Pickup Truck Antenna Placement

[Glorfendill]

Ok guys As some of you may have been following I'm gonna be putting a rooftop mount Wilson 5000 on my Chevy S10 Pickup. I just noticed in another thread that it's better to mount an antenna on the center of the vehicle than on the center of the roof. So I'm wondering If I should mount the antenna towards the back of the Cab, to get it closer to vehicle Center or just go ahead and put it in the Center of the Roof?

[stickman]

I HAVE MINE MOUNTED IN THE CENTER OF MY DAKOTA!!!
STICKMAN

[Snowman1975]

All the pickup trucks I have seen with roof mounts have them mounted toward the rear of the cab or front of the bed...basically, center of vehicle.
My friends antenna on his El Camino will be mounted around the rear of the cab so he can get close to center of vehicle as well.

[stickman]

All the pickup trucks I have seen with roof mounts have them mounted toward the rear of the cab or front of the bed...basically, center of vehicle.
My friends antenna on his El Camino will be mounted around the rear of the cab so he can get close to center of vehicle as well.

AS LONG AS IT'S MOUNTED ON TOP IT REALLY SHOULDN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE I JUST PREFER MINE IN THE MIDDLE. IN MY OPINION IT'S TOTALLY UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD THAT AS LONG AS IT'S MOUNTED ON THE TOP YOU WILL GET BETTER RECEPTION AND GET OUT FURTHER.
STICKMAN

[Phaze91460]

I would like to hear from our very own antenna theory specialist mx5falkon and see what he has to say. I have heard many opinions put forward about antenna mounting locations.

[Guest]

I HAVE ALWAYS BUT THEM toward the rear of the cab IT HAS SOME THING TO DO WITH THE WAY THE ANTENNA RADIEATES ITS PATTEREN

[jessejamesdallas]

Best thing to do. Would be to use a Mag.Mounted antenna first. And see where it tunes the best. (don't really mater what brand of antenna. Just stick one up there, and try and see where it tunes the best)

It's called, "finding the sweet-spot!"

Sometimes it wont make any difference...But it could make a difference between a 1.5 swr, and a 1.0, or 1.1 swr.

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Best thing to do. Would be to use a Mag.Mounted antenna first. And see where it tunes the best. (don't really mater what brand of antenna. Just stick one up there, and try and see where it tunes the best)

It's called, "finding the sweet-spot!"

Sometimes it wont make any difference...But it could make a difference between a 1.5 swr, and a 1.0, or 1.1 swr.

Impressive advice JesseJamesDallas.

If he doesn't have a mag mount, my guess is that any center roof spot should work pretty well, but not toward the front of the roof.

[bazookajoe]

[Phaze91460]

Hey, I gata ask this. How do you open the tool box ? is there a pivit on the bottom of the antenna ? I see something but not exactly what it is. Do you use the tool box for work or just for holding amps ? I have a work truck that has a tool box and we were looking the other day at how to mount.

[bazookajoe]

the toolbox will open all the way, the mount is in the middle, and when box is open all the way the antenna does not touch the truck

this is the antenna quick connect mount. it works great and is very strong.
i can drive at 90 and 100 mph and it don`t move, also no tools in the box
just my batteries.. lol

[BobOstro61]

My Wilson 5000 isn't roof mounted. I use the mag mount. I have it dead center of the roof on my Ranger XLT extended cab. My SWR's are flat on all channels.

[bazookajoe]

My Wilson 5000 isn't roof mounted. I use the mag mount. I have it dead center of the roof on my Ranger XLT extended cab. My SWR's are flat on all channels.

thats good for low wattage.. i used to run the 5000 mag mount it worked great, but after a couple of months of pounding a little texas star 667
it melted the paint and turned it to goo...

