Amateur Radio

CMcGowan · Post by **CMcGowan** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 9:30 pm

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Anyone think this mount would work on the Vibe's cross bars for the roof rack?http://www.universal-radio.com....htmlI'd like to see if I can get some sort of mount for the roof rack - I wouldn't feel so bad if it got scratched up. Any suggestions?I have seen roof rack mounts before and the only "gotcha" I can see is that in MOST cases, the rail is not a very good ground point and almost always you will end up running a ground strp or wire to the mount. Other then the ground issue, I would worry about antenna height. If your using a 1/4 wave type antenna, this should not be an issue.On a different note, I thinking about ways to mount my VHF/UHF radio in the vibe. I have both a Yaesu FT-8100 with the seperation cable and the Icom IC-207H but not seperation kit. I was thiking about mount locations, useage, and stealth to protect from theives. Currently I have a Uniden BCT-7 mounted inside the center console with a small speaker on the floor next to the drivers seat and a rubber duck antenna with a short piece of coax tucked behind the rear plastic back of the passenger seat. This works fine for my fire company comms and local PD since both use a repeater with strong coverage.When I go move the rig into the vibe I have been toying with a few antenna ideas. I have an old DIamond hatchback/truck lip mount I could modify for the hatch. A mag mount on the roof, or a L adapter mouted inside the front fender sticking out so the hood clears. I'm leaning to the front mount since I don't want the issues of routing coaxs outside the car (air/water leaks at door seals, weather effects on the PVC jacket, coax abrassion on the paint, etc). Also a driect mount to the body will give a better ground.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:26 pm

Yeah, I was wondering about what type of antenna this mount would accept.. I'll keep lookin!

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:33 pm

Quote, originally posted by CMcGowan Â»I have seen roof rack mounts before and the only "gotcha" I can see is that in MOST cases, the rail is not a very good ground point and almost always you will end up running a ground strp or wire to the mount. Other then the ground issue, I would worry about antenna height. If your using a 1/4 wave type antenna, this should not be an issue.Sounds like the roof rack mount may be a little tricky! I was wondering about grounding as well... Thanks for the input!

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 11:43 pm

Is the technician license good for 2M only? I see some radio's with both 2M and 440.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 4:23 am

Quote, originally posted by rasermon Â»Is the technician license good for 2M only? I see some radio's with both 2M and 440.A tech license is good for both 2m and 70cm.Anything over 30 MHz

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 12:13 pm

Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»A tech license is good for both 2m and 70cm.Anything over 30 MHzI'm going to study the rest of the month and take my test next month. Should have my new Icom 208H in the vibe soon.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:21 pm

My callsign hit the ULS database today.KI4FWTit will change as soon as my application goes thru thou..didnt take them long to process the test results, thats nice. i'm hoping that the vanity request is processed before the end of the month, since im turning 26 years old in 35 minutes i have to renew my license plates this month. and i'd hate to renew them again the next month to get my ham plates.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:23 pm

btw, i talked to a radio installer i know. he recommended the larsen antennas for dual band ham installs.He also said that the grounding can be a problem with roof rack mounts. His solution to remove the roof-rack holders and drill a hole under it, attach a grounding wire and replace the holders. That way it doesnt show.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:11 pm

The more I think of it, the more I'm considering a magmount. I may end up with something like spoonman has, I really like that antenna...Spoonman - I may have missed it somewhere, but what model of antenna is that? I believe it is a Larsen, right?

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:18 pm

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»The more I think of it, the more I'm considering a magmount. I may end up with something like spoonman has, I really like that antenna...i'm definately thinking about the same thing.. the only problem is that magmounts have not had a good longterm reputation (atleast not from my radio guy). Supposedly they scratch the paint pretty bad over time.i'm debating wether to go with a magmount or replace my cb on-glass antenna with a dualband on-glass antenna. if i go with a magmount it will probably be a magmount that takes NMO antennas, that way i can remove the magmount and drill a hole in the roof if i decide to make it permanent.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:24 pm

I'm still waiting on my on-glass antenna. The thing is on backorder!

