UHF antenna fix
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 00:57
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Peter T37
I had someone walk past my vehicle and entertain themselves by grabbing the spring base of the UHF aerial and snapping the top off. Still like flys and mosquitos we have to adapt and live with them.
The radio is mounted in a overhead console. Is it possible to just join a replacement aerial up to the existing coaxial cable and how best to do this. I appreciate that this is probably not ideal but dropping the overhead console and running the new cable all the way back to the radio is a bit of a mission.
Will probably get a GME aerial that is detachable from the base
Reply By: qldcamper - Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 05:25
Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 05:25
Yes it is possible. You can get male and female BNC connectors if you have access to a coax crimper or you can use PL 259 type connectors and a MM joiner.
AnswerID:
639956
Follow Up By: Peter T37 - Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 19:48
Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 19:48
Thanks I have a hydraulic crimper for electrical lugs. Whether thats suitable for BNC connecters I will have to rtesearch
FollowupID:
919047
Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 00:23
Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 00:23
I would be inclined to use a
TNC connector rather than BNC. I would not use a PL259 connector as they are far more lossy than BNC or TNC.
What ever you use, mount them under the bonnet and not out in the open,
FollowupID:
919051
Follow Up By: Peter T37 - Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 02:31
Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 02:31
thanks for taking the trouble to reply.I assume I shorten the cable on the new aerial rather than coiling the excess
FollowupID:
919052
Follow Up By: Croc099 - Tuesday, Apr 05, 2022 at 20:20
Tuesday, Apr 05, 2022 at 20:20
Yes, cut the excess. Coax is quite lossy at UHF. Shorter the better.
FollowupID:
919154
Reply By: Member - LeighW - Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 10:54
Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 10:54
Yep,
Had a similar antenna mounted on a bull bar that got broken, didn't want to rerun the the cable so used a male and female FME connectors to connect to the new antenna and covered with some adhesive heat shrink and hid inside one of the bull bar risers. There will be a slight loss caused by the extra connectors but I doubt you'll notice any difference. In my case I replaced the antenna with an RFI broom stick which gave a significant increase in performance anyway compared to old antenna .
If the GME uses just a plain base if you look around you may be able to get a similar base with an FME connector on it and just swap the bases out that way you only need to put a connector on the cable but really if you can put a connector on the cable then I would just use a male female pair.
AnswerID:
639960
Follow Up By: Peter T37 - Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 19:55
Saturday, Mar 26, 2022 at 19:55
thanks for the good suggestions. Need to
check out pl259, FME and BNC connectors none of which I am familiar with. The base and removable aerial probably is not as good as the fixed ones but I guess its about compromise. I even had someone screw a whale tail canopy lock off with a screwdriver one night. They still cant open the lock but you are left with the handle shaft broken off in a recess
FollowupID:
919048
Reply By: Member - Core420 - Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 15:55
Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 15:55
You can join two cables without connectors.
https://youtu.be/k9uKhkzWGZU
AnswerID:
639978
Follow Up By: Member - LeighW - Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 19:22
Sunday, Mar 27, 2022 at 19:22
It's an RF cable, any mismatch in impedance will cause losses and reflections. Would be interesting to put on a tester and see how lossy that joint is and what the SWR is!
FollowupID:
919060
Follow Up By: Olsen's Tours and Training - Monday, Mar 28, 2022 at 13:02
Monday, Mar 28, 2022 at 13:02
Yeah, nah, pass. Connectors are going to give a way better result and much less work to do.
FollowupID:
919073
Follow Up By: qldcamper - Monday, Mar 28, 2022 at 17:06
Monday, Mar 28, 2022 at 17:06
Just twisting the centre conductor and taping it was far enough to write that method off as a waste of time, stopped watching it then.
Also no antenna manufacturer will use solid core coax for mobile use anyway.
Stick with connectors of any description over this video.
FollowupID:
919076
Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022 at 00:30
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022 at 00:30
That may be OK at audio or low HF frequencies. Forget about it at UHF CB frequencies.
FollowupID:
919093