20w mobile with 5w handhelds

[WSAM454]

The length of cable needed to get from the tow vehicle to a good spot on the trailer will probably introduce more loss than just using the antenna on the tow vehicle, with the (almost standard) 13'  RG58 type coax that comes with most mag mounts.

[amaff]

2 hours ago, WSHH887 said:

My thought was it removes a great big blind spot. 

Theoretically?

Sure. 

In practice? I'd be surprised if it was more than a fractional difference all the way at the edge of the performance envelope. 

[amaff]

duplicate...the forum wigged out 

[UncleYoda]

Mirror Mount like truckers, 1/2 wave

[WRTC928]

11 hours ago, WSAM454 said:

The length of cable needed to get from the tow vehicle to a good spot on the trailer will probably introduce more loss than just using the antenna on the tow vehicle, with the (almost standard) 13'  RG58 type coax that comes with most mag mounts.

Maybe. Maybe not. It's probably worth the effort to test it and see. 

[WRTC928]

14 hours ago, amaff said:

That janky cable is usually built into the trailer, and to a connector built into the tow hitch, with a breakaway connection should stuff go wrong. Not something you're stringing across the bed of a truck to a trailer. I guess you can test the failure load of the SO-239 connector on the back of your radio if things ever go really wrong lol

If the trailer gets loose, you've got much bigger problems than damaging your coax.

[OffRoaderX]

2 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

If the trailer gets loose, you've got much bigger problems than damaging your coax.

No lies detected.

[dosw]

Putting it on the trailer could get it up higher, at least by a few feet. That probably matters more than the slight difference a few layers of wood and fiberglass contribute toward shadowing the signal that emanates from the truck's antenna. But going from a mount six feet up to a mount ten feet up probably isn't worth the trouble when you have to also add 20 feet more cable.

 

The next problem to contend with would be the ground plane. If it's difficult on a vehicle, it's often even harder on an RV with a fiberglass roof.

[amaff]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

If the trailer gets loose, you've got much bigger problems than damaging your coax.

Of course. Depending on the trailer and what's in it, it could be a REALLY bad day.
It'd be worse if it takes your headliner or half your dashboard with it, depending on where the radio's mounted and how the cable's run.

I'm just saying that, in my opinion, the juice, what of it there may be, just ain't worth the squeeze of dealing with a remote antenna.

[SteveShannon]

52 minutes ago, amaff said:

Of course. Depending on the trailer and what's in it, it could be a REALLY bad day.
It'd be worse if it takes your headliner or half your dashboard with it, depending on where the radio's mounted and how the cable's run.

I'm just saying that, in my opinion, the juice, what of it there may be, just ain't worth the squeeze of dealing with a remote antenna.

Now if you wanted to put a repeater in that trailer we’d line up to engineer the shit out of it!

[GreggInFL]

1 hour ago, dosw said:

The next problem to contend with would be the ground plane. If it's difficult on a vehicle, it's often even harder on an RV with a fiberglass roof.

How about an aluminum Airstream? Does Al make for a good ground plane, or does the ground plane need to be ferrous?

 

12 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Now if you wanted to put a repeater in that trailer we’d line up to engineer the shit out of it!

We have an old Airstream.  It's the smallest one they ever made; as a matter of fact, the Airstream cult have nickname it the "Toaster." I have given some thought to putting my mobile in it with a mag mount on top when stopped, but the idea of a repeater is very appealing. Should work when moving. I guess that would make it a mobile repeater.

I'm game Steve! You're first in line to tell me how to do it.

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, GreggInFL said:

How about an aluminum Airstream? Does Al make for a good ground plane, or does the ground plane need to be ferrous?

 

We have an old Airstream.  It's the smallest one they ever made; as a matter of fact, the Airstream cult have nickname it the "Toaster." I have given some thought to putting my mobile in it with a mag mount on top when stopped, but the idea of a repeater is very appealing. Should work when moving. I guess that would make it a mobile repeater.

I'm game Steve! You're first in line to tell me how to do it.

Aluminum is a very good conductor and makes a fine ground plane. It requires additional work beyond a mag mount though. Either attach a piece of ferrous metal for the magnet to hold or drill a hole and installing a permanent NMO mount. That’s the hardest part. Otherwise just put a repeater in one of the cabinets and run coax to the antenna mount. 
To power the repeater you will probably want a battery which is charged whenever you have shore power or while attached to the tow vehicle. 
Time to shop!!
 

[WSHH887]

3 hours ago, dosw said:

Putting it on the trailer could get it up higher, at least by a few feet. That probably matters more than the slight difference a few layers of wood and fiberglass contribute toward shadowing the signal that emanates from the truck's antenna. But going from a mount six feet up to a mount ten feet up probably isn't worth the trouble when you have to also add 20 feet more cable.

 

The next problem to contend with would be the ground plane. If it's difficult on a vehicle, it's often even harder on an RV with a fiberglass roof.

I have an Airstream.  Would the shape of the roof make a difference?  Of course I'd also have to consider the overall height of the rig and antenna.  

 

[WSHH887]

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

Aluminum is a very good conductor and makes a fine ground plane. It requires additional work beyond a mag mount though. Either attach a piece of ferrous metal for the magnet to hold or drill a hole and installing a permanent NMO mount. That’s the hardest part. Otherwise just put a repeater in one of the cabinets and run coax to the antenna mount. 
To power the repeater you will probably want a battery which is charged whenever you have shore power or while attached to the tow vehicle. 
Time to shop!!
 

Should have read all the way before answering.  But my truck has a 120v ac power supply.  Yea, I know, another cable.  But, you could also charge the battery from solar.  Hmm, as anyone ever rigged a wind powered generator on a moving vehicle.  I should shut up now, because I'm getting all sorts of fun things to figure out.  

 

That the problem with retired engineers, we get bored not solving problems so we invent them.  

[SteveShannon]

35 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

I have an Airstream.  Would the shape of the roof make a difference?  Of course I'd also have to consider the overall height of the rig and antenna.  

 

No