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:22 pm

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»I'm still waiting on my on-glass antenna. The thing is on backorder!which one did you get?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:02 pm

I ordered this one here:http://www.universal-radio.com....html

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:10 pm

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»I ordered this one here:http://www.universal-radio.com....htmlits listing higher gain than the larsen glass mount. let us know how it works out.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:55 am

Will keep you posted! I should be hearing something from them about it this week, last week they sent me an invoice stating it would be on backorder until this week. I ordered another antenna for the ht as well, so I can ditch the dummy load! Maybe that one will work better... I ordered the Diamond SRH77CA, 1/4 wavelength on 2m and 1/2 on 440. It was cheap, and seems like it would cover a wide range of bands that I'll be scanning. We'll see.Got my callsign btw too... Think it was out there Tuesday afternoon.73's

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:30 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Got my callsign btw too... Think it was out there Tuesday afternoon.73'sHave you decided if you are going to keep it or get a vanity?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 8:58 am

I'll keep what they gave me, maybe... Still haven't decided!

spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:50 am

Quote, originally posted by ullbergm Â»My callsign hit the ULS database today.KI4FWTit will change as soon as my application goes thru thou..didnt take them long to process the test results, thats nice. i'm hoping that the vanity request is processed before the end of the month, since im turning 26 years old in 35 minutes i have to renew my license plates this month. and i'd hate to renew them again the next month to get my ham plates.Hey guys! Sorry, I have been out of town this weekend. Just got home a few hours ago. Anyway, In OH, you can order your custom plates, and get your new registration and some sort of temp that you keep in the car until the new plates arrive. That way you don't have to worry about ordering them twice.... However, if you apply for a vanity call, you will have to wait until you have the new license from the FCC before you can get your plates. Here in OH, you have to give the BMV a valid copy of your ham license when you apply for the plates.Regarding my antenna/install. I got both the NMO mag-mount and the 1/4 wave, dual bad antenna on ebay from hamstop.com. Just do a search on ebay from them. They had GREAT service and shipping was both reasonable in price and time. I would LOVE to see pics from others when you get your installs done. I too, had looked into mounting my rig in various places to hide it. However, when it was all said and done, I couldn't find one that worked well, and one that you could safely operate when I was driving. Just my $.02....I also got some belated b-day presents over the weekend.... (it was a couple weeks ago)!! So I now have the newest "Ham University" software. I will have to let you know how it works once I get some time to play with it. Guess I can now start studying for that General tickect I have been wanting.....73!

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Mon Jun 14, 2004 10:05 am

Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»Hey guys! Sorry, I have been out of town this weekend. Just got home a few hours ago. Anyway, In OH, you can order your custom plates, and get your new registration and some sort of temp that you keep in the car until the new plates arrive. That way you don't have to worry about ordering them twice.... However, if you apply for a vanity call, you will have to wait until you have the new license from the FCC before you can get your plates. Here in OH, you have to give the BMV a valid copy of your ham license when you apply for the plates.Oh well, too late now. Already submitted my request.In KY the plates have to be renewed at the end of the year if you have ham plates, not like normal plates that are renewed the same month your birthday is.Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»Regarding my antenna/install. I got both the NMO mag-mount and the 1/4 wave, dual bad antenna on ebay from hamstop.com. Just do a search on ebay from them. They had GREAT service and shipping was both reasonable in price and time. I would LOVE to see pics from others when you get your installs done. I too, had looked into mounting my rig in various places to hide it. However, when it was all said and done, I couldn't find one that worked well, and one that you could safely operate when I was driving. Just my $.02....I've bought a bunch of stuff from gigaparts.com, they have great support as well.As far as antennas go i ordered a nmo magnet mount and a antenna, that way if i decide to actually have it installed in a nmo mount i can.as far as mounting goes, im thinking of seeing how it works out if i put it on the A-pillar to the left of the driver. I'm thinking of putting it relatively high up, that way its out of the sun and out of sight if you look in the window. the only question is how easy it will be to control it up there.Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»I also got some belated b-day presents over the weekend.... (it was a couple weeks ago)!! So I now have the newest "Ham University" software. I will have to let you know how it works once I get some time to play with it. Guess I can now start studying for that General tickect I have been wanting.....Cool, let us know how you like the software.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 11:44 am

Found a study guide that you can download, version of the question pool, and a PDF version of the FCC rules, part 97 (amateur radio).(edit url links) http://www.geocities.com/w8bbs/

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:36 am

It is a no-go on the glassmount... Still on backorder at the manufacturer, they're not sure how long it will be. So, being the impatient person that I am (when it comes to my gizmos and gadgets!) I cancelled the order.They are a tad more expensive, but I'm thinking about checking into one of the Larsen Kulglass antennas, probably the cheapest one. Their KG144UDPL 2m antenna is around $65. Ultimately, we all know I'll end up with a magmount slapped to the roof before it is all said and done. lol!BTW, ullbergm - have you been to, or know anything about the ham shop in Evansville? I'm wondering what all they have in stock, it may be worth the drive to check them out, so I don't have to play the waiting game. http://www.hamstation.com/ They have listed the same Kulglass for roughly the same price as gigaparts. That looks like the closest place, I can't seem to find a shop here. Whatever happened to the ability to go down to the local Radio Shack and pick up ham stuff? They don't even carry the books here anymore, let alone any ham equipment.Rasermon - check out those links I posted earlier in the thread as well. Those practice tests sure helped me get licensed!

