Need Impala Help

[Search]

Hi Guys;

If all goes well, this week i'll be taking home a '01 civilian model impala. I'm curious as to what my best location to mount my antennas will be. I'll have the following;

1 Low Band Antenna
2 Quarterwave UHF Antennas
1 Quarterwave VHF Antenna
1 Glassmount Cell Antenna
1 Glassmount Scanner Antenna ?

Drilling holes is not going to be an issue, I just wanted to know what would be the best place to mount these antennas.

Next Issue:
Console

I've heard people suggest the CC-Console by JottoDesk, it looks really nice, but i'd prefer to stick with a havis console since I already have the mounting plates & I can get distributor pricing. I'd like to utilize the most space in the car I can, but since it has the bench seat, that's going to be hard. Here is what i'm looking at mounting in the console:

Kenwood TK-630 Remote Head
Kenwood TK-7150
Kenwood Tk-880
Uniden BC350A Scanner
Federal Sig SW400 Switchbox

Would like to know if anyone can suggest a havis console that would work with this model impala. Thanks for the help

[nmfire10]

If you want symetry, low band in the middle of the truck, UHF antennas to the left and right. VHF on the roof. Glass mounts on the back window.

[Search]

Good suggestion Matt, I was thinking of that same setup, thanks for the reply, and keep em coming.

[tvsjr]

1 Low Band Antenna
2 Quarterwave UHF Antennas
1 Quarterwave VHF Antenna
1 Glassmount Cell Antenna
1 Glassmount Scanner Antenna ?

Drilling holes is not going to be an issue, I just wanted to know what would be the best place to mount these antennas.

If you're going to do it right and drill holes, why are you using glass-mounts at all? As Matt suggested, low-band in the middle of the trunk, UHF (longer gain antennas if you're so inclined - they'll be longer and will better match the LB) on left and right sides of the trunk. Roof-mount the scanner, cell, and VHF antennas, maybe a triangle pattern?

IMHO, glass-mounts suck. If you're already knocking holes in it, do it right and knock a few more.

[jim]

Lowband: ball mount on the driver side quarter panel with a 7' whip....a man's antenna!

[007]

Lowband: ball mount on the driver side quarter panel with a 7' whip....a man's antenna!

Oh yeah, baby! I almost did that to my '02 Imppy....still have the new A/S (as seen below) ballmount at home waiting to go on something.

[apco25]

Jimmy,

Is the ball mount you purchased the all stainless steel model?

[007]

Nope, it is the model as seen on the OHP car...

Black ball and flange, stainless whip and spring....cut at 42 MHz.

ASP-3 ball/flange (specify black painted finish), unknown what the spring and whip #'s are, but you can get them from http://www.antenna.com

[apco25]

I meant was it made entirely of stainless steel which it is now that I looked it up. The Maxrad and Antenex version are stainless whip/spring only. Makes big difference on the rust factor.

I might still do the comprod disguise route.

The old ball mounts do look cool though.

[USPSS]

If you search for 2004 Impala you will see pictures of my install and maybe some ideas for your install.

I used the Jottodesk CC console and have 5 radios in the car.

[Radio_Cowboy]

With Ohio going to the MARCS system, I wonder how long the Lowband stuff will still be on/in the cars?






-RC-

[SlimBob]

I'm thinking of doing something along the same lines, but have this to consider:

All NMO
1 CB (27MHz) 4W
1 VHF Lo (50-54 MHz) 100W
1 VHF Hi (144-168 MHz) 100W
1 UHF Hi (440-470 MHz) 100W
1 900MHz (902-928 MHz) 35W
1 scanner (144?-1.200 MHz) 0W
1 2.4GHz (Part 15/ham) .5W

I've thought about mounting the CB and 50MHz whips on the trunk lid, the 2.4GHz and 144MHz on the roof (current car is middle and forward); my current 2M/70CM is a Larsen 2M70B, but I can't tell if it's my radio or the antenna but something goes to crap when I go out of the ham band. The VHF low, scanner, and scanner antenna haven't been bought; I have some crappy 800MHz collinear I bought off of eBay from r-10 for a few bux I was going to use on 900MHz once I get it retuned (how I'm going to check SWR at 900MHz, I don't know). I'd also hoped to sneak an old AMPS phone into the mix at about 800MHz using the collinear whip I bought.

BTW, the 2.4GHz antenna on my current car is forward of the curve on the roof (unintentional) but my forward-most antenna.

So, are we talking about drilling the othermuck out of the roof or what? (Also, anyone got a good idea on how to fill a 1" hole in the roof from where a lightbar was? -- I can use it to mount an antenna, but I'd need to fill it in either way.)

Here's the current car: http://liquidsanity.com/car/

The other car has a flawless roofline except for one antenna 3/4 way back dead middle and a 1" hole forward and right of that where the lightbar was. (this is the one all the equipment is going into)

[FFParamedic571]

Its not a good idea to use a 1" hole for a NMO.. It can be done but it may not seal too well... If you use a thick panel 3/4" hole mount and use a good wide fender washer and from the bottom use some silicone on the washer to seal and hold it in place. Make sure the hole is dead center with the washer hole. Then carefully install the NMO... Use that mount for a smaller antenna vhf whip or smaller.


I know this because one of my moron coworkers used a 1" hole saw on a Lumina roof...

[jim]

Put all of those in a straight row and you'll have an Impala with a mohawk!

[Mike in CT]

Wasn't Ohio Highway Patrol mainly on vhf High band?

I seem to remember back in the very late 70's calling them on VHF high band (along I-80). but then they probably use all the bands for a lot of different stuff.

those were the good old days, had a "top secret high tech" Wulfsberg in the car... geeeeez

someone straighten me out...

73!

Mike in CT
KM1R

[Mike in CT]

and another question...

anyone know if Troy equipment brackets/plates are interchangeable with Havis Consolidator consoles?

Have only Havis here, but thinking of phasing over to Troy.

just curious at this point..

Keep smiling all !

73

Mike in CT
KM1R

[apco25]

OHP is still on LB and High Band.

MARCS is working towards completetion but its far from done.

I was just in Ohio recently and every OHP car I saw still had their LB antennas along with about 10 more on some cars!

The VHF freq you're thinkin of was probably LERN their version of NLEEF/ISPERN

[jim]

OSP is still on lowband, as evident with the "pedestrian killer" hanging off of the 1/4 panel.

There's no band like low band....especially when it's a 1/2 kilowatt on a mountain top!

[SlimBob]

OSP is still on lowband, as evident with the "pedestrian killer" hanging off of the 1/4 panel.

There's no band like low band....especially when it's a 1/2 kilowatt on a mountain top!

Can anyone settle the rumor of 300W lowband mobile rig used 5, 10, 15 years ago? Supposedly AT&T or GTE had these rigs and a simplex operating distance of 250 miles due to bouncing off of the D-layer of the ionosphere.

[Mike in CT]

APCO25...

I think you're right... I'm pretty sure it was on the 155.475 NLEEC channel, or whatever Ohio calls it there.
73!

Mike in CT
KM1R