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Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:24 am
by RadarGrrl
What is the best way to route coax into my L400 from a mag-mount antenna on the roof? I do not want to drill holes my beautiful Deli, and it has to be a magnetic mount to hold the large quad band antenna I need to use.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 11:56 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
I mounted my aerial on my driver's side mirror mount then into the door via the door seal, down to the electrics hose that holds all the wiring from the door into the body. Only had to drill one hole between the door seal and the door frame. The rest was as if Mitsubishi was waiting for me to come along and mount my duel-bander!
Falco.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:10 pm
by TardisDeli
Hi RG, all us radio operators have L300's, don't know of any with L400's so can't advise best location. L300 installs often as seen on Falco's photo, but we have the top of the mirror arm to mount antenna base, ooops better buy an L300. Welcome to the club. Why RG name, r u CCG or 19W?
Cheers, christine of the TARDIS Deli, in Burnaby. PS....we need a photo of my Tardis and your Dalek together.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:50 pm
by RadarGrrl
It's coming. Right now, the Dalek still at CCA being put through their paces. She should be in my hands by the end of September, so I'm told.
I'm at 19 Wing, working on the airfield, but jonesing for the CCR course. 26 years in the CF/RCAF and counting, and, yes, I started life as a radar technician.
I'll see what I can figure out with respect to a cable route. I really do not want to be drilling any holes.
By the way, callsign is now in BC: VA7NM/VE7NMM
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:01 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
RadarGrrl wrote:I'll see what I can figure out with respect to a cable route. I really do not want to be drilling any holes.
By the way, callsign is now in BC: VA7NM/VE7NMM
I had one guy in my radio club tell me when I was figuring this project out that drilling holes in your vehicle is like shooting the enemy in a war, it gets easier the more you do it (sorry if that's not PC)!
I realise you are driving an L400 but I figure with a mag-mount you have some liberty as to where to mount your aerial. As I'm often in underground garages I opted to mount on the door so I can remove the aerial with my hand without getting out of the saddle, so for convenience, really. The great thing about my mount is that the transceive portion of the aerial is above my head level.
If you're considering going into the bush at all I would recommend getting a spring mounted aerial with a closed trap rather than an open coil. I've heard a few stories about the coil catching a branch and the aerial is gone. Anyway, I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to HAM (2009) but I listen to people and sometimes I get it right... grins. I'm often on 147.26, 73.
Falco, VA7 MLB
P.S.: Regarding drilling holes ~ you can get rubber grommets to seal from leaks, &c., just a little anti-rust paint on the bare metal from the drill, a suitable rubber grommet and Bob's yer uncle. In the case of my mount: The door seal is the grommet.
Erebus (a DC member) is pretty wise when it comes to this sort of thing and might be another opinion to heed. FC.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:18 pm
by almac
why not add a roof light bar, and add the antenna to that?
you could then run the coax inside the bar, down the side of your choice, and through the door into the 'A' pillar.
light bars are cool. and they look great on delicas, especially the L300.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:24 pm
by thedjjack
holes no problem....it is cutting the roof off a Delica that takes guts....anyone can drill a few holes...(cutting the roof off only took 10 minutes with a grinder
)
I suspect you can come through the inner fender or out the back tailgate without drilling the body...
but, that would not be fun...
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:58 pm
by RadarGrrl
Mounting the antenna isn't the issue. I have a Comet UHV-4, mounted on one of those massive triple mag-mounts, and it'll go nicely anywhere on the roof, (since the Dalek isn't lucky enough to be Crystallized). It's getting the coax inside the Dalek and up from to where sits the transceiver, (which is summat else I have to think about).
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:00 pm
by thedjjack
through the interior under the roof panel and out the back hatch and onto the roof by the hinges should be the back hatch wiring ...no drill needed.. mount at the back end of the van roof.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:34 am
by Big-Bird
2nd on the rear hatch route. The gap between the hatch is wide enough for coax and you have the option of routing it between the roof panel and headliner....pain in the butt OR you can run it down the inside panel and under the carpet to the front.
Almost too bad your Gen2 Deli is missing the grill tube bar. The Aussie's mount their antennas to their winch bumpers or the Nerf Bars and just route the wires under the hood and through the firewall.
Tubular Mount.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:20 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
RadarGrrl wrote:Mounting the antenna isn't the issue. I have a Comet UHV-4, mounted on one of those massive triple mag-mounts, and it'll go nicely anywhere on the roof, (since the Dalek isn't lucky enough to be Crystallized). It's getting the coax inside the Dalek and up from to where sits the transceiver, (which is summat else I have to think about).
Quad, eh? One could consider the Dalek to be lucky not to have the crystallites, as well. All pros and cons.
You could wire your coax through a door jamb, which would save having to drill a hole but how would the presence of the coax effect the door seal over time (constantly being pressed into the seal) and what leaks might occur from this? Then there's Safety Code 6 to consider: Not sure I'd want to mount a VHF aerial on the front of the vehicle at head level. What kind of rig are you operating?
Falco.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 5:34 pm
by RadarGrrl
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 5:57 pm
by yojimbo
RadarGrrl wrote:One of these...
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:01 pm
by RadarGrrl
Thanks for doing that. I have no idea why the pix didn't display.
Anyway, a Yaesu FT-8900R...10m, 6m, 2m, 70cm in one package, and yhe Comet UHV-4 antenna that goes with it.
Re: Routing coax...
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 8:46 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
