| Author |
Message |
    
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 984
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 8:55 pm: | 
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Anyone have a suggestion for an antenna that will look decent and work well on my bike. I have ordered two Mini Magnums for the bikes. My bikes have the Fiberglas saddlebags on them, no top bag.
WR |
Chad
Senior Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 1042
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 9:11 am: |
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I see a slew of Harleys around here wiht a dual antenna setup for AM/FM and CB. I don't know if I like how it looks. IT IS a bike, so I'm thinking the ground plane will not be all that great eh? One could look into attractive NGP antenna's, is this simply for local comms to the wife or are you looking to "get-out"?
Have you ever been to RF Limited's website and seen all the nifty cycle related comms stuff they have? I've been thinking about ordering a set of comm systems for the ATV's.
Honestly I think the best looking option would be a SS whip, it's thin, yadda, yadda. Just don't know how it would work on a bike though. Keep us posted.
Chad |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 991
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 12:40 pm: |
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10-4, I'll ck RF Limited and see what they have. I do not have the antenna for the radio. I went to West Marine and bought a dipole that I hid in the cowl that works better than the stock antenna that was on the bike. My Sirius antenna works great on the bike too. I thought about the no ground antennas, but I have not been out to look at them yet. I'll let ya know what I do. I might even try to remember to post a pic.
WR |
Chad
Senior Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 1043
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 2:01 pm: |
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Oh yeah post a pic. The ones around here seem to be a stock Harley thing, it's a black center loaded 2 way antenna and I don't like the way it looks next to the AM/FM. I'm big into symmetry, I'd have to put a bump in the AM/FM 
As for the SAT antenna, I have MINE on a GP, remember that it's a very high frequency so the ground plane can be rather small. BUT I have seen people put them on a plastic dash with velcro and have them work well. BUT some of these people may live in a larger city with terrestrial transmitters too.
SAT radio on a bike....... THATS COOL!
Chad |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 994
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 8:24 pm: |
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My sat ant. is velcroed to the plastic dash, but it also has a 2 foot long piece of metal about an inch away.
WR |
Vanillagorilla
Advanced Member
Username: Vanillagorilla
Post Number: 799
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 6:34 am: |
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Predator 10-k clamped to the ape hangers...right side of course.
Go with the single coil..you don't want it to look silly. 
Since your wife rides her own how about a 4ft silverload on the rear frame rail behind/next to the saddle? Any room thereabouts? |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 998
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 1:43 pm: |
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I was thinking of the silver loads, I wonder if they have BeBeBeBe Blue? I don't think so though.
WR |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 999
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 1:45 pm: |
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Those Mini Magnums ought to work good on those bikes. They will even have enough power to talk to the squirrels in the trees. |
Vanillagorilla
Advanced Member
Username: Vanillagorilla
Post Number: 801
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 4:25 pm: |
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I'd bet the same. Pocket rocket! Them things are small and potent. Bet it could be "tucked in" nice and tight somewhere. Best of all...Its a Magnum
As for a Bay-Bee blue antenna..krylon is your friend. Your only painting over shrink wrap on that antenna...but you knew that.
I guess you'd use headgear with a CB on a bike? VOX?
That is...
Unless your name is "Ponch" and your handle is "CHiPs!"  |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1000
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 7:53 pm: |
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I don't know I may use the mic's. I do have throat mic's and that kind of stuff, but I'll figure that out later. The radio's are suppose to be here tomorrow.
WR |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1690
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 3:30 pm: |
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Wildrat, I have been riding for about 15 years and have tried a few different types of radios while touring. No short trips these are trips of 500 miles or more. We found that the best way to do this with any radio is the mic and speaker inside the helmet. With the wind road and exhaust noise not to mention your ears inside the hemet you can't hear a radio mounted on the bike at highway speeds. A microphone in the wind is useless and the recieveing radio cannot make out what your saying. Voice activated is cool but found out that the bike interfered with it. Best was a finger switch attached to the helmet or pocket. A water proof radio is important also if you plan to mount it were it can get wet.
We used a FRS type radio that we tucked in our jacket and fitted the mic and speaker inside the helmet. Keyed the radios through the jacket.
I like metric bikes and one of my favorite online stores is DennisKirk.com. They have a device called the Audio Boss. Mic and stereo headphones installs in the helmet and any audio system from cbs to mp3 plugs into this device with adapters. As far as an antenna goes we just used the rubber duck types on the radio. If you want some distance then really any antenna should do.
Just remember Wildrat! You need the most convienent setup and ease of operation as possible. Taking your concetration off the road to mess with a radio is dangerous. Stay safe! |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1006
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006 - 2:44 pm: |
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I am going with Hustler antennas. They will be in a tank bag. I will do my own mic thing, utilizing equipment I already have. The audio will be routed thru the bikes stereo system. I have the shop manuals for the bikes, so I am going to hopefully have it wired into the bikes radio circuitry so I can take advantage of the CB functions in the radio.
I have done the FRS thing in the past, I don't really like it since I can't talk on the CB. Now, I will have a radio that I can use for CB and for talking to the wife by using a non CB freq if required, and it has 30 W PEP so it'll be plenty of power on the bikes. I ordered the antennas today from Hustler so they should be here in a week.
WR |
Hotwire
Senior Member
Username: Hotwire
Post Number: 1703
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 12:14 pm: |
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Cool! Hey will you let us know how it turns out? Maybe even some pics? |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1009
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2006 - 11:19 am: |
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I will post pics when I get done.
WR |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1010
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 07, 2006 - 7:21 pm: |
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I got the Hustler antenna's today from Hustler. They will be installed on the bikes soon. They will be a good match with the Mini Magnum's.
WR |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1026
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, September 15, 2006 - 10:32 am: |
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I have the antenna's on the bikes. I ordered some coax from Copper. I hope 100 feet will be enough, I also ordered 20 259's and the reducers for the RG8X. There was a short delay with Copper shipping the stuff, but it did get shipped yesterday (Thursday). Maybe next week I will receive the stuff and be able to start the wiring fiasco.
WR |
Znut
Advanced Member
Username: Znut
Post Number: 721
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 16, 2006 - 10:09 pm: |
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Check this out for a "no ground antenna" and I too look forward to seeing how your setup works on the bikes!
http://www.sirioantenne.it/prodotti_ant.php?idc=1008171280&idg=1008171169&idp=44 |
Wildrat
Senior Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 1030
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 9:04 am: |
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yep, ck'd it out. I think I like the Hustler better.
WR |
