Where do you have your satellite radio antenna installed?

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by Jeremy102077, Mar 17, 2015.

  1. Jeremy102077

    Jeremy102077 Light Load Member

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    Jan 7, 2010
    Wichita, KS
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    I'm gonna start off by saying that although of course, I can make it through a day without my satellite radio, I greatly prefer not to. Lol. I've been driving a Freightliner Cascadia the past couple years, and anybody who uses one of the tall satellite radio antennas, that need an object to "clamp" onto, knows that the Cascadia is hard to work with for those purposes, because there is almost nothing on the exterior of that truck, thin enough for that clamp to be able to grab onto. Best thing I've found to use on the Cascadia is a metal mount that screws into the mirror bracket itself, up against the truck body (as opposed to attaching the antenna to the mirror arm, which is too fat to work with). They sell them at just about every Love's, probably other places, but stopped looking after I got mine.
    Anyway, I'm about to move into a new Kenworth T680. One thing that I've noticed just by glancing at other T680's I've seen on the road, is that it would seem from a quick first glance, to present me with the same challenge that I had with my Cascadia. Different style mirror arms, but still appearing to be probably too fat for my antenna to clamp around. I've noticed some T680's have thin metal hood mirror brackets. I briefly thought problem solved, I can put it on there. Until it hit me, that attaching an antenna, with a wire running into the truck, on the hood, which I'll of course have to open at least once a day...probably won't be to practical after all. Unless I want to find myself having to constantly strew out and reel in the antenna wire slack, every time I open and close my hood.
    So what I'm wondering is, what solutions have some of you come up with to mounting your satellite radio antennas? I'd really love if somebody could give me a tip. Especially if somebody just happens to own a T680...or even a Cascadia for that matter, and I could perhaps copy the idea you've come up with. I have noticed a few trucks here and there with some sort of a window bracket/mount assembly, that they use to mount their satellite antennas on those, but I've looked around, and have no idea where to find anything of the sort.
    Thanks in advance.
     
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  3. EZ Money

    EZ Money Road Train Member

    On a Cascadia I used the little magnet car antenna...Used a strip of 3M tape on the top lip of the visor...Worked just fine.
    Have done this with several different brands of trucks.No need to buy the clamp on antenna.
     
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  4. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

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    I put the magnetic antennae in the little cubby slot next to the CB inside the truck. Get great reception all day all night.
     
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  5. Lyle H

    Lyle H Road Train Member

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    The T680 has the satellite antenna mounted in the headliner from the factory. You may already have it in your truck.

    Even if you have the factory antenna like I did, I wasn't happy with the reception. I made a flat bracket and attached it to the 4 screws that hold your cb antenna onto the mirror bracket. I then attached a clamp on satellite antenna to it.

    It it works much better than the factory one.
     
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  6. Jeremy102077

    Jeremy102077 Light Load Member

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    Wichita, KS
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    I tried the magnetic one outside before, but couldn't find anything it would stick to, on all that fiberglass. But I never would've thought to try it on the inside of the truck, because I was under the impression, it had to have an obstructed "view" of the sky. Thanks though. I'll break out the magnetic one again, and try it out in those spots, see what happens.
     
  7. EZ Money

    EZ Money Road Train Member

    The 3M tape held mine even through truck washes.

    I have used a dot of Permatex adhesive sealant to hold the antenna on too....It will peel right off if you need to remove the antenna.
    That little disc car antenna is so light it does not take much to hold it.
    You could also stick it to the top of the passenger side mirror......makes it easy to route the wire to the radio.
     
  8. db2681

    db2681 Medium Load Member

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    Dayton,OH
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    I have mine on my pass. side mirror on the top. If you want to mount the magnetic one outside. Take some double side tape or velco, mount it where ever you want. then run a bead of RTV silicon clear or black around the base, will hold it for a long long time. I have done this in all 3 trucks I have been in and it has never come loose. The silicon can be peeled off if you switch trucks with no damage to the paint, its weather proof also.
     
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  9. joseph1135

    joseph1135 Papa Murphy

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    image.jpg
    Pic is sideways, but mine sits on the cb. Crystal clear reception. These don't have to be mounted in any weird spot. They can be anywhere pretty much.
     
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  10. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    If you travel up to the northeast a lot (especially when traveling in a NE'ly fashion), you will probably find you need to mount outside and as high as possible, such as on top of a mirror, especially if you have a SiriusXM radio as opposed to an XM radio. They look for different satellite signals from what I can gather, Sirius radios look to the southwest, not sure about XM radios
     
  11. Jeremy102077

    Jeremy102077 Light Load Member

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    Jan 7, 2010
    Wichita, KS
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    What's the part/area you're referring to as the "headliner"? As in the overhead compartment? I actually once had a different Cascadia, with the factory antenna included, just a wire that came up through the dash, and ironically, that was the one that has probably worked best for me, out of any I've ever tried. But like I said, that was on another Cascadia, and the one you're talking about would seem to be a factory antenna on a T680...?
     
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