Advice on mounting Wilson trucker antenna & CradlePoint router - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Sherry · RV-Dreams Family Member

Advice on mounting Wilson trucker antenna & CradlePoint router

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would think up front would be the easiest for mounting and running cables. I know if I was doing something like that in my MH I would mount stuff in the front.

Dan and Gail · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dan bought an 16' extension paint pole (8' when not extended) from Sherwin Williams and mounts the antenna on the end of it, then, using short tiedowns, he fastens it to the driver's side mirror. He puts a soft piece of foam between the pole and the mirror to keep from rubbing the chrome on the mirror.

We run the cable in through the small front window on the driver's side slide. The amplifier and router sit on the counter just inside the window. We've also ran the cable in through the window by the driver's seat and put the amplifier and router on the dash. We carry a gallon plastic bucket filled with sand to stand the pole in, just to keep it more secure in windy weather.

We also use the pole to hang our Nascar flags from when we go to races. I wanted to buy an extendable flag pole, but didn't want to pay $60 for one. The paint pole was about $35 four years ago. And he has used it for painting ceilings.

We originally mounted the antenna on the ladder and left it there, but it would get hit by branches since it was on the curb side of the motorhome. It takes him about 10 minutes to set it up. I really like my Wilson trucker antenna and amplifier.

Sometimes David · RV-Dreams Community Member

Dan,

Thanks for the great tip! I bought a 12 foot aluminum painter's extension at Lowe's and mounted the Wilson trucker antenna to the top of it. Then using a couple of "U" clamps, mounted it to my ladder using wingnuts. I have it set up so when the extension is retracted or down, the antenna is roughly at the height of the ladder and is safe for driving and so far (one week on the road) seems to give us plenty of reception without extending it. To raise the antenna, I just loosen the wingnuts securing it to the ladder, extend the pole and re tighten the wingnuts. You can see a picture of the extended antenna at http://directionofourdreams.blogspot.com/2010/09/crab-surprise.html. I put the Cradlepoint MBR900 router in the back of the coach and we get plenty of strong signal everywhere. I put a drip loop on the antenna wire so rain will drip rather than run down the wire to the port hole I made, and use small elastic cords with hook ends to secure the extra wire when the antenna is down for travel.

Pleased as punch smile

'Sometimes' David

Sometimes David · RV-Dreams Community Member

Oops, that should have been thanks to Gail and Dan, since it was Gail who posted. hmm

David

KarenInTheWoods · RV-Dreams Family Member

We bought the Wilson antenna with the proper adapter for our USB aircard from AT&T.

Anyhooo being in an all aluminum and fiberglass rig, we didn't have a *ground plane* to attach the antenna to. So we made sure that bought the antenna that was magnetic with a built-in ground plane and have to stick it to a steel metal baking pan and set it in the windshield area of the motorhome on the inside. Then it is close to the router and aircard, which plug in to the DC outlets Steve installed under the dash.

Our Cradlepoint CTR350 Travel Router came with both AC and DC cords (you had to go online to request the DC cord once you bought the router and they shipped it to us free)

One time Steve tried taking the antenna outside and setting it up on the roof but the signal wasn't any stronger, so we just keep it inside on the dash.

This also makes it easy for us to move it back and forth to our house, as at home we need to use the antenna too. At home it sets on top of the entertainment center to get the best signal for us.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

All good suggestions as the mounting of the antenna. May I offer one sort of obvious point that may not be so obvious to some? Try hard to not extend the cable from the antenna if at all possible. The cable that comes on these antennas has a great deal of “loss” in it already due to its small size.

Not to be too technical, but some of the frequencies that cell phones / air-cards use are right up there with microwave. Even the lower frequencies are pretty high – higher than UHF TV stations. Small cable and long lengths at these frequencies can attenuate (loose) all the good the outside antenna accomplishes.

This isn’t “CB” radio” and the cable, and especially the connectors, used for CB are generally useless at these frequencies and will likely do more harm than good.

Safe travel

Bill

dream reachers · RV-Dreams Family Member

I set mine up like Jack Mayer. Check his website http:// www.jackdanmayer.com. Mine is attached to ladder with cable coming through window when needed.