MOBILE INSTALL: 579 Peterbilt

[Slowmover]

Well. It’s sunny. The temp ain’t bad. But 30-mph winds with gusts past 60-mph caused my home to look a lot more attractive than this Pete.

Had stopped by Lowe’s to get SS hardware to replace what’s holding the radio rack-mount. More supply of some basic goods I’d run out of and that they carry.

“Git ‘er dun” turned into, manana, Senor

Just no way I’m keeping that drivers door open to get to the power run (old and new).

Guess I can add some Scotch to this coffee cup.

I keep getting the feeling I’m close to being finished. “Finished”, may be a relative term in a hobby, but there are stopping points.

Right?

Right?!

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[jdchet]

As soon as you feel you're finished, your company will probably "bless" you with a new
truck! Here we go again!

 

[Slowmover]

As soon as you feel you're finished, your company will probably "bless" you with a new
truck! Here we go again!

If it’s another 579, it’ll sure be short work to get an install done this time.

The current one is a 2020 and I’m about to break 100k. The next one is a ways off yet.

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[Handy Andy]

Oh you're still in the Warranty period...

 

[ForestRunner98]

Done?? BBBBWWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!

 

[Slowmover]

Done?? BBBBWWWWAAAAAAAA!!!!!

“feels like”

(didn’t I put it that way?)

Sitting inside with no cares of course I start to again look at Mobile dipole.

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[Slowmover]

Aaaanndd, mobile dipole is a bust (for now). A thread on that was revived and discussion ensued.

Today, the weather was nice. So — in line with re-doing work nearly finished as in above posts — the RF Bonding saga was resumed.

Emphasis from the MOBILE DIPOLE SWR thread was on the circle of steel just ahead of the driver:

1). Firewall
2). A-pillars
3). Overhead horizontal thick steel sheet that connects the A-pillars.

The “whole” encircling the windshield is the key (thanks, Handy Andy, that’s the way I understood the points you made in that thread)

Had already RF bonded the four (4) door hinges plus exterior cab corners.

— But had not attempted the interior of the doors to access the mirror base.

Spent today’s nice hours removing the interior door panel face (single) with about six (6) machine screws (most under caps) and three smaller screws in door pockets. After removing lower door lamp, window/lock control panels and the T20 screw holding the door handle, a trim removal tool will pop off the panel.

— I removed the stereo speaker to see if I could determine WHERE the mirror base was accessible. Removed a mirror bolt from the outside to use a super bright penlight and several other probing tools.

Don’t bother with any of it. I wasn’t willing to tear the acoustic foam.

The door is two sheets of steel fitted with a minimal interior space between them. As best I can tell, the mirror bolts have contact with the outer sheet (metal to metal even if somewhat indirect), and THAT I already have bonded less than a foot away across the upper door hinge.

The lowers are also bonded.

Braided strap on lugs about 6-7” long.

Otherwise, the next item is to remove both the spot mirror over the passenger door with the mobile antenna mount bolted behind it. The AM/FM Antenna slated to go there needs adaptor & coax to become a reality. The CB Scanner antenna is retired for now, as well (the other use of that mount).

Being at home means I’ve a bit too much immediate area noise in the way of enjoyment of CB. OTOH, I arrived home yesterday and heard one side of a trucker conversation.

When he noted a landmark in passing I hollered at him and confirmed the road and the direction: 19 air-miles.

“Hear, and Get Heard”.

Got to have both ears and a pair of lungs.

Several evenings back I had guys on-air asking questions from 5-7/air miles. None could hear me. But I had the answers they wanted. Had some fahr in the wahr BUT NOT THE EARS TO GO WITH IT.

Later that same night, other hired hands at twice that distance were talking with me; I, with them.

The advantage is worth the effort.

My tractor will soon enough be about as good as I can make it (given restrictions on installation). There are other fleet tractors that are better such as the Kenworth T-680 and FL Evo both with antenna mount advantages not present on this Peterbilt. (The large cars are still atop the pecking order).

So, another day with buttoning up loose ends. (H-A, thanks also about my finding some graphite-impregnated grease for the fifth wheel to promote conductivity with the trailer).

Tomoorow I’ll get back on track with running new power and re-installing the Galaxy.

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[Slowmover]

KENDALL C-915
Fifth Wheel Grease

Graphite, 10% by weight
NLGI 1

A Calcium Stearonate grease.

Has everything I’d want.

Hopefully in a bulk quantity I can afford.

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[Slowmover]

I’d forgotten what an ugly mess is that drivers side fuse box. X-nay the idea of taking off the power there. And I don’t have quite enough 6-AWG to run the POS to BATT. So that’ll all wait.

So, instead, I got old trusty back in its newly-installed rack, and took a lot of time getting those cables you see into some semblance of order.

