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Need a little help...

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EngineCo8

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Newinton, VA
I was wanting to instal a Minitor IV charger in my Jeep (it'll be replaced by a scanner when the $$ is available). I already know where and have an idea of how, just need to know how I would go about powering it? I would also like to know what antenna would be recommended? Any help would be appreciated.

Has anyone else done this? If you have pictures please post em for idea inspiration.

And lastly, not that I can't take the criticism, but please don't post negatively. I will happily answer any questions you have, but I am going to do this. Why? Because I can and I want to. I would just really like the help on how to power the charger.

Thanks.
 

gr8rcall

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In terms of powering it, probably a DC-AC inverter is your best bet!
They are fairly cheap at walmart!

Sorry....I can't think of anything else of the top of my head! 😢
 

mmckenna

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The charger/amplifiers use a 110vac to 12vdc power supply, so feeding it directly off of 12v from your Jeep should not be a problem. You'd need to cut the cord off the power supply and determine which wire is positive and which is negative.
The AC power supply puts out 900ma, so installing a 2 - 3 amp fuse would be fine.

So, what you need to do is:
1. cut the cord off the power supply.
2. probably need to lengthen wiring to reach power source.
3. install fuse on positive wire very close to power source.
4. connect positive to power source and negative to Jeep body.
5. make sure everything is correct before plugging it in.

You can power it right off the battery, they don't draw much when the pager is not in them. If you are up to it, it would likely be a good idea to find an ignition switched power source so it won't draw power when the Jeep is turned off and drain your battery. This will take some investigation to find a source, likely near or in the fuse box.

As for the antenna....
You need to decide what sort of mount you want to use, permanent (recommended), bracket (second choice), or magnetic mount (last choice).
The antenna connector on the back of the amp/charger is a BNC, so that's pretty easy to find.

I'd recommend using the standard NMO mount as it will give you the most options for antennas. NMO's are pretty much the de facto standard for professional mobile antenna mounts. You can purchase antenna mounts with cable and BNC already attached:
NMO Hole Mount with Cable & BNC

Ideally, you should use a permanent mount as it will give you better performance, better looks, and a longer life span. It does require drilling/punching a 3/4 inch diameter hole in the vehicle. That part isn't for everyone, so going with a bracket mount off the fender would work too.
Magnetic mounts are the least preferred options as the tend to damage paint under the mount, and in my own opinion, look unprofessional.

As for the actual antenna, that is going to depend entirely on what frequency your department uses for their pagers. It's going to be UHF, VHF High or VHF Low. You need to determine that before you choose your antenna. You need to have the correct band antenna for best performance. Let us know which one it is and we can assist you in finding the correct antenna.
 

codblackops2

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Well heres another question on this Minitor IV charger. Does he have just the basic charger that comes with the pager? Or has he went with the amplified charger? If he has just the basic charger there is no way to hook a antenna to it. I know this from being on the FD myself and also the FD was the ones who provided the equipment so with him hacking on the cords he will be held liable for the replacement of the charger. Now if he owns it himself then he can do what ever he wants
 

EngineCo8

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Messages
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Location
Newinton, VA
gr8rcall = I did think of that but not looking to spend to much extra on things I don't have or don't have readily available to me.

mmckenna = Thanks I'll look into that. I was going to go with a permanent mounted antenna, I have the base already that I acquired from a friend, may still have the antenna too. Also its going to be VHF, and I'm about 98% positive its a high band VHF (I'll double check later).

codblackops2 = Both the Minitor IV and charger are mine. I had a station issued one but turned it back in and bought my own (we had a shortage and a few people in the first due needed em). Also sorry I thought I said this in the original post, but its the amplified charger.
 

codblackops2

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Well my personal opioin on a Antenna and with you living in Va. I would check out Ham Radio outlet.
I would go with a the longest I could afford and my personal prefrence would be a Larsen. You can get the NMO mount from them for about 13 bucks and the Antenna depends on which one you want. If you call them they can help you out on the phone and place your order on the phone and it will be shipped that day where if you order online it would take a extra day or two to get it shipped
 

codblackops2

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I called them and ordered my mount,antenna and connector for my ham radio and with shipping it costs me right around 85 dollars. I ordered it on a Friday and got everything on Monday. I was very happy with it and all I did was went to lowes and bought a 3/4 bi metal hole saw and drilled the hole in the center of my roof and installed the way the instructions said to do. No leaks and everything is sealed tight. Also I was very happy with there Customer Service to where they was helpful on getting all the items I needed.
 

mmckenna

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If you go with HamRadio outlet, I'd suggest the Larsen line of antennas. They are a commercial brand and have a proven track record in the public safety and commercial LMR fields. The "amateur grade" antennas, however, do not.

If you want a 1/4 wave VHF Hi or UHF antenna, the NMOQ is likely your best bet. They do carry those.
If you wan the higher gain VHF Hi antenna, NMO150 is the correct model.

On VHF, the 1/4 wave antennas should be around $12 each and are about 18 inches long when trimmed for the public safety area of VHF Hi.
A higher gain (5/8th's wave) antenna is going to be around 46 inches tall.

Check to see what antennas they are using on the engines, if they page on the same frequency they dispatch on. Get whatever they are using as it obviously works. Longer antennas can be a pain if they whack the garage, tree branches, etc.

HRO will cost you more, but they are convenient.
 

EngineCo8

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Newinton, VA
Thanks for the info. If I have a chance (after payday) I'll run by there.

I don't know if I'd be able to just match what is on the engines because they are on the new (could be wrong) 700mhz. The Minitor only picks up our dispatch frequency simulcast (*spelling?*) on the older frequency.

If I did get a longer antenna would there be any down fall (other than it wacking things)?
 

EngineCo8

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Feb 26, 2011
Messages
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Location
Newinton, VA
I should also ask....
When I tackle this project I'll also be putting my CB in the Jeep (finally). How far apart should the antennas be?
 

mmckenna

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So, the longer antennas have more "gain", which is like increasing the signal strength. While this can be a good thing, it may not be necessary. If the paging system -is- truly a simulcast system, which is several transmitters on the same frequency sending out the same thing at the same time, too much gain can cause some issues, but likely not enough to cause problems. You will pay close to $50 for the higher gain antenna, and only $12 or so for the 1/4 wave. I've personally had excellent luck with the quarter wave antennas.

The CB only runs 4 watts, so while there is a risk of some of that energy getting into the pager, it isn't as critical if you were running a 100 watt radio on VHF. I'd suggest about 3 feet if you can do it. I'd certainly want at least a quarter wave of space, which for VHF, is around 18 inches.

For the CB antenna, you can use the NMO mount also. The Larsen NMO27, also sold by HRO is a really good CB antenna. Looks professional and works well. Back many years ago when I had a CB in my truck, I used those with excellent results.
 
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