2019 f250 antenna cable routing

[starwtc]

Thinking about using a on glass antenna.
I would like some suggestions on a nice cable run from rear window to receiver on dash. I don't see a tidy way to hide cable either from floor or headliner. Not sure what is under middle speaker but that would be a nice area to have cable hidden.

 

[mmckenna]

Thinking about using a on glass antenna.
I would like some suggestions on a nice cable run from rear window to receiver on dash. I don't see a tidy way to hide cable either from floor or headliner. Not sure what is under middle speaker but that would be a nice area to have cable hidden.

What band, what kind of radio?

One issue you may run into is that if you have tinted windows or defroster, that can impact performance.
Frequency also plays into this. UHF and higher frequencies tend to work a bit better. VHF will work, but it's a 1/2 wavelength whip flopping around back there. CB? Don't waste your time.

My truck does not have the center speaker on the dash, and that section is easily removable. Lots of space under there to route cables. You can mount a radio on there if you want, but being in Texas, the heat through the windshield may not benefit your radio.

 

[03msc]

I would strongly advise against a through-glass antenna. They rarely perform very well...and usually those who say theirs works amazing haven't ever experienced their setup with a properly installed antenna so they don't know what they're missing.

If height is an issue, a front fender mount or mounting to a stake pocket of the bed is a solution.

 

[starwtc]

My radio 996xt, its been in sun a lot while traveling. I use a white cover on top with air gap and hasn't affected radio. I know the glass mount isn't best but hopefully it would be better than the 6" rubber one on back of radio. If radio was permanently mounted I would have nmo Larson.

 

[ofd8001]

You might consider getting a vehicle specific antenna bracket for a front fender on to which you can install a good NMO antenna. I've used them on a couple of trucks for both scanners and VHF/800 radios.

Google "Vehicle Specific Antenna Mounts" and you will see several sources.

I'd discourage dash mounting for both heat and security reasons.

 

[mmckenna]

I know the glass mount isn't best but hopefully it would be better than the 6" rubber one on back of radio. If radio was permanently mounted I would have nmo Larson.

Probably would work better, but I'd probably not expect a huge improvement depending on what bands you are using. I've used glass mounts on UHF radios where antenna installation wasn't an option. They worked OK, but it was a UHF specific antenna on a UHF radio. Antenna was made by Larsen. I'd be cautious with the hobby grade glass mount antennas, especially if they claim it is "all band".

Permanent mount on the roof is best.
Magnetic mount on the roof isn't an option.
Putting it down on the front fender will result in the cab shadowing it, you'd do better to get it up high. But it might be better than your current setup.
There is a company that makes NMO mounts that go on the third brake light. They are expensive and reports of them leaking may or not be something to consider.

Given your options, and guessing you don't want to drill a hole, the fender mount may be your best choice.

 

[starwtc]

Ok thanks all, guess I will continue using the duck, any other option still gives me the cable routing issue and for the 2 months of pulling rv I'll just live with what I've been using🙂

 

[03msc]

I didn't follow the "cable routing issue" thing, no pun intended. Any install requires running coax from antenna to radio/scanner, as you know. No way around that. You just trace the best way to get from antenna to radio and make it happen. From the front fender you could snake straight back through the door and to the dash or down and over under a seat. From the rear there would be paths to take. Pulling trim pieces, lifting up carpet, etc. are all things you can do to obscure cable paths. Are you specifically meaning "what path do I take from ___ to ___ on this truck?" Maybe I didn't understand that was the main question. I know that was the title but I guess we interpreted it more of a antenna placement thing. And Matt was trying to caution you on the use of those glass mount antennas as they typically offer subpar performance. Better to be happy with the results than spend time doing it only to be disappointed.

Sorry if we missed the mark here.

 

[mmckenna]

I agree, routing cable is the easy part. I've installed in a lot of these series trucks, and it is not difficult.

 

[K7MFC]

I would like some suggestions on a nice cable run from rear window to receiver on dash. I don't see a tidy way to hide cable either from floor or headliner. Not sure what is under middle speaker but that would be a nice area to have cable hidden.

Take a look at my 2019 F-150, it should be simialr enough for reference for your 250. Lots of pics in there; I removed various interior panels to run coax from the roof, down the the B pillar, along a channel in the floor, and up behind the dash. You can probably do something similar, run the coax from the glass mount up into the headliner, down the rear pillar, and along the channel in the floor to the front. I also remove the center speaker and show what's under there.

K7MFC mobile shack: 2019 Ford F-150 XLT

Last summer I replaced my 2013 F-150 with a new 2019 F-150. Just like the last truck, this is my daily driver to the office job, but it does truck stuff too! I've been happy with Ford trucks and decided to get another F-150, but this time around I placed a factory order so I could get the...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[starwtc]

The photos and discription are excellent, exactly what I needed. Now I think a tri band will be installed for next year's travels. Now I have something to do this winter when it's supposed to be cooler for a month and a half.

 

[GlobalNorth]

I have a 2018 Super Duty crewcab and ran my cable from the wiring port on the firewall, down through the left kick panel, through the rocker panel channeling and up through the 'C' post to the radio box. A rather easy run to do.

 

[n0xvz]

I'm not sure if it helps, but here is what I did for my 2018 F250. I used advice from @mmckenna , @K7MFC, and my local guru @n5rv. It's been working great, but now I want to add another dual-band radio and GMRS.

 

[madrabbitt]

almost all ford trucks, A pillar is ridiciously easy. i've done so many dash cams on those trucks, i can pull, route, tuck, and reinstall with my eyes closed. Same with the panels required to run it behind the dash, the fuse panel, etc. Also, the door trim on the floor is all tension clips and pops off and reinstalls with ease. The only important thing is doing it right and routing it properly around the airbag (hint, zip tie it or tape it to the existing harness foward of the airbag)

If you DO the glass mount (and for a scanner, honestly, i wouldnt) then down the C pillar, under the trim along the door sills and up to the radio wherever it is, is like a 30 min job without tools (maybe a pry bar)

If i had to do only fords the rest of my life, i'd be happy.

Since this is for a scanner, what frequency bands do you monitor? If theres any VHF at all, you need a proper antenna setup. If you're exclusively listening to 800, then there are options which will work outside of a roof mount.