That's my theory as well, particularly because as I tried different antennas in the same spot the SWR was directly related to the length of the antenna I tried, with the 3ft one having the worst SWR.
I haven't had a chance to fully test out the coverage on the road but we'll see. I need to get the radio wired and mounted first, just wanted to go ahead and get the antenna mounting sorted out because I knew I'd be facing some challenges.
A pickup with worse ears than a big truck is what you may find you have. Should be embarrassing, as truckers
often are looking for information you may have as one who lives locally.
The BIG RADIO is sometimes a mommyvan with a centrally-mounted
permanent no-big-deal antenna (like a Wilson 5000) done up by a shop for use as a
pilot car for oversized loads. The lady aboard
out-talks nearly everyone around her for several miles.
And her radio is probably no more than a typical dual-final export.
Your pickup can have that same quality.
With a roof mount.
The
bad choices made by pickup owners for antenna locations
guarantees piss-poor performance. Gave away half of what they could have had.
I’ve sunk quite a bit into the Peterbilt installation and gear.
It’s almost ALL to overcome the deficient radio rigs I have to communicate with re every sort of road problem on a daily basis.
Big trucks wind up using power as a needed crutch. Everyone — trucker or not — also needs DSP in the RX audio.
If you’ve a base station optimized for local, test your compromised mobile from a 5-7/mile “good” parked location. Then have the driver swap a tri-mag mount to the roof with a 108” tuned previously. That margin can be everything.
Two
very bad back-ups eastbound on IH-40 in Tennessee today. Hours to travel 30-miles.
In each case one needs reception of more than 3-miles to use the only exit to bypass each.
And enough
ummph — fire in the wire — to try to ask locals if the map route is feasible. Big truck or RV.
Choices matter.
There are potentially MUCH worse hazards that can occur.
If you missed what the man going the other way tried to tell you, then . . . .
.