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:51 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â» BTW, ullbergm - have you been to, or know anything about the ham shop in Evansville? I'm wondering what all they have in stock, it may be worth the drive to check them out, so I don't have to play the waiting game. http://www.hamstation.com/ They have listed the same Kulglass for roughly the same price as gigaparts. That looks like the closest place, I can't seem to find a shop here. Whatever happened to the ability to go down to the local Radio Shack and pick up ham stuff? They don't even carry the books here anymore, let alone any ham equipment.I've tried to visit twice but both times i didnt make it there before they closed.. fyi.. they close at 4pm on mon-fri and 3pm on sat..I'm planning on visiting before too long, it'll be interesting to see what they have.

rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:11 am

ColonelPanic, I updated the url in my post. Thanks.Tomorrow morning at 8am I am going to a local Hamfest and computer show. A number of commercial vender's will sell amateur radio equipment and accessories to computers, software and parts. Should I leave my credit card at home?

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:54 am

ullbergm- Yeah, I figure I'll give the folks at hamstation a ring before I head that way to make sure they are going to be there when I arrive... If I make it before you, I'll let you know what they've got!Rasermon, you may want to leave home without it! Hamfests and computer shows are great ways to spend lots of money you don't have. lol!One of these days, I'll make it out to the grandaddy of all hamfests, in Dayton. That just looks like madness out there!

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:16 am

Finally have an antenna! I bought a dual band glass mount, and was actually able to install it on the back window like I have been wanting.Reception is pretty good. I haven't listened to much outside of the 144 through 162 MHz range, but through there it did fine.Not sure how well it works for transmitting. I can finally hit repeaters now with my lil' Yaesu, but nobody was around when I was testing earlier. So that's still up in the air. Regardless, it's still better than the duckie!Surprisingly, it doesn't interfere with opening the hatch. I zip-tied the cable to the glass strut. But when I need to open the glass, I have to pull the cable to give it some more slack. I'm trying to find a way around that one. That really isn't an issue, since I don't find opening the glass that useful anyway. Usually the only time I open it is when I need to do some cleaning.

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spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 1:53 pm

The antenna looks GREAT!! I hope the cable stays out of the way for you. I actually had to play around with the cable on my car where it goes into the hatch around the weather stripping. We were getting a lot of hard rains lately and some water was starting to get in the car. Oh well, there is more of a "drip loop" on it now. So far, still dry! And just for the record.... as you well know now, ANYTHING is better than the "rubber ducks" they put on those HTs.... You would think by now the manufacturers would use something better......

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 12:46 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Surprisingly, it doesn't interfere with opening the hatch. I zip-tied the cable to the glass strut. But when I need to open the glass, I have to pull the cable to give it some more slack. I'm trying to find a way around that one. That really isn't an issue, since I don't find opening the glass that useful anyway. Usually the only time I open it is when I need to do some cleaning.If it ends up being a problem, you could mount it on one of the small side windows. If i remember to take some pictures when i get home i'll post some pictures of mine.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:45 am

I called up my friend and had him fire up his rig. We chatted for a bit, and he commented that it sounded quite clear. So, I think this is working out pretty good. Here is a pic from the rear...

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ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:46 am

Here's a shot of the antenna with the hatch open...

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rasermon · Post by **rasermon** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:47 am

ColonelPanic, your antenna install is what I'm looking for when the time comes. No holes to drill and no worries on scratching your paint with a magnetic mount. Nice job!

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:06 am

And finally, you can see how I mounted the antenna and ran the cable.I wanted the coax connector on the inside of the glass to point to the right, but I didn't mount the antenna far enough to the left, which wouldn't have given me enough clearance for the cable. The antenna was firmly attached to the outside by the time I discovered that, so it was too late. I had to turn the inside piece downward. Not too big of a deal, and actually it makes the cable a bit easier to unscrew anyway.From the hatch, I ran the cable down through the front two tie-down hooks, and under the rear seat, making sure the cable wouldn't be pinched by movement of the seat. From there, it was under the driver's side rear floor mat and the cable exits between the console and driver's seat. I bought a short jumper that connects to the PL259 antenna connector and terminates to SMA for the ht. I may make an effort to conceal the cable later when I have the time. Right now, it isn't in the way too bad, and nobody ever rides in the back anyway, so it really isn't that big of an issue.Once I'm able to have the cable situated so I can open the hatch and the glass, I'll do something about that cable running down the quarter panel trim. I figure I'll try some of those cable clips which stick on with double-sided tape. This setup is still a rough draft, so I'll keep working at it.73's!

