multiple antennas?

i often see 4wd's with more than one uhf antenna (obviously different DB's) just wondering how these work? do they both always work or is there a switch to select which one to use? inline splitter?

Depends. For example, i have 2, soon to be 3 and possibly 4, antenna's. When they all are on one will be UHF CB (already on), a 27mhz (already on), UHF for recieving (to come) and VHF, so just cause they look like heaps, they not always are UHF to one radio.

As for switching between etc, I've only ever had all the plugs go to where needed, and unscrew unwanted one and screw in correct one when needed.

Mitch

scooba_285 said:

i often see 4wd's with more than one uhf antenna (obviously different DB's) just wondering how these work?

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The vehicles you're seeing are almost certainly running multiple radios and probably not all UHF. My own 4x4 currently has 1 antenna for UHF and 1 for my 2 metre VHF ham radio.

In addition to that some will have antennas for 27MHz CB and others for amateur radio HF or UHF (which is different to CB UHF) or SHF.

Still others will have commercial VHF or UHF (which is different to both CB UHF and amateur radio UHF) antennas fitted (my work 4x4 does).

A few people will run twin UHF CB radios with twin antennas but it isn't very common.

If you come along to the National Navarra muster I'd be happy to sit down and explain the differences but it's a long topic and typing explanations is a bit difficult.

I run two - one for the UHF radio and one for my cellphone to extend its range.

Hey Tony,
Is there much involved in hooking an aerial
up for a cellphone? Does it help with 3G or just um... phone.
Cheers.
Scooba, I would've thought some people might run 2 aerials for hilly and flat terrain, but sounds like that theory might be wrong.

digbyj said:

Hey Tony,

I would've thought some people might run 2 aerials for hilly and flat terrain, but sounds like that theory might be wrong.

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too much stuffin around.....
those with multiple ant's are using them for different frequency radio sets.

27meg CB, 470meg CB, 27meg Marine, 160meg Marine, Sat phone etc....all require different ants.

.

digbyj said:

Hey Tony,
Is there much involved in hooking an aerial
up for a cellphone? Does it help with 3G or just um... phone.
Cheers.
Scooba, I would've thought some people might run 2 aerials for hilly and flat terrain, but sounds like that theory might be wrong.

Click to expand...

I bought an aerial from a phone shop, it already had 4.5m of coax and a connector on it, so I just mounted it on the bullbar and ran the cable through.

I had to buy a new phone to accommodate it, since the fancy phones don't have provision for an external antenna. For $49, I have a Telstra T100 that just comes with me in case I'm out of range and in need of help.

The multiple antenna thing you mention for different kinds of terrain would require a switch box (which might or might not exist) or you'd have to unplug one antenna and plug the other in. I don't think you can connect mismatched antennae like that.

Thanks Tony, have you trialled anything to see how well it works?
G'day Jim, yeah figured it might not be that simple. Got a mate who just unscrews his big aerial whip for his little one but I would've thought it needs retuning.

On the first occasion that we had to try it out the phone packed it in. I had the phone replaced without question.

Since then, I've not been in the outback, but I have been in hilly country that has poor reception (read "none past a certain point"). Reception was indeed better than without the antenna, but not by much - the deep valleys wouldn't have helped. I could go and get myself a 4.5dB cellphone antenna I suppose, and that would improve things there, but I'm not that eager to start rack-mounting antennae inside the tub.

digbyj said:

G'day Jim, yeah figured it might not be that simple. Got a mate who just unscrews his big aerial whip for his little one but I would've thought it needs retuning.

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thats what I do also...my 470meg ants dont need tuning like the 27meg ants need,
you just have to have two antennas that can mount on the one base type.
either way once the ants are tuned (SWR) you can swap them around on that same base.

just dont put a bigger ant than the factory fitted on the "raised feed" bases.

I run 2 aerials, 1 for uhf the other is a cfa radio. The other thing you see is farm boys with their nice big matching aerials on the utes 1 is hooked up the other 1 just sits there doing nothing big 2 metre aerial couple hundred bucks and they just put them there for looks

I also run two - soon to be three. I got sick of replacing my FM antennae with all the bullshit involved so ran a whip to the bullbar. My other one is a 7db gain antennae for my phone and there'll be a UHF shortly.

I have a UHF and mobile phone antenna. The mobile antenna is shit though. Its one of those glass mounted one's.

I have a 1.2 metre one in the shed Ill have to put on aswell, so it actually does something.

Like a mobile antenna would do you any good Dave, you loose too many phones. I'm in the same boat I've got 3 mobile antenna's and hands free kits floating around and none of them fit the phone I currently have. But I refuse to buy another given the life of my phones.

But I keep going back to the Nokia E51.

Major point, its not a crappy touch screen.

Hopefully I should have my UHF fixed this arvo.

I liked my 5120 for the same reason but it didn't like washing machines. I might buy another 5120 and use the hands free and antenna kit I've got but I prefer to ignore the phone when it rings in the car and going across the Nullarbor where I needed the antenna most it only got me signal for about 90 mins more all up over 4000ks so I'm not overly worried about it.

I might get the 27meg back in the ute at some stage but there is no room in the roof console for it and I really can't be shagged finding somewhere else to install it.

I run 3 on my ute, 9DB 3 foot stainless on the left. 6db 2.5 fiberglass on the right for 477 meg and above. And the 27 meg on the back.

Do people still use 27Mhz radios?

Old.Tony said:

Do people still use 27Mhz radios?

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yep

have a few old ones and just bought a new Cobra 148GTL from the US.

Might not throw out my 40ch SSB unit then. Still got the antenna for it too, but I'll have to get another mount. Where would I mount its antenna though?

Needs some more thought.