Cascadia Antenna Solutions

UPDATE: copied this from a post I made on another thread: I will post a picture also, if I remember to take one next time I drive.


I've posted this in several different threads, including one I started, if you want to check them out. But I'll go ahead and tell you that after trying several types of antennas, here is what you can do to make it work:

Get a 7ft, top loaded, fiberglass whip. SkipShooter, Firestick, etc. Mount it on a mirror mount perch that are now readily available. The perch is about 6ft off the ground + a 7ft antenna and still under 13'6". Run a good quality coax to your radio. I used 9ft because that is about the right length and I already had one made up. (There is a rubber grommet on the fire wall you can run the coax thru to keep from going thru the door....I slip seat so I just run mine thru the door).

I also stabilized the antenna with a piece of Lexan 1/4 inch thick. (what motorcycle windshields are made of...won't shatter, non conductive). The antenna flops around too much because of the wind turbulence on these trucks and their flimsy design. (nothing is made like it used to be!) I drilled a hole in the Lexan and put a rubber grommet in the hole (got grommet from NAPA after searching several other places for one that would fit. The hole was about 11/16, i.d. of grommet is 1/2"....antenna is about 3/8".) You could use a piece of hose zip tied to the antenna where it goes thru the lexan as well. Just something to protect it from wear at that point.

I fastened the Lexan to the top of the mirror with a pair of needle nose vice grips. I slipped a piece of rubber hose over the jaw that makes contact with the Lexan so I wouldn't damage the Lexan. I stood the antenna straight up, no lean at all. This set up results in a perfect SWR reading over at least 80 channels (that is all I checked) and transmits and receives as good as any set up I've ever had on a truck. CAUTION: DON'T DRIVE THRU A AUTOMATICE TRUCK WASH WITHOUT REMOVING THE ANTENNA!

This doesn't cost much to do, and works great. I promise you will love the performance of this set up. I've used this on three different trucks with the same results. No ground wires used. Oh yeah VERY IMPORTANT; remove the factory antenna, if present, behind the driver's door. It will cause the SWR to go up because of its close proximity to your new antenna.

CASCADIA ANTENNA PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!

 

UPDATE: Drove a 2015 Cascadia this week. I had to lean the antenna forward a little to get my SWR under 1.5:1 on this truck. I had trimmed my Lexan down thinking I could run the antenna straight up. I apparently didn't get a good "bite" on the Lexan with the vice grip and they came off while I was bouncing down I-55 in Memphis!! So I will make a another piece of Lexan to allow for a little lean where I can get a better bite with the vice grip as well. May try using a pair of vice grips........... I will post a pic soon of this contraption.

 

If you have a good rf ground/ground plane, the length won't matter. I'm using a 9ft piece on the set-up above. And it is about the right length. I'm running my radio on the dash. Going up in the overhead (I hate a radio up there where you can't see it) might take a couple more feet.

 

Use some velcro to hold your radio down and then the strap will keep it in contact with the velcro. I would watch them do the install to make sure they didn't kink the coax. If you use coax that the ends need to be soldered on, I would really want to be there. Mechanics with no radio experience can cause you mega problems. I would rather just let them run the coax and have the ends soldered on by a radio shop. (Actually I would do it myself, it is kind of a touchy project for someone that hasn't done it before.)