2007 Toyota Corolla (Temporary Install Suggestions)

[mmckenna]

I'll definitely look at that. I have to go to town tomorrow, so I'll try make a stop in at the dealer/ installer there, and see what the cost would be, & maybe see if they have the hood mount & that antenna there, and see what they're worth. Maybe see what a CDM1550 is worth there.

Might be worth asking if they have any other suggestions on how/where to mount the antennas. F150's are popular trucks, as I'm sure you know, so there are a lot of them in commercial/municipal service. They've probably done a lot of installs on them and may have some unique ideas. Even with VHF and UHF antennas, you could space them out side by side on the truck roof. There is enough real estate up there to get the necessary separation between antennas and still have enough ground plane under both antennas.

CDM's are out of production, so they probably won't have any new ones, but it's worth asking. They may try to sell you one of the newer models.
CDM's are pretty popular on e-Bay. I've picked up 4 channel CDM-750's VHF for less than $100usd. CDM-1250's for $150 and I think the last CDM-1550 I picked up for $200.
If you decide to go with a remote head, don't buy them on e-Bay, they are too expensive, usually. There is a company called Wiscomm that has an on-line store and they sell them cheaper that what I've found for used ones on e-Bay.

Center of the roof, I presume? How high is that one?

Cheers,

KN1IGHT

That's 1/4 wave VHF, so about 18", center of the roof. I've got a 1/4 wave 800MHz (about 3 inches tall) mounted on the rear just above the center stop lamp.

 

[MaximusTheGreat]

Not to hijack your thread, but why do people have a Vhf and a Uhf antenna? Instead of just a dual band mounted in the center of the vehicle. Is there an advantage on do it that way?

 

[sfd119]

Not to hijack your thread, but why do people have a Vhf and a Uhf antenna? Instead of just a dual band mounted in the center of the vehicle. Is there an advantage on do it that way?

Multiple radios.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Not to hijack your thread, but why do people have a Vhf and a Uhf antenna? Instead of just a dual band mounted in the center of the vehicle. Is there an advantage on do it that way?

Usually has to do with using multiple radios or non-existent bandwidth options to fit their needs. Also public safety grade diplexers and triplexers are not cheap and add additional loss potentials.

OP, here is a a setup of my POV (work in progress, still waiting on a manufacturer to get a new mobile finalized). It is a Sierra but it is mainly for ideas.


Here is the only radio currently mounted. It is a Motorola Astro Spectra (100W model). The deck is under the back seat.

This is the antenna. It is a Panorama Sharkee. Pictured is the Nitol whip (which is why it is tied in a knot). It's my parking garage solution. I currently have a 146-174/430-480/764-894 tri-band antenna. It also has a GPS antenna, quad band cellular, 2.4 and 5 GHz antennas in the fin housing. It's mounted roughly 3/4 ways back (left room for a future low band or something else).

 

[KN1IGHT]

OP, here is a a setup of my POV (work in progress, still waiting on a manufacturer to get a new mobile finalized). It is a Sierra but it is mainly for ideas.


Here is the only radio currently mounted. It is a Motorola Astro Spectra (100W model). The deck is under the back seat.

Nice setup. I presume the hand mic hanging on the dash is the entire remote head?
As for the RF Deck location, I don't have the option of it going under the rear seat, as the F150 is only a Regular Cab, therefore it has no back seat. Per my pictures I posted yesterday, I do feel that under the driver's seat will be my best option for the CDM1550's RF Deck. Under the middle seat, is a small plastic storage area, I could probably run the remote head cable through. (Will try get pics of that up when I can).

This is the antenna. It is a Panorama Sharkee. Pictured is the Nitol whip (which is why it is tied in a knot). It's my parking garage solution. I currently have a 146-174/430-480/764-894 tri-band antenna. It also has a GPS antenna, quad band cellular, 2.4 and 5 GHz antennas in the fin housing. It's mounted roughly 3/4 ways back (left room for a future low band or something else).

How does it perform? I plan on my highest antenna being for the HAM Radio (At least 15+ inches high, if not 20+. Thinking this antenna or this antenna for the HAM Radio when it gets put in. Whichever I pick for the HAM Radio, the other will be a passenger side hood mount for a future scanner). While I don't know for sure if the F150 will fit (width wise) in the current garage here, I do probably plan on keeping it in the current shed on the property here. But I do see how that Panorama would help regarding parking garages. Depending on where the parking garage is, I may stop a few blocks away from it, climb in the box & remove my HAM Radio antenna (when it's installed) and put an NMO Cap on it, to hopefully discourage theft.

Might be worth asking if they have any other suggestions on how/where to mount the antennas. F150's are popular trucks, as I'm sure you know, so there are a lot of them in commercial/municipal service. They've probably done a lot of installs on them and may have some unique ideas. Even with VHF and UHF antennas, you could space them out side by side on the truck roof. There is enough real estate up there to get the necessary separation between antennas and still have enough ground plane under both antennas.

CDM's are out of production, so they probably won't have any new ones, but it's worth asking. They may try to sell you one of the newer models.

Didn't get to town today at all. A lot of things changed, which resulted in that. I'll have to give them a call, and ask a few questions.

