Author |
Message |
Nvydvr81
New member Username: Nvydvr81
Post Number: 2 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 12:37 am: |
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I am new here, and am going to ask for unforseen problems for this partiular setup. If I need to substitute something, or remove one of the components/swap, please tell me here. Last week, I purchased the following for install in my 1979 ford truck: 1 200amp Alternator (large 1g) 1 Texas Ranger 696FD1 1 Road Devil Mic 1 Texas Star Mk-V 1 Texas Star DX1600 "sweet sixteen" 2 Wilson Trucker 5000 antennas Everything but the alternator was purchased from Copper. Now I have other setups including palomar 450's midnight special 700, with uniden pc78l, and galaxy 959 etc.. -all with wilson trucker 2000's. I have base and mobile rigs, so i have a little experience. I have been wanting a sweet sixteen powered up in my cab for a while, and I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. I have a friend help me tune everything up (and down), so I won't be doing everything by myself, but he is teaching me as he goes. Please let me know if I'm jacked up here. In case you're wondering why the power, i'm heading to an extremely rural area along the Alaska/Canada border when i retire shortly. |
Hyperno_1979
Advanced Member Username: Hyperno_1979
Post Number: 601 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 5:47 am: |
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Only other thing i can think of off hand would be a dual battery setup with isolator. That way you can flap the jaw on one battery hooked to your radio and still have one to start the truck. A lot of 4x4's are set up that way to run fridges etc and still have battery power for the car. Apart from that you seem to have every base covered. I'm sure Copper will look after you in case of any unforseen problems. CEFFFCEF Bob CEF703/CVC26 269 Hunter Valley NOT allowed to hold a passport....
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Nvydvr81
New member Username: Nvydvr81
Post Number: 3 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 7:42 am: |
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thanks hyperno. i do have a dual setup: 1 batt for high cranking amps, the other is a heavy duty deep cycle marine battery. |
Sdc1342
Junior Member Username: Sdc1342
Post Number: 25 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 8:50 am: |
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what about those 2 trucker 5000 antennas r u going to use 1 or 2? |
Nvydvr81
New member Username: Nvydvr81
Post Number: 5 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 12:46 pm: |
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2 |
777_evergreen_state
New member Username: 777_evergreen_state
Post Number: 5 Registered: 12-2007
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 3:58 pm: |
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If you haven't yet, purchase some flat copper ground strap or braid and bond (ground) your vehicle's panels to the frame of the truck. I would run a couple (one on each side) from hood to firewall, one on each fender to frame, one from each door to cab, one on each side of cab to frame, and one on each side of bed to frame. Also remember to ground your radio and amps to a metal bracket under the dash. Keep the length of your straps as short as possible. You are establishing an rf ground, so don't use round wire. It will radiate and you'll have stray rf everywhere. IMO you would have better performance mounting a single antenna centered on the roof then mounting two antennas co-phased on the mirror brackets - if that's what you were thinking. Good luck, it sounds like you'll have a sweet setup when done. |
Dale
Senior Member Username: Dale
Post Number: 1337 Registered: 12-2002
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 5:02 pm: |
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ONLY thing that id do different is just 1 antenna duals doeesnt improve anything front 2 back it does improve side 2 side but very little. also make sure your coil is clearly above the cab this willhelp with swr tuning.[this info is also found on wilson website]a longer shaft maybe required.but sounds like a pretty sweet setup to me dale/a.k.a.hotrod cef426 cvc#64
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Nvydvr81
New member Username: Nvydvr81
Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 6:02 pm: |
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okay, why do you think one will perform better? and if so, would I be better off with a 102" whip? I hate the look of those, but they seem to get the job done. |
Mrclean
Member Username: Mrclean
Post Number: 93 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 - 11:50 pm: |
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Get a preditor 10k antenna. They do a great job. |
Nvydvr81
New member Username: Nvydvr81
Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2008
| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 12:05 am: |
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well I don't plan on using the single antenna system due to my lumber racks. and I was going to attach the antennas to the lumber racks themselves above my roofline. directly behind my cab on either side. my mirrors brackets would be too low as the coils wouldn't quite make it above the roofline. |
N8fgb
Junior Member Username: N8fgb
Post Number: 41 Registered: 5-2002
| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 2:18 am: |
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You can't get the 2 antennas far enough apart on a pickup to be properly cophased.Also go to a car audio shop and get a large capaciter for the amp.Wire it in just before the amp,will help maintain your voice peaks.And please atay well below 28 megs with it. Rich |
Patzerozero
Senior Member Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 4202 Registered: 7-2004
| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 9:25 am: |
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a dx1600 powered by a 200 amp alternator & dual batteries won't benefit from the large capacitor IF engine is revving at least 1300-1400 rpm's while parked, or at highway speeds. it's closer to 'AB1' bias and doesn't have wild swings with audio like a 'C' type CB amp does. with everything done right, 1100-1200 PEP is max & MORE then productive watts. the dual wilson's will work, there will be some sort of pattern, obviously not as if spaced at a 1/4 wave, but, not enough to screw things up. HOWEVER, the touchy part will be the coax. you will be much better off running HIGH QUALITY rg8-type coax, like 213, 9913, etc. the 75 ohm matched cophase harness will likely not be up to repeated abuse of 1kw+, and you will have swr trouble sooner or later-hopefully before the amp goes south. so, your best bet is to use a single antenna. why not just drill a hole through the roof? or how about a triple magnet mount? 9913 coax to a triple will hold up with a KW+ just fine . i assume you meant a TS mod-v, that is an older model variable modulator, a single 2290 made for AM. not what you want for the dx1600. it only does about 70 or 80 watts PEP. a dx250 would be a better choice, using 2 2290's will get you closer to 150 PEP & you'll get full output from the 1600. back to the antenna....do it right the 1st time. 'cheaping out' on the antenna and coax will just get you a bunch of fried transistors-not cheap at $30 a pop x 8 of them. one way or the other, you are going to have to do something you didn't want to do, but that is the best way to set this up. 250 watt amps will survive shortcuts, and they're not too expensive to fix or replace. once you start getting into 8 transistors & a driver, you have to go all the way. |