2020 Cascadia Skipshooter Installation

OK got where you are coming from so ....

OK below is an illustration of what I am getting at.

The image is what you have posted first, it has an issue - it grounds the antenna.

BUT it shows you what has to be done.

A is the UPPER part of the mount and B is the lower.

Got it??

C is the part that needs to be GONE, and where the A and B need to have the BRACKET in between them with the nylon washers on TOP side to insulate the center conductor (Bolt) from the BRACKET.

Got it??

I will continue below.



SO .... this is how it is supposed to be setup.

Again get rid of the Ring Connector Coax, put it somewhere that you can have it in case someone needs it.

Get yourself coax with pl-259 on the ends or if you have to have one fished through the door, then have someone put one on for you, hook it up to the threaded part of B and you should test it.

IF IT WORKS, meaning there is no short to ground at the antenna end or the coax end in the truck, then get it tuned THEN get some coax sealer and use that as instructed.


Here is why this failed, the antenna itself went through the bracket, the bracket is grounded and there is no insulation between the center conductor of the coax and the ground at that point because the Ring Coax connector under the top part of the mount (A) that was on the bottom of the bracket, the Ring Coax connector (C) was mounted by the bolt which is the center conductor of the bottom part of the antenna mount (B) to the upper part which was all grounded.

When you remove the Ring Coax connector (C) altogether, put the upper part of the antenna mount (A)where it is supposed to be with the nylon washer on the bottom of the upper antenna mount (A) on the bracket and then put the lower part of the antenna mount (B) bolt through the bracket and through the nylon washer, you insulated the center conductor properly.

 

“I've also installed the braided ground strap that I've read is recommended, though I have my doubts about its efficacy. Both the door and the surface it mounts to (and thus the surface the braided ground straps and bolts are connected to) are all fiberglass. My understanding was that fiberglass is an insulator/non-conductive and that ground straps only work if they're attached to conductive materials (like metal). Thoughts?”




Mad money, I don’t quite follow what you’re saying. What do you have your ground straps attached to? It should be the bolts on the metal door hinges from the door to the frame of the cab. Can you show us a picture of how you have the ground straps mounted?

 

Okay, maybe they are making the door hinges out of aluminum on these new trucks.

 

I know this post is for Ridge, but the so239 threaded coax connector technically is the bolt that threads into the 3/8 threaded adapter above the lock washer. Then the antenna screws into the top of the threaded adapter. In the picture above, you may notice the threads going through the washers.