UHF AERIAL'S BEING STOLEN!
Submitted: Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 19:42
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Bush pig
Just letting everyone know that they have been a few uhf radios stolen as
well as spot lights (from bull bars) in the
brisbane area recently. So keep a look out.
I just want to know if anyone has ideas to prevent this from happening? As this has happened to several of my mates.
Cheers
Reply By: Brad - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:25
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:25
Whilst in the 'burbs:
1. remove them (a hassle)
2. wrap barbed wire around them
AnswerID:
49832
Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:32
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:32
I hope you were joking about the Barb wire... Cos that would stuff your SWR.
Removing them,
well I don't know bout you guys but I use my UHF in the suburbs.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Brad - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:58
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:58
didn't know spotlights had a SWR
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Reply By: Coops (Pilbara) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:26
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:26
I've often wondered about this myself and while I think I'm pretty safe where I am at the moment (cos everyone's got their own) I just know it's going to be a problem when I move back to the city.
My conclusion is that I will probably remove the aerial, turn the radio off and attach it all again whenever a camping trip is planned. Not fair I know but safe at least.
AnswerID:
49834
Reply By: Bush pig - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:32
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:32
Thanks for that. Yeah i think the best is to take it off, its just a hassle as you said. I was thinking i might change the set up so you need a socket to take the aerial off rather than a wrench.
Cheers
AnswerID:
49836
Reply By: Member - Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:58
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 20:58
Hi there was an article in 4wd monthly [March] about driving light left prevention...mind you when Al told me that and I checked it out..one of the methods seems to be to have a a big dog stand guard...lol....there are a number of methods listed...
cheers
Lyn
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Phil G - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:08
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:08
My aerial's roof mounted and I run with a rubber stubbie 99% of the time. The rubber stubbies work
well and only cost $12.
Driving lights - I upgraded the standard globes and don't bother with the aux lights.
AnswerID:
49854
Follow Up By: Member - Bernie. (Vic) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:45
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:45
Hi Phil
What size globes are you using ? ARB suggested 90/130
and I was wondering about the heat affect on the Prado fittings.
Cheers
FollowupID:
311666
Follow Up By: Phil G - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 00:12
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 00:12
Hi Bernie,
I use the Narva Plus 50's which seem about 20% better.
Others have used the 100 watt globes on the polycarbonate lights without problem. I wouldn't go 130 with the standard wiring, but they may be OK - would be expensive if they melted :-)
Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - Bernie. (Vic) - Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 12:06
Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 12:06
Hi Phil
Yes they did mention changing the wiring loom, & my concern was the heat affect, I will
check out the 100 watt globes.
Cheers
FollowupID:
311869
Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:48
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:48
"I just want to know if anyone has ideas to prevent this from happening? As this has happened to several of my mates. "
take them off?
AnswerID:
49867
Follow Up By: Mad Dog Morgan (Geelong) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:54
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:54
Maybe drill an tap a hole through the antenna base and the mount thread and use a grub screw. I just nip
mine up a bit with a shifter so it can't be removed by hand. If they can't have it they may get narky though and break it to bleep you off.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog Morgan (Geelong) - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:58
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 22:58
Sorry I misread bush pigs post. Thought it was the antennas getting nicked but it's the radios.
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Follow Up By: Roachie - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 10:27
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 10:27
Ray, I don't think you mis-read....the heading said UHF Antennaes....etc, but then in the text he said "UHF radios"..... etc.
Anyway, the mag article advised that there are Hella lock nuts which can be purchased and need to have the correct "key" device to undo the nuts. This together with drilling a small hole through the end of the thread on the light stems for a paddlock was the suggestion to protect lights.
With the aerials, it might be wise to consider that idea of drilling/tapping a hole in the base of the aerial and using a small allen head grub screw to tighten against the main antenna base's thread.
But you're right, if they get hacked off by you foiling their little plan to knock it off; they'll probably break it off.........such is the mentality of these drongos.
Roachie
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog Morgan (Geelong) - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 23:03
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 23:03
Jeez no wonder I got confused and being at work with a hundred things happening doesn't help. oh my head hurts. Thanks Roachie
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Reply By: Member - StevenL - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 23:19
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 23:19
A mate of
mine is buying a Prado 90 and is dead keen on adding
Driving Lights to the bullbar. I am thinking they are a thief magnet in suburban carparks so I looked at HID (High Intensity Discharge) globes in the Headlights instead. Rang Opposite Lock this afternoon and was quoted between $1250 and $1650 depending on what type of globe the OEM is (H4 or other). It is apparently worth the money, they use 1/2 the power, produce twice the light, last 5 times as long (about the life of the vehicle) and produce a quarter of the heat of normal filiment globes. Because they produce light by creating an arc between two points in a Xenon filled globe there are no filiments to break so are good for 4WDs that see lots of corrugations and pot holes etc.
Best of all they are theft proof because they are not extra lights but part of the original headlight. I'll just have to think hard about the initial investment though!!!
StevenL
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Tim - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 11:39
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 11:39
$1250 for light globes??? I only have rallye1000s but you could replace the entire set 3 times over for that.
Tim
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 17:21
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 17:21
$1200 for a GLOBE? HID Spotlights are about that much ea, the whole unit... not the globe..
You would have to be on Crack to pay that... as you go thru a creek, lens cracks, globe blows, pass me another $1600 globe out of the glovebox honey..
Yes Ive been out with HID's, nice but not that nice.
YMMV
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Follow Up By: Member - StevenL - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 19:39
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 19:39
That was for the set of 2 so it is $600-$800 each. That is a bit better considering the Lightforce 240's are about $900 each.
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Follow Up By: Member - StevenL - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 19:41
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 19:41
Sorry, it also includes the Ballast unit that is mounted near the back of each headlight that provides the initial kick to get them started.
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 20:45
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 20:45
Hate to blow your bubble, Lightforce 240s are $400 a PAIR.. thats for 2 of lights, not $600 each.. and if you buy 18 sets like I did you can get them for $330a PAIR...
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Follow Up By: Member - StevenL - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 21:13
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 21:13
You must be looking at LightForce 240 XGT's. These are only Halogens. I'm referring to the 240 HID. I just checked the library and these have a RRP of $1150 as featured on page 108 of Jan 04 4x4 Australia.
I don't think I'll be bolting a set of these on at that price!!!!
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 22:00
Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 22:00
Wouldnt matter if they were POQHIDYMMVPIMPABC.. no light is worth $1000.
yea I was refering to 240's and they are awesome... shat on the Hellas 2000's I had.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: prado_95 - Friday, Mar 26, 2004 at 23:54
Friday, Mar 26, 2004 at 23:54
Anybody trying to knock off DL froman ARB bar on a 90series is in for some hard work.
They are hard enough to put on (read awkward) in daylight, let alone in the dark in a hurry.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: chrisfrd - Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 17:18
Thursday, Mar 11, 2004 at 17:18
You could put a local Bikie-gang sticker on the bonnet, near the antenna...
That would make your average Fnuck knuckle think twice!
I'm working on the antenna theft problem too... I'm a busy boy!
AnswerID:
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