Removing UHF antenna from bulbar, is it really that difficult?
Submitted: Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 20:22
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MyGreenCruiser
To install my GME AE4018K1 antenna to my vehicle:
• I threaded the coax through the mount point in the bulbar,
• tightened
the nut,
• threaded the coax through the engine bay,
• got the bugger through the fire wall,
• soldered the connector on, and
• finally plugged in my UHF.
Now my dilemma is, I have to change my bulbar and there is no way the coax is coming back out through the firewall with the connector on.
Can someone please tell me there is another way to solve this without cutting the connector off the radio end of the coax and reversing the above procedure. Then going through it again once the new bulbar is fitted.
Can the coax be removed from the antenna end, or is it hard wired?
Thanks!
Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 20:30
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 20:30
Not sure re your anteanna number but if the base is like my GME elevated feed job (coax disappears up in, from below), it'll be soldered in - had a look inside
mine at some stage - looked difficult to dismantle as I recall.
Re your swap over - I usually cut the plug off, tape another bit of junk cable to the good coax end and pull the junk cable through as a route saver - reverse the process for the new bar.
AnswerID:
233404
Reply By: Angler - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 20:44
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 20:44
Before you mount the aerial cut a slot in the aerial mount wide enough to take the coax cable. Much easier to mount and unmount should the need arise.
Been doing it this way for years.
Pooley
AnswerID:
233410
Reply By: Rytrac - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:12
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:12
Depends...Is a man doing it or a Woman doing it?
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: chips59 - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:32
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:32
please explain
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Doug T (W.A) - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:46
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 21:46
Why not go back under the bonnet area and cut the Coax, and get two of these
and one of these
and join it again...????
AnswerID:
233437
Follow Up By: disco1942 - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:35
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:35
Better still get a BNC or TNC cable plug and cable jack. this way you will have far less loss, one connection instead of two and BNC or TNC connectors are far less lossy than those old antiquated so called UHF types. The solder on types are probably not available but someone should be able to crimp them on for you.
PeterD
FollowupID:
494316
Follow Up By: Scoey (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 13:32
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 13:32
How often do you lot change bullbars?
FollowupID:
494392
Follow Up By: Dion - Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 19:06
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 19:06
The only thing wrong with this method is you introduce further points of failures and losses that you don't really need.
You may think your set up is working ok, but is it really working at it's optimum? Who knows.
Don't cut and shut cables and introduce joiners, it is not worth the losses.
Your coax from antenna to transceiver should have at the minimum, one join only, and half of that should be the join that is already part of the transceiver.
Cheers,
Dion.
FollowupID:
494446
Follow Up By: disco1942 - Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 00:18
Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 00:18
If you use one plug and one cable jack (or call it a cable socket if you like) will introduce less than 2 dB loss if you use TNC or BNC connectors. If you use UHF connectors as pictured and suggested you could loose up to 5 dB. I have used BNC connectors in my set up and see very little difference.
PeterD
FollowupID:
494553
Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:43
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:43
Just cut off the plug, its much easier to get a reliable fix at the plug end than the antenna end, as mentioned above run thru another cable as your mouse thru the firewall
AnswerID:
233464
Follow Up By: Red Frog - Vic - Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:47
Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 at 22:47
Yes, Yes, oh yes, arrrr
FollowupID:
494325
Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 01:29
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 01:29
Do as the smart dude says above - cut a slot in the BB mount.
An angle grinder disc is just a bout right (Not the cutting disc).
Nice steady hand - piece of 'P'
Make sure you slide a metal protector up uround the cable when you are extracting it for the first time.
Also cover the vehicle paint work tp protect from sparks.
5 Min job.
Oh! yeah - do not under any circumstances let member BONZ advise you or be present when you do it as it will chit faster than the speed of light.
AnswerID:
233482
Reply By: smort - Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 06:41
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 06:41
Hi Mygreencruiser
as has already been suggested you can do either end or join in the middle - my gme is soldered in the base but can be unsoldered - bit of a fiddle but very possible - IMO easiest way is to remove plug under dash and pull cable back through firewall - 5 minute job to screw on a new plug - my gme is not soldered on the plug end and is a screw on type PL259 (jaycar) - give it a try yours might be the same - it might just come off - if not just buy a new plug. Do like the angle grinder through the mount for the future too.
regards
AnswerID:
233485
Reply By: Gronk - Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 21:50
Sunday, Apr 15, 2007 at 21:50
Cut the bugger in the middle and rejoin !! It's not the space shuttle here !! Any losses will be in the region of 0.001 ohms..Geez, you would think we are doing heart surgery or something ???
AnswerID:
233651
Follow Up By: disco1942 - Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 00:22
Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 00:22
You are not dealing with RF here, not DC. You have to be careful what you use to do the joining. My UHF set came with a short cable hanging out the back with a UHF cable jack on it. I cut it off and replaced it with a BNC cable jack and now get a slightly better signal.
PeterD
FollowupID:
494555
Reply By: Junior - Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 22:20
Monday, Apr 16, 2007 at 22:20
I like the 'cut the slot in the mount' idea- the simplest ideas!....
If you prefer the 'cut and shut' your cable method- the best connector in my opinion is the 'FME' connector. I have used these on my own and mates' trucks- they are extreemely low loss (the lowest loss low power RF connector I know of) and also very low profile. These are used in the hands-free carkit game, and they are the go, but are a little tricky unless you have experience- best to get carkit installer to fit for you- should cost next to nothing.
Where do you live?
AnswerID:
233901