 

[chief21]

Lots of good information in this thread from some folks that know their stuff. Since I haven't seen it mentioned, I'll note that the F-150 is a pretty tall truck and you should be aware that a large-ish antenna on the roof will create issues with garages, overhangs, tree branches, etc.. Something else to think about!

John AC4JK

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Nice setup. I presume the hand mic hanging on the dash is the entire remote head?
As for the RF Deck location, I don't have the option of it going under the rear seat, as the F150 is only a Regular Cab, therefore it has no back seat. Per my pictures I posted yesterday, I do feel that under the driver's seat will be my best option for the CDM1550's RF Deck. Under the middle seat, is a small plastic storage area, I could probably run the remote head cable through. (Will try get pics of that up when I can).



How does it perform? I plan on my highest antenna being for the HAM Radio (At least 15+ inches high, if not 20+. Thinking this antenna or this antenna for the HAM Radio when it gets put in. Whichever I pick for the HAM Radio, the other will be a passenger side hood mount for a future scanner). While I don't know for sure if the F150 will fit (width wise) in the current garage here, I do probably plan on keeping it in the current shed on the property here. But I do see how that Panorama would help regarding parking garages. Depending on where the parking garage is, I may stop a few blocks away from it, climb in the box & remove my HAM Radio antenna (when it's installed) and put an NMO Cap on it, to hopefully discourage theft.

Yes, all of the controls are there on the microphone. The only thing different from some of the Pro series radios, Motorola's public safety mobiles do not have internal speakers. The speaker is hiding down there in the picture centered over the transmission hump hanging from under the dash.

My old pickup having been a single cab F150 with the wash out floor in it, only thing I'd say about mounting under the seat is be careful if hosing out the interior as that is generally the lowest part of the pan (so water will naturally flow through there on it's way to the drain plug or out the door).

Performance is as good as any other 1/4 wave antenna. The triband version is a little thicker (whistles some) but is a bit more rigid at high way speeds. You may wish to consider using Sti-Co flexiwhips if you are concerned with hitting things. It's a nitol whip with an NMO base on it. I have one on my XJ which gets parked in the garage nightly. Also, black whips blend in better (they don't reflect light) but generally you'll put an antenna on and never take it off. For scanning, you may not even see a difference between a 1/4 wave VHF antenna and triband antenna.

Lots of good information in this thread from some folks that know their stuff. Since I haven't seen it mentioned, I'll note that the F-150 is a pretty tall truck and you should be aware that a large-ish antenna on the roof will create issues with garages, overhangs, tree branches, etc.. Something else to think about!

John AC4JK

It's just another full-sized truck. My Sierra's roof sits at 6' 5". If you drive them all day everyday, it's just something you naturally adjust to.

 

[KN1IGHT]

Yes, all of the controls are there on the microphone. The only thing different from some of the Pro series radios, Motorola's public safety mobiles do not have internal speakers. The speaker is hiding down there in the picture centered over the transmission hump hanging from under the dash.

I like it. Nice & clean and in my F150's case it wouldn't block that cubby below my SYNC Ports.

My old pickup having been a single cab F150 with the wash out floor in it, only thing I'd say about mounting under the seat is be careful if hosing out the interior as that is generally the lowest part of the pan (so water will naturally flow through there on it's way to the drain plug or out the door).

I've thought about that. I'm currently searching out some cheap-ish but good quality seat covers, so I don't always have to worry if my current clothes are clean or not before hopping in. If I've been walking in mud, I kick my foot against the tire before hopping in to hopefully get most of the loose mud off my shoes. While the F150's floor is still as clean as it was when I got it, I'll definitely keep that in mind, if the time ever comes to hose out the interior for any reason.

Performance is as good as any other 1/4 wave antenna. The triband version is a little thicker (whistles some) but is a bit more rigid at high way speeds. You may wish to consider using Sti-Co flexiwhips if you are concerned with hitting things. It's a nitol whip with an NMO base on it. I have one on my XJ which gets parked in the garage nightly. Also, black whips blend in better (they don't reflect light) but generally you'll put an antenna on and never take it off. For scanning, you may not even see a difference between a 1/4 wave VHF antenna and triband antenna.

After looking closely, the one antenna I linked in a past post, I removed because it didn't cover my repeater frequencies I'd be using. All the ones I've looked at are chrome in color. Next day I get a chance, I'll open up the shed the F150 is in, and snap a pic of the shed, with the F150 in it, since I guarantee it'll be parked in there everyday, the rest of my life.

Lots of good information in this thread from some folks that know their stuff. Since I haven't seen it mentioned, I'll note that the F-150 is a pretty tall truck and you should be aware that a large-ish antenna on the roof will create issues with garages, overhangs, tree branches, etc.. Something else to think about!

John AC4JK

I agree. I have some great information at hand which will help/ is helping me make a decision on everything I've mentioned in this thread, from the Corolla's temporary install, to the F150's permanent install. As for being a tall truck, that's been one of the main things on my mind when browsing antennas for the F150's future HAM Radio. Though as I said above, the shed I park has a fairly high roof, I will still find something that shouldn't cause me to much trouble with parking garages and such. So far, I've been parking outdoors at most places I go to, even if they have a parking garage somewhere near it.

Thank you to everyone who has posted so far, and continues to post. I have a lot of very useful & helpful information at hand, which will help me in the future.

Cheers,

KN1IGHT