The speaker is now at the forward part of the console bin, up to the left just out of this pic. The speaker audio & power split above the stack and the audio comes down the left side as seen, routed with the coax leaving the amp and going up to the bandpass filter. The two (2) power lines come out of the overhead and meet with the Radio, Speaker & Amp wiring at the SOTABEAM 12V APP Distribution box affixed to the outside of the rack.

Hard line coax from radio thru Coax Filter and thru to Amp.


This GALAXY 99v2 was my first radio past the hot rod UNIDEN PC-76 Id used on & off for almost 16-years. Was running the oilfield in 2012-2015, and those paychecks added up.

Got this from Clays Radio (San Antonio, TX) and also bought the pair of WILSON 2000s that are on this truck. That was done on a 2012 Peterbilt 367. High-perf tune and relay-operated talkback. I probably have $400 in that radio when I include the 636L (retail was $330, I paid $299 + extras). Now not in stock many places. Brand new on eBay at $500-$700 last night.

2014 was also when I got the W-M Radio CLEARSPEECH DSP Speaker (too sensitive for talkback use). $199 at that time. $225 where available today.

The RM ITALY KL-203 was $105 for two (2) shipped. The Kl-203p disappeared into a gear bag. Somewhere. (Dead-key is 2.5W on this radio).

The antennas were $80/ea at purchase.

So, we’re having a grand reunion in this 2020 579. The next set of trucks I used a GALAXY 979 as it was far easier to install and live with. That’s where the RM Italy bug bit (acquired a U-880, a U-885 along the way) and brings me up to a few weeks past two years ago and participating here (reading a helluva lot) on a daily basis.

The U-980 has been sent to pasture (in sleeper in transport case with its now-dedicated 636L & a KES-5 speaker). Acquired it a little over a year ago. Rarely does price & performance meet as well as they do in that unit ($120). $50 for a KL-203 plus gear just above . . that’s $250 for the whole (starter) rig.

$325 with a pair of Skipshooters.

The Big Radio set-up is more like $800 (including the 2k antennas). Filters & Ferrites, etc, not included. ($1,100+ when they are).

Sitting here in driver seat to take picture at 1805 —work finally done — okay, nothing to hear on AM-19 on a Sunday evening. Nothing new in that. But this “nothing” is a whole lot quieter than was the U-980. Not so much CONSTANT “static-ness” slathered over everything.

Much easier to adjust controls on the 99 than the U-980 to find a sweet spot (as much Gain and as little Squelch as possible) and keep an ear out. I can “hear” the commercial electrical power doing its thing next door, for example. The U-980 would make hints that was happening thru the foreground static.

The 99 is a little off on Sideband. Most of y’all sound like Donald Duck. I’ll do my best to leave out that impression while reading you.

I've done more in this week than I’d guessed at. Antennas trimmed, Bandpass filter grounds installed. Radio stack NEG now to the overhead shelf (took 12-15’ off the Power circuit length). Spot mirror and mount removed. “Best” radio (with a matched microphone), the best speaker, and maybe best antennas that I own are all back in the saddle.

I’ve learned a pretty fair amount since 2014, and the install is better all around than I’ve ever had (need some confirmation involving numbers).


As this may be the week we lose Internet & Cell for 7-10/days, it was proper incentive. Sweat some details . . and clear the way for the Big Iron.

That outage happens, it will be a mighty interesting week on Eleven Meter.


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[Slowmover]

Back-to-work-day (after three at home)

The “quiet” of the systems into which the 99v2 has been connected is considerable.

I had to wait to get loaded and kept hearing the same truck diver on-air report from a location multiple times over three hours. Guys driving past something.

I was fairly sure what I thought it was was too far for me to pick up across South Dallas. That it must have been something else. Got loaded and headed that way. 9.7-air miles and found the same conditions reported. A condition which can be spotted from only the immediate view.

The 99 can do in the daytime what the 980 could only do after dark in RX (what can be heard reliably and easily).


Had the matched mic given a new radio plug termination at Roadmaster CB (same place I bought the dedicated A636L last week).

Will get the U-980 back out tomorrow and adjust 99 controls according to the way it sounds on the 980.

Gotta give The Big Iron what it wants in Echo & Delay.

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[Slowmover]

Ya know....when you get yours right....and iffn ya ever get bored or miss working on it or what not....I have this GMC you can tinker with...LOL

Since we both have Galaxy 99v2 now,
if I give my big truck a name — “12-League Boots”, or something — you gonna name your little truck “Puddle Jumper”?

I’ll send along his autographed picture with a genuine replica FT240 toroid!!

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[Slowmover]

Sitting near a forest of power lines at our company yard; near to both a major refinery and a chem plant. A processing plant, also behind where I’m parked in Houston-area. Facing south

Got in last night for booked service sometime today. Barely cracked 100k miles in the last year with these people.

