DIY antenna solution for fiberglass cabs

What kind of truck

 

Just my 4 wheeler...'92 Ford Ranger.

 

The problem with attaching an antenna to the top of that camper shell is that there's a layer of cardboard in the roof sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass and if moisture gets in to that cardboard the roof of the shell will delaminate and collapse. The best thing to do would be to attach an antenna to your truck.

 

Always worth a try, but doesn’t always help when chasing a RF ground issue. I can’t argue theory, but I’ve tried it enough times, I know where of I speak. My old friend, AB7IF, Russell Clift, guided me on many issues I had trying to make a radio work well on the trucks I drove. Ol’ Handlebar is another one folks should listen to..........pay attention!

 

If you cut down the antenna to fit it under the cap you will change it's resonant frequency. This may change it's effectiveness as a ground side. Shortening the antenna you already have will make it higher in frequency. Would be better off experimenting with a 2 foot cb antenna.

 

I have everything I need to do the bottom(inside)half of the antenna mount. It won't hurt to experiment with it. I have several antennas and stingers to mess with. I'd like to put the 102" whip back on it eventually. I've tried nearly everything I can think of and read on here to make this system work, but it's without consistent results. Sometimes it works perfectly, other times not so much. I'm about to take the plunge and just poke the dumb thing in the middle of my roof and forget about it. As a very last resort of course.

 

I arrived at the same solution he originally posted in this thread after much experimenting. I wish I had seen this thread before I started experimenting, would have saved money and time. It has worked on both 2012 and 2017 cascadias

 

Oh yeah, Money and time well spent here as well. I'm hopeful this will work. It's certainly worth a shot...and fingers crossed!

 

Windmill, as Rabbi said, stick that thing on top of that metal cab. I've done that with my F250 and would never consider putting an antenna on my fiberglass camper-top except as a last resort.

I didn't even have to drill a hole: a mag-mount Wilson 1000 got me talking with the big dogs out there. SWRs perfect.

All's well in 11-meter land when the antenna can be placed on a proper metal roof.

 

Only way to make an ant work on that topper is to glue a big piece of metal on the bottom side of the toppers roof..If you ask me,just use a good big (4way)mag mount if you wanna runna big ant..If you just want a basic mag mount then a wilson or sirio will do just fine on trucks cab roof..
No drilling no fuss..