MOBILE INSTALL: 579 Peterbilt

[Slowmover]

13-days and 6,200-miles.
Good trip. Three loads.

With change to 86V didn’t “solve” the mess of cabling (power, audio & coax) coming from overhead down to rack.

Like a bolt of lightning, it hit me (Doh!) . . . extend the power cable & distribution box out & down to the rack!!

Well, greatly shortening those lines “should” lessen stray RF.

If I get ambitious I’ll rip out the current power cable (duplex wiring) and go for a heavy positive and terminate the Negative practically next to radio stack. (Overhead console sheet metal is welded to A-pillar and in turn it’s welded to the firewall where dash is grounded).

Any bad ideas here? Tests?

I’ve some 8-AWG I’ll use instead. That’ll make the cable capable of 30A at 3% voltage drop.

If I order an RM ITALY KL-7405, (20A Fuse, 18A max continuous) this leaves me headroom for all else. That amp is 5-W input and 120-W output (max recommended).

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[Eldorado828]

As your name implies you're getting slowly but surely. You might reply with "yes I am, and don't call me Shirley (Airplane) haha.
I did the car audio hobby competing in db drives back in the 90's and one thing I learned there is the shorter the cables runs of any kind (power or audio) the lower the losses and you lessen the chances of contaminating the signal so I'd say you're on the right path Slow.

One thing I'd keep in mind is ofc cable when you start playing with 8 awg or bigger cable. The copper clad stuff is ok but for max transfer you definitely want to go with ofc in the power department.
Running power cables parallel with audio signal wires is also a big no in the car audio world as that's one really easy way to contaminate the audio signal. That's another take away I've personally adapted in the cb world.

Things you might already be aware of but worth mentioning to other readers looking for tips.

 

[Eldorado828]

Currently in my slow but sure installation, I'm running the antenna on the drivers side with power runs coming from the opposite direction on the passenger side power distribution behind the dash. Will it make a difference for me? I'll add the findings when I get there.

Just as you have, the supply hot will also be 8 awg to the hot spot in the dash and hoping to find a much closer ground somewhere behinds the overhead panels but well see what the impedance is if and where that's found. Shorter the ground the better.

My friend, just like you I'm searching to see how it'll pan out but in the meantime learning from your findings as it goes along.

 

[Slowmover]

Thx for the replies.

I’ve been using ANCOR Marine Grade Wire which is tinned copper (price may give you a heart attack). I’ve also used welding cable where no high heat & POLs are expected.

I don’t recognize ofc, but I assume you mean copper-stranded, not copper-coated stranded wire.

At this juncture (mid point, I think) I reach in the supply box and use what I find.

“Slow” is correct. RH lane and 4-ways on while going up the mountain.

On the other hand, it’s hundreds of days and thousands of hours of use since the thread started. Field Work. Just no substitute for work in the field, right? (Ha!)

My hard-headed truck driver friends just won’t hear me THAT with a bit of amplification AND a DSP Spkr every time they key the mike they’ll get a response. And hear the ones from far off.

It’s a new world on the Big Road when CB becomes THAT kind of reliable.

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[Slowmover]

Here’s that overhead console removed (parts vendor pic) shown from the back side.

The radio fits in the lower center opening. Wiring for power (binding posts) shown.

Antenna mounts would be congruent with the console outer attachment tabs, and a little ways towards the viewer in this pic (seen from windshield side).

“Remove” the two outer pocket shelves (impossible) would give access to the mounts from the interior.

The antenna mount is two piece. It is bolted to structural sheet metal and would benefit by having THICK urethane paint removed.

One would also be able to install CMC chokes at antenna feedpoint from the backside.

As it stands, once console fitted in place, there’s no access to mounts due to interference from truck structure. Note again the radio tray: the gap between it and the lower part of the console fits over a steel “shelf”.

From truck interior, the bottom of this console covers that steel which extends to the limits shown.

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[Slowmover]

Found some un-used 6-AWG welding cable that should be just long enough to make the Positive cable run to the Batt box under drivers door. And furnish enough extra for a sub 1’ Negative cable to terminate in the overhead.

But now have to order an upgraded 12V Anderson PowerPole Distribution Buss Bar (Powerwerx) wherein two (2) 75A connectors feed four (4) 45A connectors. And that larger size of connector.



I can attach that bar to the radio stack mount. Will be two (2) radios (one as scanner) plus other gear. Only have to double-up on one power line and can make all of them MUCH shorter.

This will make for easier separation of coax & power. Power runs all under a foot (except speaker).

6-AWG has twice the ampacity required for a less-than-3%-voltage-drop in this length for projected use. (I can see a Voltage Meter in my future).

At present, power runs are all up from stack and into console to attach to present 12V distribution. Big mess.

Am pretty happy about this plan.

Ha! Not my first rodeo.

Am also going to order another CMNF-500 filter from Palomar Engineers as the first one did so well. It’s small size is a benefit compared to the CMNF-1500 I’ve been running past the tuner. That big cube now goes to the pickup truck stack.

Plus, I always seem to need more ferrites.
Are they like baby sharks, eating each other?

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[Slowmover]

Had a good friend in college once say, “If you write it out, it’s yours”. In this as in other things, he was right.

So,

Attach any old RF Bonds to all four (4) corners of the truck cab down to the frame.

(Now I can go to bed).

Two days before I leave again.
Last radio-related project while at home.

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[Handy Andy]

Not to make your day but...

That steel bracing that fits between the Radio Cutout and bottom cover - does that brace bolt, weld or how is it fastened to the cab frame - or is it fastened or just "bonded" (read glued, peanut buttered, chewing gum - tent stakes) to the fiberglass shell for rigidity purposes.

