- 53
- 0
- 0
- Location
- Woodbridge, Virginia
I bought a new Stealth Telecom Model 9360 tunable HF antenna for Bessie to go with a fancy all mode amateur radio (another post). To be effective, however, the antenna transmitting element must be completely above the truck body, which would make it too tall for standard road clearance. Also, though the antenna has a spring, I didn't feel good about bending it ninety degrees for extended periods of time.
My solution? A folding antenna mount and extended bracket so it would lay alongside the van body. The mount is made from pre-cut aluminum blocks I ordered from OnlineMetals.com. I fabricated the bracket from steel based loosely on the design of the standard mounts. Note that the antenna weight about 25 pounds, so I used 1/4" steel for the bracket and grade 10 hardware for the mount even though it's probably overkill.
Oh, and the little piece of sheetmetal is the cover for the antenna cable penetration into the carbody. Two cables are required, one for signal and the other for tuning control, so the opening is extra wide, requiring a custom fabricated solution.
My solution? A folding antenna mount and extended bracket so it would lay alongside the van body. The mount is made from pre-cut aluminum blocks I ordered from OnlineMetals.com. I fabricated the bracket from steel based loosely on the design of the standard mounts. Note that the antenna weight about 25 pounds, so I used 1/4" steel for the bracket and grade 10 hardware for the mount even though it's probably overkill.
Oh, and the little piece of sheetmetal is the cover for the antenna cable penetration into the carbody. Two cables are required, one for signal and the other for tuning control, so the opening is extra wide, requiring a custom fabricated solution.
