Q: Temporarily routing multiple antenna cables out of a vehicle?

[Lynn]

While driving for 6 hours in my in-laws car, I passed a good chunk of the time daydreaming about putting together a port-a-ledge to hold my communications gear, scanner, GPS, radar detector, etc... One that would be easily moved from one vehicle to another, and stored in the house when not needed. Or put out-of-site when stopped, say, for the night. And, if I ever get that ROW rig I want, the 'electronics stack' could be locked away when the vehicle is in shipping.

Mag-mount antennas would be easy enough to do, but the big obstacle would be a slick way to route all the necessary wires, consisting of at least three coax cables, plus a number of other wires, to the outside world. There would be quite a number of other wires, too, since the FRS mobile radio I have requires a dozen or so... But even then I think the coax antenna cables would be the biggest issue due to their diameter.

Anyway, about the only thing I can think of would be a variation on the window clip antenna mounts:

Best I can think of would be to expand that idea for the multitude of wires my little port-a-ledge would require. The idea would be to spread the wires out in a line (I know that's an oversimplification, since we're talking about some coax's here), then passes them through a slot in the metal clip so as to provide a little crush protection. Maybe with some weather-stripping to help seal things up.

Any of you got a creative solution, or seen one?

 

[SunTzuNephew]

Depending on the vehicle, I've run magmount cables out through rear passenger doors, rear wagon doors, sunroofs, sliding rear windows in pickups, etc. Sometimes just leave the window down a bit...

Just don't pinch the cable hard

 

[PhulesAU]

something kinda along these lines?

http://www.truckers-store.com/cbradio-cases/


I'd look at a strip of closed cell foam, notched like the thing used to hold toes aprart when the GF paints the nails. use it as weather seal, when running several pieces of coax out the same window.

 

[Lynn]

something kinda along these lines?

http://www.truckers-store.com/cbradio-cases/.

Yeah, only I was thinking of a more horizontal layout that could attach to the windshield with heavy-duty suction cups and not block too much of the windshield.

I'd look at a strip of closed cell foam, notched like the thing used to hold toes aprart when the GF paints the nails. use it as weather seal, when running several pieces of coax out the same window.

I was thinking of something more rigid, but I think you're on to something. I'll put some thought in that direction...

 

[PhulesAU]

Unless you are as tall as I am and only really use the top 6-8 inches of the windshield, I wouldn't want all of that on the dash. One of those times you leave it up there, some scum bag will take the opportunity to clean you out.