Satellite antenna for freightliner

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by Phumac, Feb 1, 2019.

  1. Phumac

    Phumac Light Load Member

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    Jun 4, 2014
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    Whats going on truckers!! What is the best place to put a satellite antenna On a freightliner where the reception will be good? Passenger door upper spot mirror? See some there, just didn’t know how good reception will be there ?
     
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  3. Nukem

    Nukem Road Train Member

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    Phumac Thanks this.
  4. pmdriver

    pmdriver Road Train Member

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    I found on top of passenger mirror with the cheap unit sold with radio worked fine until getting to far north, if no metal duct tape works just fine.
     
  5. Boondocker

    Boondocker Light Load Member

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    I ran the cheap magnet one up to the top of my condo to a bracket on the back, If no metal silicone a large anodized washer on there, I then ran the wire between the seems of my cab and condo to ,held in with some silicone, I have a white truck so i used white silicone.I dont drop but very rarely in the Northeast in the rockcuts. My potato masher antenna on the mirror dropped all the time.
     
  6. Nukem

    Nukem Road Train Member

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    Its a pi55 poor picture, but you get the general idea. (it's a close up of a wider shot I took) 20190201_200612.jpg I took a mirror bracket you can buy for the side mirrors and cut the arms off. (leaving the straight part and the attached mounting pole.) Marked where the holes needed to be drilled; drilled them out; then used a piece of rubber between the paint and screws so as not to damage the paint. Then ran the wire along the doors rubber so I wouldn't have any leaks

    The mounting pole was also long enough for me to mount a CB antenna on as well.
     
    slim6596 and Phumac Thank this.
  7. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Do you mean satellite tv or SiriusXM?
     
  8. Phumac

    Phumac Light Load Member

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    SiriusXM
     
  9. BrandonCDLdriver

    BrandonCDLdriver Road Train Member

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    I was thinking DirecTV and I saw people saying to put it on the mirror mount I was like WTF.

    I actually saw on Ozark driver with a full size DirecTV dish on his mirror. I was how does that work if you're not parked facing the right direction? I assume of course he has to take the thing down every time he moves the truck. That's too much of a PITA for me.

    The answer the OP needs to hear is as high as possible. Period.
     
  10. Farmerbob1

    Farmerbob1 Road Train Member

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    If you have a double bunk sleeper, and it is relatively modern, it will probably have a three-part headliner in the sleeper area.

    The edges where the parts come together are not glued or tightly connected at the point where they come together. There is also a bit of insulation in there.

    So, jam the satellite antennae into the crack between the center and one side headliner. My load locks are stored on the driver side of my truck, so I put my antennae on the passenger side.

    Be sure to keep it away from the speakers, which are mounted on the back wall. Speaker magnets can cause issues.

    Your satellite antennae needs to have a 15 foot wire or more. Route it through the oshit bar in front of the passenger seat, then up to and through the netting of the storage unit above the windshield, then through the netting above the passenger door, then above/through the dividing curtain and over the cabinet. Finally tie the extra slack off on the upper bunk retaining latch, and jam the antennae between the headliner segments.

    By mounting at that location, so high up, your trailer will rarely block signal, even when rolling Northbound, downhill. I only lose signal in tunnels, under bridges, and when rolling to the north side of extremely steep cliffs or mountains.

    Here is a pic of where mine is located.

    15490778503262108888027294094186.jpg
     
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