The reason I ask is, it's very easy to DC bond that frame cross member to show ground ad DC levels , but adds a nice floating platform for RF Noise for Emanations as well as Reception. if it uses just some simple bolt to anodized aluminum or even plastic case holder crimps.

Think of the radios' mounting location as such a platform for noise reception because it's left floating inductively (due to wire versus bonded tp body) as the height and free floating antenna counterpoise for every system in the truck that uses a microprocessor or xtal clock for cycling events (timers, motors e&c)

 

[Slowmover]

Not to make your day but...

That steel bracing that fits between the Radio Cutout and bottom cover - does that brace bolt, weld or how is it fastened to the cab frame - or is it fastened or just "bonded" (read glued, peanut buttered, chewing gum - tent stakes) to the fiberglass shell for rigidity purposes.

The reason I ask is, it's very easy to DC bond that frame cross member to show ground ad DC levels , but adds a nice floating platform for RF Noise for Emanations as well as Reception. if it uses just some simple bolt to anodized aluminum or even plastic case holder crimps.

Think of the radios' mounting location as such a platform for noise reception because it's left floating inductively (due to wire versus bonded tp body) as the height and free floating antenna counterpoise for every system in the truck that uses a microprocessor or xtal clock for cycling events (timers, motors e&c)

I believe I said that the antenna mount “inner” portion is bolted to this cross-truck shelf, AND that it’s welded to the A-pillar (which is welded to firewall).

Mount sits (bolted) on a thick coat of urethane.
Has a 1” woven copper braid to a separate ground.

I can’t get to the antenna mounts.
Can’t Dremel off the paint, and re-attach mount, IOW

Re my last post: RF Ground frame-to-sheet (bottom of A-pillar, sorta) “plate” at front cab corners (there’s more than one “sheet” down low; sandwiched).

To get to the antenna mounts I’d have to cut out the outer pocket shelf portions. Get a hand and wrench thru. Given worsening politics, I may. Just haven’t thought of a good way to re-attach it. (What paint over plastic bondo might cover, etc; am caring less about that rule).

— Next on the list is a Lincoln 2. My Galaxy radios are fine and fun, but not in that class.

— A KL-7405, too; 50-75W with 203 not in league with just over 100W. That’s the fence to get over in a big truck. (6-AWG handle 2X what’s necessary as in other post above)

— I’d still like to try a pair of dipoles, but that’s not happening this trip.

— a fold-up tripod-mount “real” antenna sounding better.
Pull over on a hill-side.

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[Slowmover]

Full change of gear. This has to do with full time CB channel scanning.
AM or Sideband

Removed radio stack and replaced with different:

Uniden 885 Hybrid CB/Scanner
Uniden 980 AM/SSB

The KL203-P was retired in favor of a new KL203 (non-P) to give it a sort of break-in.

The PE CMNF-1500 filter was retired.

The MFJ-945e Tuner was retired.

Power distribution was moved outside console to the side of the mount bracket.

All power distribution wiring cut down in length to minimum.

Power Supply was lengthened to reach the last 4.0” outside console and to feed distribution.

Am using the 885 windshield inner antennas for the scanner and GPS. (A bird perch mount scanner antenna is forthcoming).

The 885 has a reliably good scanner for a driver per potential road-related problem and runs AM-19 constantly.

The 980 is the AM/SSB Scanner

Coax runs 885 to CMNF-500 to KL203 to Morgan 411cb to cophase harness.

980 separate coax to bird perch receive antenna.

Power is shared by radios (same), and coax can be swapped to make the 980 the TX unit.

Have along three (3) speakers to test with the 980.
First up will be a Cobra 500.

(Others are a Kenwood KES-5, and a Uniden ESP-20)

Have brought along a Uniden bc906w wireless mic to first use & test. Will set it up to run with the 980 (coax swap).

And the usual mics to test : RK56, SRA-198, A636L, WM-507 (plus stock Uniden and one modded). The SL41 is along, maybe I can find a tech to mod it against squeal. I’ll throw in a Red Devil as well. (Will have to grab another 3800 Apache case for all those microphones (on leaving town). Guess now I can look to getting a mic tester.

Nine (9) microphones. Four (4) speakers.
In the words of Bugs Bunny, “what a maroon”.

Talkback to check mic audio quality?
Yeah, I run a full time second radio and speaker.

The overall idea is to continuously monitor other AM channels while otherwise permanently on 19. (SSB as the mood & conditions hit me).

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[Slowmover]

So, let’s see:

1). AM/FM Radio with WX

2). Qualcomm Sat Receiver (company comms)

3). Cell/Internet

4). 11-Meter

5). Public Service (analog) Radio Scanner

(Digital PS Scanner upgrade wanted)

(Licensure to run Amateur wanted).

Tin cans with custom-tuned string (on order)

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[Slowmover]

Have to finish install today and try to get best SWR by again modding Wilson 2000 length before leaving home.

Have overstayed days off. But not interested in leaving without best comms I can do. World got uglier last week.

 

[cralt]

Does the 980 from the front panel allow you to lower the DK for the KL203 or are you just running it strait up?

 

[Slowmover]

Does the 980 from the front panel allow you to lower the DK for the KL203 or are you just running it strait up?

Digital Unidens: Never open the lid

4W max, possibly 3W from factory. Good enough for me.

If I’m wrong, oh well (like VERY MUCH the idea of just plug & play)

The -P has somewhat different circuitry it’s said. (That’s What I’ve been using till now).

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[Slowmover]

Does the 980 from the front panel allow you to lower the DK for the KL203 or are you just running it strait up?

I didn’t answer your question directly.

No

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