Under the heading “For What it’s Worth”;
I drive a 2021 Ford F-150 Supercab Lariat with 3 communications antennas. Not wanting to drill holes or using hood mounts, I mounted a Back Rack behind the cab to the bed of the truck. It uses two of the post holes to mount it and its primary use is to keep cargo from shifting and slamming into the cab. In my case I have repurposed it as my antenna farm. (Using 3 Diamond electric fold over motors so I can garage it without having to get out of the truck each time I need to park in the garage-but I digress…).
The reason for this post is to make others aware of a problem I experienced. My new truck was burning oil. Under warranty, my dealer did the required testing and sent the results to Ford. Ford decided the engine (5.0 liter V8) needed to be replaced. The engine swap was completed without issue but the process required the removal of everything around the engine… the entire front, both fenders and the cab. It’s the cab that caused me concern. Because the dealer lifted the entire cab off the frame about 10 feet in the air! I never thought that would be necessary, and it isn’t, but because the job went quicker, they routinely raise the cab. I didn’t have a clue that the process would entail raising the cab and never considered what this would mean, meaning my antennas were attached to the Back Rack, mounted to the bed of the truck, which never left the frame. Did I have 10 feet of slack cable? I lucked out apparently because I did. I was told they did not need to disconnect the coax or the antenna mounts.
Bottom line, it’s probably a good idea to leave enough slack in the coax (instead of shortening the stock antenna coax length) to accommodate any unforeseen need to lift the cab off the frame 10 feet! I know it’s a very uncommon situation but it is something to keep in mind when doing your own installations. I for one am happy I left the coax lengths alone!
I drive a 2021 Ford F-150 Supercab Lariat with 3 communications antennas. Not wanting to drill holes or using hood mounts, I mounted a Back Rack behind the cab to the bed of the truck. It uses two of the post holes to mount it and its primary use is to keep cargo from shifting and slamming into the cab. In my case I have repurposed it as my antenna farm. (Using 3 Diamond electric fold over motors so I can garage it without having to get out of the truck each time I need to park in the garage-but I digress…).
The reason for this post is to make others aware of a problem I experienced. My new truck was burning oil. Under warranty, my dealer did the required testing and sent the results to Ford. Ford decided the engine (5.0 liter V8) needed to be replaced. The engine swap was completed without issue but the process required the removal of everything around the engine… the entire front, both fenders and the cab. It’s the cab that caused me concern. Because the dealer lifted the entire cab off the frame about 10 feet in the air! I never thought that would be necessary, and it isn’t, but because the job went quicker, they routinely raise the cab. I didn’t have a clue that the process would entail raising the cab and never considered what this would mean, meaning my antennas were attached to the Back Rack, mounted to the bed of the truck, which never left the frame. Did I have 10 feet of slack cable? I lucked out apparently because I did. I was told they did not need to disconnect the coax or the antenna mounts.
Bottom line, it’s probably a good idea to leave enough slack in the coax (instead of shortening the stock antenna coax length) to accommodate any unforeseen need to lift the cab off the frame 10 feet! I know it’s a very uncommon situation but it is something to keep in mind when doing your own installations. I for one am happy I left the coax lengths alone!
