For Antenna Mounting That Is.
If you don’t have West Coast mirrors, or you don’t have an antenna mount out the back of the cab, you’re not fuked and there is an alternative. When the mirror arm is at the level of your belly button level and the antenna is mounted in that arm, that is about the WORST setup to get your SWRs correct and to get your signal out.
Some problem children: T880 and their cousins, Freight Shakers, HV & HX, Pioneer & Anthem, VNL, 579 & 567. This list is not all inclusive, but a good enough example to represent the most inefficient way to mount an antenna. Why do they do it? They don’t fukin care!
Things you can’t do with those stock mounts: you can’t use any antenna that has a coil on it. Some of you call it a “can” (which kills me), but if the “coil” is not above the roof line, the reflections that happen, the antenna will never tune. So maybe a glass antenna, which is top loaded, (coil on the top) might tune at 2.5:1 SWR with factory duals, but who the fuk wants to operate there? If you came to me and was the biggest asshole in the world, I would still not tune you above 2. I’d throw you out first. And by the way, duals don’t work, never did, never will.
Solution: you know that mirror that is termed “over the door” on the passenger side, that is now your antenna mount.
Parts: spot mirror mount bracket, 12’ of 8X coax with a FME end, 4 way bracket mount, 4’ glass antenna
Procedure: remove the mirror that you never use. Grind the mount inserts so that there is bare metal on the surface of them. Install the universal bracket, install the mirror and tighten the two bolts. Install the 4 way bracket on the post of the universal bracket so that it is vertical or lean it forward if you like. Run the coax up and over the door and follow the weather strip down the door. Notch the door frame by the base of the A-pillar internal molding, remove that molding and bring the coax up it. Now you have 2 choices. You can tuck it into the headliner at the windshield and bring it up into the cubby or you can pass to your partner with skinny arms who reaches through the cubby, a fishing wire that you place in any opening by the A-pillar and connect the coax to the end of it and snake the coax through, connect the removable end then done. It’s tedious but doable without dropping the headliner.