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ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:24 am

Quote, originally posted by rasermon Â»ColonelPanic, your antenna install is what I'm looking for when the time comes. No holes to drill and no worries on scratching your paint with a magnetic mount. Nice job! Thank ya! I like the glass mount too, especially for the reasons you mentioned. There are definitely tradeoff's for using this kind of antenna, it really depends on how you'll be using it and how often I suppose. I'm pleased with it, but then again, I haven't used anything else to compare it to. It was cheap enough too, only set me back $40.There's nothing like a good magmount stuck to the roof, though.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:28 am

Here are some pictures of my antenna. This one is not for the ham radio, its for the police scanner (Uniden BC780XLT).I mounted it on the small back window. The other side is run the same way but with a CB antenna.

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:29 am

On the inside i pushed it under the trim, i was planning on removing the trim and running it under the trim right next to the window but i realized that its too late right now (read: too much work..)

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:30 am

I ran it under the door trim and the only place you can see it is under the steering wheel. I have not mounted the scanner in its permanent position yet so the wire is just running under the floor mat right now.

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:35 am

As for the ham antenna im using a magmount right now, im not sure what i'll end up with, may remove the cb and stick a glass mount one on the right side.. not sure.The magmount gives me the option to switch the antenna to a longer one, i have both a 1/4 wave (0/2.15 dB) and a longer one (3.0/5.5dB). (Like if i go on a longer trip.Oh and that ugly brown magmount will have to be painted

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:36 am

The cable runs under the hatch and in behind the trim, just like my other antennas.Flood protection is enabled on this site. You are only allowed to post every 55 seconds. Try again in 11 seconds.

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:38 am

One final picture.. This is under the driver's seat and that is where im going to mount the TM-D700, the cable was the perfect lengths.. just enough slack to work with but not any extra to coil up and hide.

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ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:07 am

Great pics! Nice setup you've got there. And, my, what a lot of antennas! Have you had any issues with the glass-mounts and your window tint? Since factory tint can cause some issues with these antennas, I wonder if that would apply to aftermarket... Or, does it not make that much of a difference, provided the tint is cut around where the antenna is mounted?I need tint - bad!

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:19 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Great pics! Nice setup you've got there. And, my, what a lot of antennas! lol thanks.. yup, quite a few of them..Scanner, ham, cb, stereo and wireless lan.. may drop the cb later on, but im not sure. depends on how active the ham bands are on long trips.. it gives me something to listen to since my wife likes to sleep on long trips.. and i get to drive every time.Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Have you had any issues with the glass-mounts and your window tint? Since factory tint can cause some issues with these antennas, I wonder if that would apply to aftermarket... Or, does it not make that much of a difference, provided the tint is cut around where the antenna is mounted?Since its aftermarket tint i simply used a razorblade and cut out a square where the antenna was going to be placed and cleaned it real good. piece of cake.

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:21 am

btw, im going to a local field day this weekend, should be interesting. anybody been to one?I guess i'll find out what the average age of the hams around here is.. i did hear a 16 yr old the other day so maybe its not as bad as i think..

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:33 am

I take it that the small antenna is for wireless lan? That's so cool, I didn't know such a thing existed. Quote Â»Since its aftermarket tint i simply used a razorblade and cut out a square where the antenna was going to be placed and cleaned it real good. piece of cake.Excellent... I've been worried that the tint may have an adverse impact on the antenna's performance. Very glad that it can be done, the Vibe and its factory tint (or lack thereof) sure is a killer in the summer.I'll just have the guy cut around the antenna.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 10:40 am

Never been out to a field day before, sounds like fun though.As for the age thing, there was a kid at the same testing session I was at who couldn't have been older than a freshman in high school. At 26, I was second youngest. lol!But hey, we all have to start somewhere, ya know?

