HF aerial install on a BT-50 Freestyler

No worries
The 3040 tunes a lot quicker than the 9350 though both are good aerials. I couldn't fit the 9350 in the new vehicle, so I sold it and bought the 3040.
Radio check to Townsville, Charters Towers and Alice even with ordinary HF conditions was good.
Very impressed with the NGT.
The hardest thing was to get the bracket made with the right dimensions, ended up making a cardboard model for the fabricator.
They did a good job fitted like a glove.

Cheers
Steve

Yes it has a keyed security nut inside a housing. The housing spins so you can't get any purchase.

It's the same type as used on driving lights.

Dean,

Please excuse my ignorance, but do I understand that we are now required to rear mount our hf antennas? Ours hasn't been bush for a few years now and sitting in a corner of the garage. A new mounting will be a pain to arrange, and could make the difference between abandoning hf and going to sat phone, which I'd be very reluctant to do..
Cheers
John

John,
Doesn't have to be rear mount, though it can't be on the bull bar due to size in front of the driver. If you can figure out where else to mount it then your in business.

I have seen on other sites with fold down mounts etc, though all seem to be hard yards.

Recommend the 3040 as a solution and I reckon HF is still the best comms when remote.

It was a pain to change over though in the long run it is worth it.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks Steve ( and everyone else).Mine is mounted left on the bullbar, like on the police Troopies shown in the photos, so maybe one could think it isn't in front of the driver. Unlike them it's a tapped whip with a jumper, not an autotune with a big base, so comes well within the 3" size limit. Reckon I'll leave it there and wait to be arrested!

I'm a firm believer in the advantage when remote and in trouble of being able to talk to nearby travellers or VKS737 rather than just being able to phone home via satellite.

Cheers
John

Mmmmmm!

Not sure that us correct. Yes some of the photos are older, but all are currently in service.






Cheers

Anthony

Spot on Tom

I had the same setup on the last vehicle as you have, worked well..

That is why I mounted the 3040 off the tray behind the cab on the new vehicle.

It did take quite a while to sell the 9350 so I could buy the 3040.

No problems with the law and a better reception as it uses the height at roof top and body of the ute.

I did make sure that the 3040 was lower than the ute tray stand without the aerial.

Cheers

Steve

Tom, police and emergency vehicles are exempt

On some things Not sure about aerials but maybe as lots of them have them on the bullbar except for theW A Commondores who have them on a bracket at the rear.

Yes, they are exempt on the aerials

Seems my comment about bull-bar mounting ruffled a few feathers -so to clarify the situation spoke to technical services dept of transport in WA (welshpool branch)

In short WA having a autotune antenna fitted to bullbar would be illegal as its deemed to have rough edges limits visibility and hazard for pedestrians, this would be enforced inside the metro area, and they would hope that bit of leniency would occur out in bush areas - search for UNECC (UNEC ?) Regulation R28 dangerous projections

WA has a maximum dia of 40mm which allows for mounting of tradesmen racks on utes vans etc -this also allows for mounting of UHF CB antennas to a certain extent the very large 12dB 2 metre units (fishing sticks as i call them) would be a borderline mounting in eye of Transport inspectors and WAPOL.

I would hazard a guess that a tapped HF antenna may possibly get away for time being.

I was also made aware that soon (next week possibly) a meeting will be held in regards to ADR and R28 regulations and a more stringent approach may be followed, this is all to prevent the "interpretation" of rulings

Dean here are the qld rules on hf radio aerial mounting.

Long Range Radio Antennas
Long range antennas may be fitted to a vehicle without specific approval, provided they meet the following requirements:
• Forward mounting is permitted only when it is impossible or impractical to install the antenna to the rear of the vehicle.
• The installation must be attached as low as is practical to ensure the large diameter section of the antenna projects above the bonnet line for the minimum distance.
• Only one long range antenna (large diameter base) may be fitted to the front of a vehicle and must be fitted to the left side (maximum diameter permitted 75mm).
• All sharp edges or protrusions which could cause injury to anyone making contact with the device must be removed or rounded.

Tom, Dean,

Looks like my tapped whip with its 50mm base is OK in Qld, but not WA! That could limit travel options a bit if you let it, but makes as much sense as a lot of state based things. Click our signature photo to see our setup, with the whip mounted with the winch behind, rather than on, the bullbar. Thank you for your investigations.

Cheers

John

While you are travelling around your vehicle, if legal in the state of registration, is accepted in all other states as being so. Unless you move to another state and register it there. You then have to have it inspected and approved.

A classic example is the notorious NSW rule about breakaway battery monitors in the cab. It only applies to NSW registered vehicles and so if you are travelling through you dont need one.
I think the rule about aerials is a bit tough but its still the rule.