CB expert wanted

Mike Stevens

Mike Stevens

PCS Member
My coach has a CB antenna on the roof. I don't use the CB. The bottom of the mount where the coax cable fastens is beveled. It has several serations cut into it. It looks like the beveled/tappered stem fits through a flat washer. What is the trick or tool needed to pinch this tappered area so it will pull out of the flat washer so we can remove the antenna? I have never seen an antenna mount of this design. I went looking for a nut on the bottom inside the roof and did not find it. If it had been a normal mount it would be gone by now.
I want to get rid of the antenna and put my Federal beacon in place.
Thanks for any tips here.
Mike
 
Instead of driving yourself crazy trying to remove it, just leave it in place, and mount the new light over it. The Federal lights mount on threaded rods that set the elevation of the light itself, leaving the underside of the light with a lot of room underneath. My 1963 Chrysler has a similar type of radio antenna, and I just unscrewed the antenna, and left the the mounting base on the roof. Sometimes, we work overtime trying to remove items that don't have to be removed at all, just to make the disappear by doing nothing.
 
I'm guessing here. from your description. I would say you have one of the mounts the has a center lock. it a hollow tube the goes down there the center and pushes the fingers out so that they lock into the washer. the center or hot wire on the coax went up there it. you can use a flat blade to push up there the fingers or pry it up from the top, some time there is a nut on top the you remove and it is what holds the lock in place some times the antennas base did it. depends on how cheap the antenna was. generally they start with the loading coil, it twist off then the base then the jam nut then the lock pops up and everything falls off. sometimes it even works that way.
 
do not harm

Like a good doctor I guess I was trying to do no harm, to my coach. I guess the easy way would be to leave the antenna base. I have never been accused of doing things the easy way. That's too easy. I REALLY hate the idea of drilling more holes in the roof. Or anywhere else for that matter. We will consider all the options you all have provided. That Federal light IS going on the roof one way or another. Thanks to all.
Mike
 
No matter how you do it, you will need to drill additional holes. If you get the antenna off, then you will have a larger hole than needed to run the electrical cable through. If you do get the antenna off, then measure the hole, and go to Lowe's or Home Depot, and see if you can get a rubber plug to fit. Then drill a smaller hole in the middle of the rubber plug, and run the wire through that hole. Also before putting the plug into the roof, use some silicone to seal the plug hole and the wire running through the hole in the plug. Water will always be your enemy and it always finds a way into the car, unless you are diligent about stopping it..
 
silicone

Water, water, everywhere unless you plan ahead. There is a reason us guys like silicone. I am amazed that the rubber seal for the antenna has not been leaking. You can see cracks matching the national debt in it. Why it is still water tight I have no idea.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
Mike
 
more on the demountable mount

Does anyone have a picture of one of these demountable mounts? Is it a plate for the light to sit on while the plate fastens to the roof? How high off the roof does it sit? If I could see one I may be able to make one. I like the idea of just leaving the antenna in place. We tried several times to remove it. There is just no way I can get my hands to the right position to try and pinch the bottom of the antenna lock base. I had thought maybe I have found a new use for the new 4 inch grinder. That would get rid of the antenna but I don't want grinder marks on the roof.
Mike
 
Mike... if you intend to attack it with the grinder, then start at the underneath if you can. If not, then put multiple layers of masking tape around it on the top side, and start grinding away. When you get it close to the roof skin, then take a sharp chisel and hammer, and try to collapse it toward the middle so it can drop down. If you don't care about saving the antenna base, then there is no problem destroying it with brute force. Remember, don't force it, get a bigger hammer!!!!!!!
 
if you can get at it from under neath the pull the coax out take a punch or a screwdriver equivalent and tap the fingers in. or use your handy dandy nifty swifty 4 in grinder and grind them flush with the washer. it will lift right out. what has happened is the dissimilar metals have fused them self together. and your just turning it round and round. but you know that. grind it flush with the washer on the bottom and it will fall off. that's all that hold it in place.
 
Mike Stevens said:
Does anyone have a picture of one of these demountable mounts? Is it a plate for the light to sit on while the plate fastens to the roof? How high off the roof does it sit? If I could see one I may be able to make one...
Click to expand...
Oh, that's pretty easy. The beacon itself has a single threaded tube in the center, and the two wires run through the tube. Now here's the hard part, for the car, you need....a hole. The threaded tube runs through the hole, and a wing nut and washer hold it in place inside the roof of the car. The beacon sits on it's base with rubber gasket. That's about it. The wires in the center of the tube plug into wires in the car, and that's that!
 
Mike, you have an Antenna Specialists K-45 snap-in mount. These were very popular in the early 70's because they didn't require any measurable IQ to install. The other side of that is they require a great deal of ingenuity to de-install. A/S has been sold several times in the last 20 years and is now part of PC Tel along with Maxrad.
 
antenna ideas

Thanks to one and all for the ideas on how to get rid of or around the already installed antenna. The cb still works. We don't use it, its just that it has always been since I first saw the coach. I think we will use a small die grinder inside the cabinet. With luck the washer can be cut at 2 points and then removed in 2 pieces. Then the mounting hole can be used to mount the beacon. No extra holes to drill into the roof. Hooray!!!
Just got back from our first tour for the season. 844 miles round trip. Other than feeding the 390/4barrel no problems.
Mike
 
Those are 3/8" mounts. Usually the center tube rusts inside the mount. There is a nut that covers the outside braid of the coax and the center conductor runs through it to the chrome base. Take that nut off and you will see the mount. Sometimes a screw driver in the hole will pull out the center tube. If that doesn't work a pair of pliers will pull the mount out of the hole. Do that if you don't mind a slightly enlarged hole in your roof.
 
it is gone

the antenna mount came out with a small die grinder. The coach now sports a proper Federal beacon. With a tube fastened to the center of the mount we ran the wire for power. We used the hole that started as the antenna hole. No need to enlarge it. Just use it.
Mike
 
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