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 11:05 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»I take it that the small antenna is for wireless lan? That's so cool, I didn't know such a thing existed. Yup, its the same thing as you can buy at radioshack, i think they carry linksys access points.I do computer security for a living and you'd be surprised how many companies have state of the art firewalls but anyone that pulls up next to the building can get on their network with no problem at all.. scary

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 11:07 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Never been out to a field day before, sounds like fun though.As for the age thing, there was a kid at the same testing session I was at who couldn't have been older than a freshman in high school. At 26, I was second youngest. lol!But hey, we all have to start somewhere, ya know? There were two more people taking the test when i took mine. I'm 26 as well and one guy was probably twice my age and the other probably three times (he had been licensed before and had let it expire)still no work from the fcc on my vanity request.. i did get my paper copy of my license thou.. i hope they process the vanity before the end of the month.. (license plate renewal..)i'll be sure to report on the field day (if i can make it.. may have to work..)

spoonman · Post by **spoonman** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 12:19 am

Nice install!!! and for the record, you can NEVER have too many pics!! I too will be going to field day here. I will have to post some of my experience as well. Our club here has gotten things pretty well organized, so it should be a lot of fun.btw.... May I ask where you got your window tinting done and how much it was?? I have been wanting to do that for awhile now. Also, I wonder if it is a problem to get that done even though I am currently on a lease for the Vibe.......

ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 12:23 am

Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»Nice install!!! and for the record, you can NEVER have too many pics!! thanks Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»I too will be going to field day here. I will have to post some of my experience as well. Our club here has gotten things pretty well organized, so it should be a lot of fun.Cool. I'm not sure if i'll get on the air, ill probably just watch and learn Quote, originally posted by spoonman Â»btw.... May I ask where you got your window tinting done and how much it was?? I have been wanting to do that for awhile now. Also, I wonder if it is a problem to get that done even though I am currently on a lease for the Vibe.......I got it at a local shop that does window tinting. It has been a while so im not sure how much it was, seems like it was like $299.. but dont hold me to that..I wouldnt think that aftermarket tint would be a problem since you can always peel it off and clean the windows to get back to what it was like before.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 2:46 am

Played around with my antenna cable today... Amazing how obvious something can be, yet I don't see it.. lol! I was at the parent's house when I put on the antenna.. Dad mentioned if the cable was zip tied in two places, I should be able to open the glass and the hatch. Duh!So, I opened the glass, zip tied the cable to the top of the strut. Closed the glass, opened the hatch, and zip tied the cable to the bottom. I also fed the cable through the top rear tie-down hook, so that helps keep the cable in place somewhat. Only downside is the slack in the cable needed just kinda sits there loose, in view of the rear window. Doesn't really get in the way that much, and won't be that visible from the outside once I get some tint.Speaking of tint, I called the place that tinted the last car I had. $140 for the Vibe was their quote. I've found a guy who does even better work, he's quite thorough with the job he does. He quoted $160, including the windshield strip at the top. I'll probably be taking it to him.

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ullbergm · Post by **ullbergm** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 2:52 am

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Played around with my antenna cable today... Amazing how obvious something can be, yet I don't see it.. lol! I was at the parent's house when I put on the antenna.. Dad mentioned if the cable was zip tied in two places, I should be able to open the glass and the hatch. Duh!Hehe, i know the feeling. I was trying to figure out where to find a opto-isolator that would work for higher currents as the controlling current.FYI.. A Opto-isolator is like a relay but it's electrially completely separated from each other. Basically there is a LED on one side and a light sensor on the other. Well, for the LED to survive higher current all you need to do is to put a resistor before it.. I guess i wasnt thinking about it as a resistor.. Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»So, I opened the glass, zip tied the cable to the top of the strut. Closed the glass, opened the hatch, and zip tied the cable to the bottom. I also fed the cable through the top rear tie-down hook, so that helps keep the cable in place somewhat. Only downside is the slack in the cable needed just kinda sits there loose, in view of the rear window. Doesn't really get in the way that much, and won't be that visible from the outside once I get some tint.Looking good.Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic Â»Speaking of tint, I called the place that tinted the last car I had. $140 for the Vibe was their quote. I've found a guy who does even better work, he's quite thorough with the job he does. He quoted $160, including the windshield strip at the top. I'll probably be taking it to him.With those prices in mind, mine was probably $199. not $299.. but its been a while so im not sure.

ColonelPanic · Post by **ColonelPanic** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 10:35 am

Okay, I found I goofed on my antenna install. I had a piece of metal, hook on one side, that I wasn't sure what to do with it. I overlooked this in the instructions... Come to find out, that piece of metal is a ground plane hook.I *should* have mounted the inside base with the cable pointing to the right, instead of down. The ground plane hook should point horizontally.Oops! I wonder if I should leave it as-is, or get a remounting kit?