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Flat coax?

dyeager535

dyeager535

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I'm thinking the answer is no, just based on how it is typically made, but do they make flat coax I could use with my CB?

I've pretty much run out of ideas on how to run the round cable on my truck without cutting any extra holes (fender mount between the hood and fender) but I think if I could get flat cable, I could slot the bracket and still protect the cable from the hood.

Anyone have any alternatives to cutting holes and flat cable, if it doesn't exist?
 
Really isn't much of a solution for CB ( 11 meters ) mobile applications . Only thing I can think of is to use rg-58u ( up to 17 feet won't be too lossy ) , thats real small diameter .

Where are you running it to , in the K5 ?
 
I've got the cable routed from the CB (which is actually a small box seperate of the radio, it's behind the glove box) over to the drivers side, through the firewall, up along the fender, then I *had* it run up, between the hood and fender gap to the mount. But without it being held tight, the hood rubbed it on closing/opening, and eventually pulled it enough that the wire broke at the connectors on the mount. Since the fender has a lip just below the hood, it forced the upper portion of the cable away from the natural body gap.

With thin enough cable I could run it through the fender and have it come out where the bracket is mounted, (I used a big washer with a nut and bolt in an existing hole that is fairly large diameter) and I'd simply cut a slot in the bracket to route the cable through, keeping it safe from the hood. The cable I've got now (no idea what it is, not home to check it) is thick enough that it won't fit through the thin gap left in the fender by the washer.
 
If you only run one antenna , its better to use the passenger side . Its been like that forever to keep as much RF as far away from you as possible ......... but of course its screw the passenger :laugh:
 
What kind of distance are we talking about being necessary for "safe" use?

Obviously the further the better, but it's mounted almost even with the core support now, which is what, 5ft from the drivers head? Enough?

I don't think there would be any problem running it on the passenger side, (hopefully identical holes exist) but I would want/need to keep the cabling as far away from the injection stuff as possible, since it is mounted over there.
 
Yeah , thats far enough . I never followed convention anyway . On my pickup theres an antenna on both sides on the cowl , two radios .

I don't see why you couldn't go through the power window hole , out the rubber boot , and into the inner fender , and out the engine bay on that side before going through the core support .

Got some pics of the way it is now ?
 
I'll have to take some pics when I get a chance. It's pretty simple, just have to come up with something a bit better.

Pretty cool RF exposure calculator here:
http://n5xu.ece.utexas.edu/rfsafety/

I plugged in 5 watts (I think that's actually high for a stock CB) guessed either 2.2 or 4.4 for antenna gain (no clue, but it's a whip antenna) 5ft for distance, and 26.965 for MHz. Well outside of "dangerous" distance according to that, if the gain is even close to right.

Interesting bit on antenna length here too:
http://support.radioshack.com/support_tutorials/communications/67159.htm#AC1

Assuming the antenna info is correct, looks like my whip antenna was the right choice!
 
Here's what I'm dealing with:
cb_mount.JPG


I need to look at that for a bit, see what I can come up with. :) Anyone else?
 
Number one , clean that mount . Take it off and make everything shiny again . Maybe you need to rethink your mounting point . If you moved that near the cowl , you can use less than 10 feet of rg-58 and go through the door/cowl/fender area with minimal coax showing to the outside world .
 
Yeah, it hasn't had an antenna on it for years, since the cable went by by. The mount is grounded through the cable, correct?

I'm not worried about the cable length, should I be? I matched the setup on install.

I could probably find another location, just not sure I can find another location to mount it without drilling.

Edit: I believe the nuts/bolts are actually stainless, the rust on them is off the hood. Once the cable is hooked up again, is there anything to put on it to keep it clean? Can I paint it and have it hold up, or is it just going to come off?
 
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Yeah the cable is "electrically" grounded through the mount , thats more of a shunting for static and lightning .

The RF ground or "ground plane" , is the metal the antenna sits over , making the other half of the antenna . All vertical antennas are still basically a dipole , and need a ground plane ( think other half of the dipole ) to work the best .


As for keeping the bolts clean , try some antiseize or dielectric grease on the bolts . And paint the heads . Personally , I just clean all my connections every now and again on the pickup ( the blazer is sealed on the roof ) .
 
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