Roof Lights - Are they Legal

[GQ TANK]

We have been looking at the new codan auto tune antenna in the hope that we could mount the auto tune unit below the height of the bonnet and only have the stainless whip visable.

The other concern was what impact would a hf transmitter have on the engine eletonics if the antenna was mounted close to the engine - ie on the bull bar.

The main reson is we have vehilce that dont have an easy option for mounting a HF on the rear of the vheicle - ie territorys

[commsman]

The old rule for lights (and keep in mind I have been out of Australia for 6 years) was:

Fog lights must be mounted low (no higher than the headlights) and MUST be switched through the parking lights and be on their own switch and only to be used when conditions require them to be used. i.e. you can turn the fog lights off, but they cannot be turned on without the use of the parking lights. They must also be balanced (i.e. two of them at a time, not just one on a single side of the car)
Driving / Spot lights can't be mounted any higher than the headlights and MUST be switched through the high beam and be on their own switch and only used when conditions are appropriate (no one withing 200 metres). i.e. you can turn the spot driving lights off, but they cannot be turned on without the use of high beam. They must also be balanced. (i.e. one mounted either side balanced with each other they must come on together, or if you have three one must be in the middle and they must all come on together).
Roof lights (The cops call them take down lights) MUST be switched indepedent to any other light (i.e. are not allowed to be switched to activate through parking / low beam / high beam / reverse etc.) I'm not sure about the MUST be switched from the exterior of the vehicle, but I'd be putting an override switch on the inside as well anyway so some sherlock holmes at the shopping centre didn't activate it for you and kill the battery.
Again basic rule is to check the local regulations, they are all available through a Google search and they do change regularly.
As for the HF (bit off topic), but there are issues here. It is a large diameter antenna which blocks the drivers field of vision so shouldn't go up front; but the problem being is that part of the tuner (most of it infact) is also used in transmission of the signal and therefore if it is hidden down behind the bonnet or the back of the car there is a good chance the radio won't auto tune properly (or at all) and signal will be degraded. The only real solutions are to have a mount behind the car so the top of the tuner just sticks out over the top of the roof and the whip goes on top. Alternatively get a different type of tuner (like Icom or Q-Mac) where the tuner is a unit mounted inside the vehicle or under the bonnet etc. and a live 'hotwire' is run to a smaller diameter antenna mounted like a normal CB antenna. The other alternative is to stop (rather than use the radio whilst driving and throw a long wire over a tree branch and have a sort of fixed antenna. I always keep a long wire in the car as a back up.

regards,

Brian.

[DX grunt]

We have been putting covers on spotlights for years and remove for "Bush only" applications. Is this where we are headed with Light Bars too?

Mate, I've seen you drive and you need more help than a couple of light covers!! PML

[NP99]

What a croc of sh1t. If you want a rig with Xmas lights everywhere that should be fine, how you use them should be the concern.