I'd also get a spring as the whips only flex so much before they break.
    [url=http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=12264]My Prado[/url]

    Comment


    • #3
      Buy a removable aerial on a spring base. Then you can remove and store the actual antenna when not in use. After breaking many antennas driving through close scrub I have 3 strong spring bases and removable antennas fitted to ARB bar (2 x CB and 1 x phone).
      Dave
      Views expressed are mine alone and are not intended to compromise the integrity of my employer nor offend those who may read such views.
      Bugger Bali, get out and see Australia before we sell it all to China.

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      • #4
        Just drove into the garage and forgot about the shelf I built over the bonnet of the Prado for extra storage. Looks like it is going on the rear door.

        Comment


        • #5
          Definately worth getting the spring, after travelling alot of corrigated roads and never having a problem I reckon its good insurance.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Talktheroo View Post
            Second that.
            The Roo.
            third that

            it only takes a minute to screw it on and off unless you want to use it all the time?
            pete

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            • #7
              Another benefit of the spring base is that they lift the actual antenna up a bit higher, which helps for signal. I have the Uniden AT870 with 6.5DB antenna and found it to be very good. I recently went to Fraser with a mate who has a very similar antenna but without the spring base. His reception and transmission range was not nearly as good as mine.

              Fitting it on the bullbar was a piece of cake. I did have to drill the hole on the sovereign's tab with a bit larger drill to accommodate the AT870's base (sorry, can't remember what size I had to go to). To help make things a bit tidier, I ran the cable through the sovereign bar's upright. This required a hole drilled in the plastic cover, and another hole to be drilled in the bar in the middle of the upright. There is a nipple on one of the grommets through the firewall that allows easy access for the cable into the cabin. In all, one of the easiest additions I've done to the Prado.
              2003 GXL 4L V6. Sovereign bullbar, Prorack P-Bar roof-rack with basket, Oricom UHF-280, Uniden AT-870 antenna, SCA 100W spotlights.

              Comment


              • #8
                AMTS,
                I may be missing something here but how does a whip on the rear door fit in the garage? Unless of course you have a really big garage that is. The radio gurus at work tell me the flatter the area around the antenna the better for signal propagation. Wouldn't there will be a degree of shielding/shadowing forward of your vehicle if the antenna is mounted half way up the rear door??
                Cheers,
                Soz
                2010 GXL Diesel, Cooper AT3's, TJM T13, Scanguage II, Sandgrabba's, Ridepro springs and shocks, dual battery, Icom 440N, Rhino pioneer tray...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sozjot View Post
                  The radio gurus at work tell me the flatter the area around the antenna the better for signal propagation.
                  Unless it is a ground independent antenna
                  [url=http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=12264]My Prado[/url]

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Andrew, im with the others and stick to the bull bar or roof mount (like I have). Signal strength can be affected by long runs in the cable and its much simpler!

                    Roof mount (on the rail in my example) is easy as you can run the coax up the channel on the windscreen and as you know height is might (geez think I read that on PP at some point too!)

                    Bullbar mount is also easy and performance must be allright as plenty do it that way too.
                    Cheers
                    Micheal.

                    2008 GXL D4D Auto. GOING... GOING... GONE
                    2015 GXL 1GD Auto. And it begins again...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks for the replies guys.

                      I'm lucky in that my garage is pretty tall. I can drive in there with a canoe on the roof rack.

                      I've ordered the antenna with the spring and when it arrives, I'll see what increases there are in height. Because I've built this over bonnet shelf, I'm not even sure if the antenna base can make it under if mounted on the bullbar. I can see the ease in installation on the bullbar though.

                      From pics, it looks like the cable is part of the antenna? If it is, then I would have to make some sort of a bracket that will rotate the antenna base to a horizontal position when not in use to clear underground carparks. This is where mounting it at the spare wheel will solve both the over bonnet shelf and underground carpark issue.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by amts View Post
                        then I would have to make some sort of a bracket that will rotate the antenna base to a horizontal position when not in use to clear underground carparks.
                        http://www.pefabrication.com.au/home.php?cat=249
                        [url=http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=12264]My Prado[/url]

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by amts View Post
                          Thanks for the replies guys.

                          I'm lucky in that my garage is pretty tall. I can drive in there with a canoe on the roof rack.

                          I've ordered the antenna with the spring and when it arrives, I'll see what increases there are in height. Because I've built this over bonnet shelf, I'm not even sure if the antenna base can make it under if mounted on the bullbar. I can see the ease in installation on the bullbar though.

                          From pics, it looks like the cable is part of the antenna? If it is, then I would have to make some sort of a bracket that will rotate the antenna base to a horizontal position when not in use to clear underground carparks. This is where mounting it at the spare wheel will solve both the over bonnet shelf and underground carpark issue.
                          I'd still lean to bullbar mount. For your over-bonnet shelves, depending on how they are set up, you'll probably be right just driving up to them and letting them push the base over on the spring. You may have to put a roller or two on your shelf system just to make sure they are pushing on the base, but that would be easier than setting up a rotator for underground carparks if you go roof or rear mounting.

                          On the 870, the cable is fixed into the base and is non-removable.
                          2003 GXL 4L V6. Sovereign bullbar, Prorack P-Bar roof-rack with basket, Oricom UHF-280, Uniden AT-870 antenna, SCA 100W spotlights.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thanks D4D.

                            This is the over bonnet shelf.
                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtT_FujeCvQ

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                            • #15
                              gurus tell me middle of the roof is best. I have mine on a spring on the bullbar. Even with the spring I have had problems with metal fatigue from constant vibrations and have broken the top off my aerial twice (its a GME AE409L - 477 MHz Antenna)
                              2013 GXL Prado KDJ150R

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