antenna location

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2006 9:11 pm

There are no problems driving at highway speeds with no spring. I drove for four months without a spring and no issues.

Yes, it bends with a spring at highway speeds and you will bang it around while off-roading. Solution for off-roading: Get 550 cord and tie the end of the antenna to your roof rack (if you have one) and add rubber tubing just big enough to fit over the antenna and near the upper portion. The antenna will bounce off the painted portion of the door/window frame, when on really bumpy trails) so the rubber reduces scratching.

The heavy duty spring (I have found two styles - 1. big round shape, which is no good for this mod, and 2. similar to the medium spring but just a little bigger) is going to require a lot more grinding away at the mount to fit. I have not gone that far yet.

Adam, on your cardomain site, you have a link "Great chart for airing down" but it is now a dead site that is for sale.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2006 9:17 pm

Joe,
good to know the stock mount will hold up to the abuse.

For those that don't know, Joe tapped his stock mount and threaded his antenna directly into it. This eliminates that double female nut I used. However, as a side effect, it's the 1" of height of that double female nut that allows a spring to be used without interfering with the mount because the spring is wide.

See my pics on my web site for pics of what I'm talking about.

Just two different ways to go about it.

I use the HD spring, and that antenna really doesn't move much at all. And it doesn't bounce around off roading AT ALL. Certainly wouldn't ever come in contact with the KJ or a spotter.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:28 pm

What did you do with the ground wire on the end of the Wilson antenna?

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:17 pm

cut it off. Not needed.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:50 pm

Final step today was to take it to the CB shop to get antenna tuned. I was alittle upset to find out they could not tune the fiberglass antenna for AM (I have no AM radio reception now). They were quick to offer me a steel one for about $29 they claimed will also bring in AM. I guess I can live without Rush Limbaugh for the time being.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:04 pm

no no! The AM is tuned via the splitter. There's a small hole and it should have come with a tiny screwdriver that fits in that hole. Inside the hole, is a flat-head screw. you turn it to tune in AM reception.

Be careful, my first splitter's screw fell out when I did it. I sent it back and they replaced it as defective. But I had to run out and buy another splitter in the interim. In the end I had an extra one that I sold or gave away (was that to you Joe? I forget).

Anyway, I love AM. Well, I did until I got Sirius, but that's another thread.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:49 am

How do you tune your AM radio with the screw? Just listen for better reception?

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:55 am

AdamIsAdam wrote:

no no! The AM is tuned via the splitter. There's a small hole and it should have come with a tiny screwdriver that fits in that hole. Inside the hole, is a flat-head screw. you turn it to tune in AM reception.

That is what we did. I removed the passenger side panel so he could get to the splitter. He hooked up some kind of meter to the cable and used a small screwdriver to tune it. The CB took no time at all. The AM radio is the problem area. After working on it for about 5 mins and could hear a very, very faint signal on what used to be a very strong local station's signal. After not getting it to come in strong, we went inside to talk to the main service tech who said it could not be done with a fiberglass antenna setup and I would need a steel one. I guess I could try again myself but fear I will mess it up more.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:06 am

You're in the same boat I was (only I'm a news radio junkie who hates Rush ;-)

. Here's the deal: The CB signal is not effected by that AM tuning screw and vice versa. I had the same issue which is why I think I broke the screw playing with it. (The CB signal is tuned by making the antenna longer or shorter.)

You're going to have to swap out that AR-1 splitter. I think it's bad. Whoever sold it to you, if it's possible, swap it out. If it's not, you can contact Firestick and they'll have you send it back to them in exchange for a new one. Call them, they're very responsive.

Which way you go depends on how willing you are to lay out another $25 or so for a new splitter and then sell the extra one you'll wind up with, or living without the radio at all for a while. I wasn't willing to do that. In the end, I bought a new splitter which worked (and still works) great. I sent the old one back eventually and they replaced it. I think I sold it or gave it away or whatever. Maybe to Garry R.

Oh, and by the way, that "tech" who said it cannot be done doesn't know what he's talking about.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:36 pm

AdamIsAdam wrote:

You're going to have to swap out that AR-1 splitter. I think it's bad.

I was afraid of that... I am not eager to return to a place that seems to be providing poor service. I will call Firestick to see if they can recommend a solution.

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:51 pm

Can we get a write up on how to install this, and include part numbers, so we can make sure we get the correct splitter? I'm looking into doing this in the spring, and a tech section write up on how to set this up correctly might be in order. I know there is already an article on the antenna mount in the stock location, but this might be very useful to add to it, no? http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=177

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:03 pm

The only thing missing from my original write ups are part numbers. But even that I give a lot of part descriptions and pics.

I also included and left in all the trial-and-errors that I had to help others. You can read them all in that thread and also on my web site. But the thread here on LOST is complete.

Am I misunderstanding your question?

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:08 pm

Science_Guy wrote:

AdamIsAdam wrote:

You're going to have to swap out that AR-1 splitter. I think it's bad.

I was afraid of that... I am not eager to return to a place that seems to be providing poor service. I will call Firestick to see if they can recommend a solution.

If you can get them to swap out the unit, I'd try that first to see if you can get instant gratification. If they won't do it, then you'll have to go to Firestick. I bought my AR-1 from a fellow LOST person who had it sitting around in the original wrapper, but we had no receipts. Thus, I went to Firestick directly. If it's a bad part, and your local guy has a new part, I'd try swapping that out first. It won't change the SWR setting, only the AM. Simple part swap.

Good luck.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:39 pm

AdamIsAdam wrote:

and your local guy has a new part, I'd try swapping that out first.

Lucky me... I took the last one off the shelf and judging from the layer of dust on it, they will not be getting another one soon.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:10 pm

Yes, mine was extremely dusty as well. But the replacement one from Firestick was clean! ;-)

I was also talking to an expert in the field (a REAL techno CB guy) and he said the best way to go is an A/B switch instead of a splitter. But I must say, I get great performance with the splitter AND I want to be able to use both CB and AM/FM at the same time.

I'll share another great trick:

buy a FM modulator and plug it into the CB's external speaker jack, then you'll be able to tune the FM radio to hear the CB on. WORKS GREAT!

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:20 pm

I called Firestik and they were great. They are sending me a new one to try and will credit me the cost on the old one. I will just be out a few $ for shipping.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:09 pm

My write-up has a picture of the products together.

It is in this thread.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:26 am

Tokyojoe wrote:

My write-up has a picture of the products together.

It is in this thread.

Your write up is excellent. Why don't you copy it into the tech section thread under mine.

I forgot that you got the spring in there too. Looks good!

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:02 pm

AdamIsAdam wrote:

The only thing missing from my original write ups are part numbers. But even that I give a lot of part descriptions and pics.

I also included and left in all the trial-and-errors that I had to help others. You can read them all in that thread and also on my web site. But the thread here on "LOST" is complete.

Am I misunderstanding your question?

I'm confused on part numbers...and general supplies.

Science_Guy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:21 am

Got the new AR-1 splitter from Firestik today and still no AM reception. I connected another antenna I had and nothing. When I talked to the tech at Firestik, he mentioned some incompatibility problems with the AR-1 and certain types of antenna. I am not sure if that is my problem but I am REALLY at a lose now. I used the same 3' Wilson Silver you guys did and I can not get AM. The only thing I did not do that you did was remove the little wire at the bottom of the antenna. I looped mine around and connected it at the base of the antenna. I will remove that later tonight to see if that makes any difference at all.

antenna location

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