[Guest]

LOL

Phaze91460 I MADE A BAR THAT I RUN BEHIND MY TOOL BOX IT RUNS TO EACH SIDE OF THE BED LIKE A HEADACK RACK BUT SHORTER AND PUSHED MY TOOL BOX UP 4-5 INCHS AND THE BAR SIT'S BEHIND IT AND BOLTS TO THE BED RAILS AND MOUNTED THE ANTENNA IN THE CENTER OF THE BAR :Peace!:

[BobOstro61]

No kidding, bazookajoe? Wow! Well, I use my General Lee in the truck with a Dave Made M-80. It only puts out a couple hundred watts so I think I'm OK in the paint department. I have a tri-mag mount coming in a few days so I can test out the Mr. Coily Double DX 18" antenna I won on the last raffle. I'm just not ready to drill the hole yet...

[jessejamesdallas]

No kidding, bazookajoe? Wow! Well, I use my General Lee in the truck with a Dave Made M-80. It only puts out a couple hundred watts so I think I'm OK in the paint department. I have a tri-mag mount coming in a few days so I can test out the Mr. Coily Double DX 18" antenna I won on the last raffle. I'm just not ready to drill the hole yet...

Be sure to keep the roof clean under the Magnets of that
"Tri-Mag mount"...Bad thing about them, is when grit gets under them, it can scratch the paint. And water can cause rust spots...A good wax-job helps, but need to remove the mount every now and then, and clean the roof still...

[Phaze91460]

Note: Waxing the magnets is a good idea as well as the paint.

I run sign magnets all the time and the sign shop told me that little piece of advise. Works too, repels moisture from between.

[BobOstro61]

That's a good idea. I'll make sure I do it.

[Falkon MX-5]

I would like to hear from our very own antenna theory specialist mx5falkon and see what he has to say. I have heard many opinions put forward about antenna mounting locations.

I've always seen them mounted at the rear part of the roof over the cab. I think the general consensus is to mount it to the roof.

[Phaze91460]

Awwww........ That was disapointing ! For the kind of intro I gave you I expected some kinda mathmatical representation on the fesibility study on mounting locations at the proper elevation and humidity content of the northern cloud cover.

[Guest]

Boy Oh , Dont it just suck when that grit gets in there and leaves scratch's ...Makes you want to go ahead and drill a hole , at least it wont scratch

[jessejamesdallas]

Boy Oh , Don't it just suck when that grit gets in there and leaves scratches ...Makes you want to go ahead and drill a hole , at least it wont scratch

Yep! Although sometimes it's hard to get the nerve-up, to take a drill-bit to your roof. specially a "Big Drill Bit"...

But it's the best thing you can do for your system. Better Ground. No scratches (unless the drill slips!) :shocked:
And no rusty spot's...Oh, and a cleaner looking mount. (you also wont have to worry about your paint blistering from running all that power!)

[RabidRobert]

Yep! Although sometimes it's hard to get the nerve-up, to take a drill-bit to your roof. specially a "Big Drill Bit"...

My hang -up is not so much getting up the nerves to drill a big ole hole, but more of a will it rip itself out under 75mph! I'm also not much for the task of taking out the head liner with that upper console stuff! (OK, OK! I know I'm lazy!) Ive toyed with the idea of having a 3 sided box formed out of 12 gauge Stainless with a lip at the bottom to secure it with pop rivets or sheet metal screws. (LOTS OF 'EM!) Pics of Bozos Blazer have also piqued my curiosity, the way he had some kind of plate laid out on his luggage rack. But how was that grounded Mr. Mayor of Bozo Idaho? Would grounding the plate with straps to the racks Torx screws work? I dunno! I plan on giving my setup the work over between now & the end of the year with a Davemade or possibly an East Coast, getting RA to SWP the RCI & all that, wanna go for 1K- 1.2k, so I will be needing a Predator to throw it on out there! Decisions , decisions!!!!
:06-02ama:

[Guest]

I have had good luck with the stake hole mounts by firestik...I am running a 4' wilson Silver Load and getting SWR 1.2-1.3 on the reg 40.....So I am pretty well pleased...I know there are better antennas ( I have 2 Predators and a 102" whip) but the wilsons look so much better

[stickman]

I HAD MY WILSON 1000 SWR'S CHECKED THE OTHER DAY AND IT'S AT 1.1 AND IT'S MOUNTED (MAG) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOF. THAT'S PRETTY DARN GOOD!!
STICKMAN