Thread: UHF install - many questions.

Vlad, A good place to pick up permanent power is to just get one of those fuse power take off thingos on ebay. I bought a couple a few weeks ago.
The fuses under the dash are usually always powered , or are in my D2 anyway.
Re the antenna feed. The general rules are as short as possible and as far away from electrical components as possible. In my RRC , I ran it through the LHD grommets in the passenger footwell , then along the loom along the LH mudguard.
I changed mine as SWMBO did not like the antenna in her vision, so I ran it up the B pillar , drilled a hole just under the gutter and fitted a removable antenna in the RH drain gutter on a gutter mount. This was a good position as it was away from all electrical interference.
For my D2, I think I will make up a mount on the spare tyre bracket and use an independent ground plane antenna or run it up the B pillar again and do the same as in my RRC.. At the moment I am just using a handheld.
Regards Philip A
Like this but I bought mine form Perth.
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As far as aerial cable is concerned - someone once told me the cables are a 'tuned length' and that you shouldn't cut the cable to length but should just coil excess etc ? Sound odd to me but I don't have any idea.... ?

My preference would certainly be to run teh cable down one of the pillars. Is there one side that does not have any power cables running down it ?

As far as aerial cable is concerned - someone once told me the cables are a
'tuned length' and that you shouldn't cut the cable to length but should just
coil excess etc ? Sound odd to me but I don't have any idea.... ?

I saw that post a long while ago.

I used to be CB Product manager of Sanyo many years ago. The old CBs were far more sensitive to SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) Than the current UHF CBs. You had to trim the antenna to the lowest SWR if you wanted to avoid blowing up the output stage.

I have never heard of the cable being a part of the tuning length of the antenna. AFAIK shorter is better . Now I am not a qualified tech but I had one assigned to me and we used to work together testing car radios and CBs.
I cut the cable to length when I put the antenna up the a pillar and the 18 year old Uniden didn't object.
Regards Philip A

IMHO the driver sside A pillar is the one to use as I have found you are far more likely to wipe off a LH side antenna on trees or branches.

Yeah but then its constantly in my field of view rather than SWMBO's !

Sorry I meant B pillar ie the one between the front and back door so you will not see it.

BTW if you were to mount teh CB up in the front in the shelf there( I assume that the D1 has one like a D2), you could run the antenna over the headlining to the A pillar , then drill a hole. You would need an antenna that has a solder connection on the screw base, as you would have to make too big a hole for the antenna , or alternatively get the correct plug for the CB end , pull it through from the antenna end , then solder the plug on teh CB end.
BTW , antennas with screw on whips are best as you can remove the antenna to get into the garage , and swap for a high gain if in the desert.
Regards Philip A