L81ker

I just changed my older Wipac Quadoptics (original fit) for new Wipac Crystals from Devon 4x4 for about £24. I've fitted the +130% Halfrauds bulbs too (another £24). FYI the picture shows both together - the new lamps in place and the old quadoptics resting on the tops of the wings. The new Crystals are the ones without the pilot light holes, but I notice there is a sealed covered hole at the very top of the reflector bowl which is exactly the right size for an LED.... Hope this is helpful to someone. Took 35 minutes to change both sides in the car park at work - I'd already put new stainless steel bevel retainers last year for the MOT.

Yes, exactly!

Mine failed today on a split 'dust cover' under the new rules.... so you need to check your gaitors!

Hi Y'all for a pseudo-technical answer about needing a ferrous (magnetic) ground plate to help get your aerials tuned properly. Note there is a big difference between a ground plane and a large steel plate. A radio wave has two parts, the electrical wave, and the magnetic wave. Aluminium, not being too good in the magnetic side of things, makes great aerials for TV etc because these TV ones are based on dipoles. Your springer type CB aerial is a "short vertical" (not a dipole) using the coil as the shortening device. A vertical needs either a good ground or a ground plane to provide the 'other half' of the dipole, and a big steel plate helps fool the system into working because of that big magnetic component. If you have good 'earth' straps instead, be careful because these might well be carrying radio signals and acting like the other half of a dipole inside the cab.. watch out for 'rusty bolt' effect, and RF burns. 4 or 8 lengths of copper wire all around 104" long (they must all be the same length) and secured as straight as you can get them to form a star shape fanning under the aerial and connected to the SHIELD (ground) side of the coax with the far end NOT connected to anything but taped up, inside the roof will provide a really good electrical ground plane. See this link for the idea, or fit this actual device under your aerial http://www.cbradiostore.com/servlet/the-157/Mobile-CB-Antenna-Radial/Detail You can try this in the garden using e.g. a piece of strong cardboard to mount the aerial on a wooden table, with the 4 or 8 wires under the cardboard but on top of and hanging down the sides of the table. Some trucks use a second shorter but tuned CB aerial on the truck mirror, pointing downwards and only connected to the shield (ground) so that their aerial is a true dipole - because of fibreglass or other modern materials cabs are made of. This is a CB dipole but its too big for a lanny! http://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/cb/cb-antennas/cb-base-antennas/sirio-sd-27 If you want help, feel free to PM me. Kind regards Clive in Suffolk.