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Maxrad Lowband quarter wave ball and spring antenna

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LowbandGuy

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I just purchased a Maxrad lowband quarter wave antenna for a pick up truck installation I am doing. I noticed with the instructions a picture of a small box referred to a coupler block and reference to broadbanding network. I done a search with no luck, can anyone give some information about this I am curious?

I want to mount this antenna on the back corner of a 2011 Ford F150 extended cab. I discovered I can't access that part of the cab from inside. The cable can be fed down for access with no issues. My question is can this be installed completely from outside the cab. The innner ring is horseshoe shape so I am thinking this may be possible? Anyone with experience with these antennas that could comment?
 

prcguy

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Jun 30, 2006
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So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
I've done many blind installs where the backup ring had to be inserted from the outside hole. Its easier if the 3 hole pattern has one hole centered up. You have to maneuver the ring around with your fingers inside the hole without cutting yourself on the sharp edges until you can get one long bolt through the insulator and top hole in the vehicle and into the middle of the three bolt holes on the ring. The idea is for the ring to balance on that bolt to make it easier to line up the other two bolts on the lower holes.

You also have to prep the coax and attach the braid to the ring, cut the center conductor to a workable but short length and stuff all the coax through the big hole with the ring. Then before you put in the last two bolts you connect the coax center conductor. If the original bolts are not long enough to allow you to make the center conductor connections with the first bolt in by a few threads you will have to buy a longer but matching bolt to make that work.

It's a PIA but can be done. The worst is when you have a closed wall where if you drop the ring inside the wall it's lost forever. In that case I tie some wire to an end hole on the ring to fetch it in case of a problem, then remove that wire after the first bolt has a few threads in.

Good luck, you'll need it.
prcguy



I just purchased a Maxrad lowband quarter wave antenna for a pick up truck installation I am doing. I noticed with the instructions a picture of a small box referred to a coupler block and reference to broadbanding network. I done a search with no luck, can anyone give some information about this I am curious?

I want to mount this antenna on the back corner of a 2011 Ford F150 extended cab. I discovered I can't access that part of the cab from inside. The cable can be fed down for access with no issues. My question is can this be installed completely from outside the cab. The innner ring is horseshoe shape so I am thinking this may be possible? Anyone with experience with these antennas that could comment?
 
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Joined
Dec 26, 2004
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1,217
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Tulsa
Way back when we did a lot of low band installs and our install tech's had it down to a fine art, the advice is 100% spot on. A good idea is if you are running the coax through a drilled hole drill the hole large enough to insert a rubber grommet, if not the sharp edge can damage the coax.
 

SCPD

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Virginia
Can you cut out a square access hole on the inside of the cab, and then get a piece of sheet metal and cover up the hole after you're done with the install?

I've seen that done, the cover was out of sight behind the seat.
 

W4KRR

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Apr 1, 2001
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Coconut Creek
Where I work (Fla. DOT) the radio shop used to do most of their low band ball and spring installs from the outside, with no access to the backside of the ball mount.

I always wondered how they did it, and one day I asked one of the install techs. The secret was to obtain three extra long bolts with the same size thread as the bolts holding the base of the mount to the backing plate. Then you cut the heads off of the long bolts. This allows you to screw the bolts into the backing plate, and then place the ball and base over the top of them; you then hold onto the bolts, remove one and insert the regular install bolt, and repeat for the other two bolts. No fuss no muss, no dropping the "C" backing plate! (They called it the "horseshoe")
 

LowbandGuy

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Remote Location Maritime Provinces, Canada
Thanks for the responses. I had a friend help me with the install of this antenna. The only challenge we had was to fasten the braided part of the coax covering. There are actually 5 bolts to fasten into the horseshoe. Two small ones that help hold the horseshoe into place and the 3 larger ones to fasten the mount to the horseshoe. We ended up fastening the ground using one of the small bolts and just postioned it between the inside of the cab and the horseshoe.

There was a closed interior wall, perhaps even 2 of them, it was open at the bottom and there was no difficulty to pass the coax down through.

The radio works good within 15 km (8 miles) of the repeater, but not so hot after that. I am not sure what the problem is, I haven't had time to check it out yet. I am hoping it may be only the connector on the back of the radio. The radio is a CDM1250 and is new so I don't know the radio.

I do plan to post pictures here on RR, but it seems I have used most of my allowable picture space. I have to sign up with Photobucket or Flickr.
 
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