HAM Radio in the truck? Is it possible?

The European commercial SW roadcasters, like BBC, stopped broadcasting to North America 5 or so years ago. North Korea is still broadcasting.

 

You mention where you mount it, but what about how you mount it?

Like, angling it at 45 degrees like so many drivers do.
I'm pretty sure the radio waves do not shoot out the tip of the antenna like a water hose.

 

Mounting an antenna at 45° is a lot like aiming your headlights down at 45°. It makes absolutely no sense.

Radio waves go out from a wire antenna kind of like a big donut. (I say "wire" as opposed to some kind of directional antenna, like a yagi or a horn or a dish.) The antenna is oriented along the Z-axis in this picture.

So, if it is mounted vertically, another vertical antenna will more readily receive the most powerful part of the signal. If it is mounted horizontally, a vertical antenna will receive almost nothing.


If it is mounted at 45°, a vertical antenna will receive some reduced fraction of the signal. Since most people mount them vertically, those with antennas mounted at an angle are reducing the effective range of their CB. They will, however, be more likely to be able to communicate with those rare people who mount their antennas horizontally, while the vertical gang will be SOL.

 

There was a guy years ago in Milwaukee called "Jabberwalky", and ran so much power, he would bleed over on our record players. I think somebody finally found him, and "pinned his coax",,

 

Bud, I too hold an extra class ticket, among other things, I have been doing the RF thing for many years (40 plus).

I don't agree with you on this.

First, there is no ground plane in a mobile application, the term is misused. There is a relationship between the vehicle and the earth that is dictated by how well the 'radiation' system (aka antenna system) is balanced. Most installs are looking at where the antenna is placed and how well it is grounded to the body while you should know that this is a DC ground and not an RF ground which is needed to balance the system.

Side note is a phased antenna in a mobile application is less effective than a properly setup single antenna.

Second the charts that you posted are for cars, not trucks. Trucks provide a problem with radiation of RF in so much as the patterns can be unpredictable.

Third, the donut of the dipole models doesn't apply in a reflective system.

 

I understand what you're saying. I'm not trying to provide an exact solution for anyone. The graphics I posted were really just for illustration of the basic ideas. Most tractors these days have plastic bodies, so with one of those the best place to mount an antenna for any sort of omni pattern would probably be in the middle of an open deck trailer but that isn't going to happen.

Antennas mounted at an angle and dual antennas never made any sense to me either. The best solutions would probably look like this, but most drivers just want to be able to communicate with those at the front of the backup to find out what's going on.


And if drivers were seriously hardcore about it. they would commit to something like these!

 

That looks like a Hi-Q screwdriver?

 

The OP may want to consider GMRS radio. It does require a $35 license fee, but there is no testing. However the address you provide will be made public. The license is good for 10 years. Many of the off-roaders/Jeep people use GMRS. There are also only 2 dozen channels.

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-MicroMobile-Repeater-Channels-External/dp/B01MUGZ5XC

 

Not sure.

 

Since everyone has a smartphone you might consider Zello app. I don't use it, but some drivers use it.