Van to my right, flatbed to my left, and am under a van. Many other trucks and trailers in this yard (Giant oversized-load trailers; the little ones haul windmill parts).

At 0330 this morning answered a radio check. Said he could just hear me. But made out all the words.

I could hear him easily. (Didn’t say he was loud).

WNW of my position. Back over my right shoulder. 26.1 air miles

Guessing I’m pushing 60W or so.

Houston may be flat, but it has loads of heavy industry.

Pretty happy with that radio check distance.
The qualities it exhibited both TX & RX.

Nice temps, but gloomy skies.
Which fits the days bigger events.

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[ljh505]

My tractor will soon enough be about as good as I can make it (given restrictions on installation).

I’ve learned a pretty fair amount since 2014, and the install is better all around than I’ve ever had (need some confirmation involving numbers).

No way you're close to being done. It is probably time to study up and pass that 25 question Technician ham license test so you can put a 2 meter FM rig in there for 146.52 MHz, along with a digital hotspot and a cheap DMR radio with bluetooth headset capability so you can get on the "Over the Road" talk group #115 on the TGIF DMR radio-over-IP (RoIP) reflector/server. Then study some more and pass the General ham license test and put in an HF rig with 40 meters and 20 meters, and take advantage of all the bonding and noise reduction work you've done for HF mobile operating.

 

[Slowmover]

Thanks for that reminder!

As well, for taking the time to outline the route.
Appreciated.

 

[Slowmover]

Now back home after almost a month. Too cold for the crap heater inside “home” so I’m living in the Pete a few days with diesel-fired hot air on tap. Though my neighbors likely aren’t enamored of when the APU kicks in (0346 this morning).

A Lincoln II V3 was waiting for me at the PO. Less in width than a Uniden-980 (or Galaxy 86v), and no where near the Galaxy 99v2 width of the radios I’ve had in the Pete the past year.

Thus a new radio. installation. The 6-AWG cable order disappeared like it never happened, but low temps and 15-20 constant wind would have kept me from being outside and underneath truck to install it. So the inside work will get done.

I’ve a fair amount of tools/supply I carry on the road for radio install glitches, but being home means I have more choices. The luxury of not having to hurry (I’ve done some damn fast total swaps on the road).

Also received the bhi line attenuator ordered. Tried it on the U-980 and it results in maximum volume at both speaker & radio with minimal sound level. Too much of a good thing That radio simply doesn’t have quite enough amplified output. I’ve at least one other that does. (Idea here is to be able to use more of the radio volume knob range with the ClrSpkr; at present one dials in both with hair-split adjustments).

The PRESIDENT Liberty wireless mic will have a semi-permanent mount so that it’s always ready to swap in place of a typical corded mic.

The recent TIME Magazine article admitting to coordinated, massive electoral fraud (congratulatory) also admitted that had the incumbent President won, rioting nationally would have been set off via text message. So, the road risk I’ve figured existed really was a valid concern. And still is, therefore.

That removed the last bar to my accessing the antenna mounts via some surgical use of a Dremel to get thru some pocket-shelf ends in the overhead console. I’ve the tools to reach the bolt and remove powder coat without having to have an opening large enough to get my hands into. Hopefully, this prediction will meet reality. If it doesn’t I’ll make it work either way.

I’ll also clean up (shorten) both the RF bond and DC ground in the overhead.

The WM Spkr I need to test some different length audio & power feeds. I’ve run both “together” as six-feet (6’) is already tight once I wind a few snap-on ferrites at each end of both cables. Don’t know — with certainty — if I’m inadvertently picking up noise the speaker has to try to deal with.

Am also thinking about returning radio gear to the better concealment of the overhead console. No lack of room over to the passenger side for a few add-on boxes. But the interior of the console gets damned hot come summer. Well past 100F.

I’d have until about May to re-consider that. So will mock-up the under-console arrangement and place its necessities in the gear bag. (One has to change lengths on every bit of power, audio and coax).

Thus, will re-purpose the APACHE 4800 Transport Case currently holding a really big radio to serve as the case for the Lincoln (all radio & mic spares plus a KES-5 speaker). That item nearly suitcase-size (not really), big enough that where to store it while on-road decides a re-shuffle of truck gear.

Still dark out this Thursday morning so not yet feeling motivated enough to start. Have yet to make coffee, waiting for the APU to quit its start/stop behavior. Once it settles in and runs continuously, I’ll grind some beans and clear off the workbench (roll back sleeping bag to expose the horse blanket mattress cover).

Yes, it would have been a more relaxing set of days off to have used the trailer. But the big truck is almost self-sufficient on its own. 87% relaxed versus 100%, I guess. (But it does matter). As with super-hot mid-summer, mid-winter is exacting its toll on year-round use of the Silver Streak.

Glad, then, I have more than enough to “do”.
Between naps.

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