I'm pretty sure this is a CB Antenna, but what is the purpose of it being bent? What is it being held down by, and does anyone have any photos of this from a different angle?

It's a very interesting touch to a police vehicle, and honestly, I've never seen it on any other police departments.

 

The CHP is known for weird things, but I've never seen something like that on one of their cars.

It looks like it's just stuck in the trunk. For whatever reason. 

Maybe it got caught up in something, other 2013-2015 CHP Explorers have the same long antenna but in the right position. I'd have to say it's VHF or CB radio antenna like you said judging by the size.

 

1 hour ago, tankguy67 said:

Maybe it got caught up in something, other 2013-2015 CHP Explorers have the same long antenna but in the right position. I'd have to say it's VHF or CB radio antenna like you said judging by the size.

 

I agree with you, however I see the older vehicles all have antenna's bent and being held in position by something just above the doorframe.

I'm curious as to why they would do this, lol.

 

Edited July 29, 20187 yr by ITheUnknownOneI

On ‎7‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 9:12 PM, HP Deskjet said:

I agree with you, however I see the older vehicles all have antenna's bent and being held in position by something just above the doorframe.

I'm curious as to why they would do this, lol.

 

OK guys So Chp is known for having some of the longest antennas in Law Enforcment it helps them hide being from cali myself I have gotten out of a few speeding tickets because you can see the antenna around the corner before he can lidar you so they bend it down to keep hidden run radar better

especially in LA area they don't need that big of antenna so a lot do it in the desert by palm springs and out of the way patrol area they unbuckle it and keep it up

I went on a ride along with the CHP last year and they had the antenna held down because they (at least in the two offices I had rode with) park their vehicles under covered parking spots. The officer I went with told me "If you hear a metal bang it's the antenna." I'm not sure there's a fancy reason other than to protect it under lower clearances.

3 hours ago, JJ9856 said:

I went on a ride along with the CHP last year and they had the antenna held down because they (at least in the two offices I had rode with) park their vehicles under covered parking spots. The officer I went with told me "If you hear a metal bang it's the antenna." I'm not sure there's a fancy reason other than to protect it under lower clearances.

Thanks man. This is super helpful. Did you happen to see what was holding the antenna down? I'm curious, cuz at the moment I have a vehicle utilizing this, but I can't see what it's held in place from in any of the photos I have..

 

 

23 hours ago, HP Deskjet said:

Thanks man. This is super helpful. Did you happen to see what was holding the antenna down? I'm curious, cuz at the moment I have a vehicle utilizing this, but I can't see what it's held in place from in any of the photos I have..

 

 

 

No problem! I only remember him checking his firearms in the gun rack then he stepped out and I heard the loud bang as he released the antenna but I'm sure it was on the drivers side. At least in my area in the desert a lot have the large antenna but not a lot of metro areas seem to have them as I see through google images because I've seen some monster antennas from a few K-9 CVPIs we have out here. The only thing I can speculate is the little white tab on the roof drivers side, I think that's what they hook it on. You can kind of make it out in your first picture, but here's one from somebodies Flickr.

 

I love your model!
 

 

16 hours ago, JJ9856 said:

 

No problem! I only remember him checking his firearms in the gun rack then he stepped out and I heard the loud bang as he released the antenna but I'm sure it was on the drivers side. At least in my area in the desert a lot have the large antenna but not a lot of metro areas seem to have them as I see through google images because I've seen some monster antennas from a few K-9 CVPIs we have out here. The only thing I can speculate is the little white tab on the roof drivers side, I think that's what they hook it on. You can kind of make it out in your first picture, but here's one from somebodies Flickr.

 

Ohhh, good find! I didn't even notice that white piece up there. I guess that's probably the safest bet. Thank you so much for your insight, man. I really appreciate it.

I haven't noticed that little piece up there on other vehicles before.

When you say he released the antenna, you think they swing the antenna down when going into certain areas?

4 hours ago, HP Deskjet said:

 

Ohhh, good find! I didn't even notice that white piece up there. I guess that's probably the safest bet. Thank you so much for your insight, man. I really appreciate it.

I haven't noticed that little piece up there on other vehicles before.

When you say he released the antenna, you think they swing the antenna down when going into certain areas?

 

I'd say it's safe to assume it's just a hook and the antenna gets caught under it to stay held down, just reach up and take it off the hook. I don't think they'd stop at every low clearance area to bend it down and get out to release it again, just when they park their vehicles because it could bend the antenna for extended periods of time.

On 9/2/2018 at 7:03 PM, JJ9856 said:

 

No problem! I only remember him checking his firearms in the gun rack then he stepped out and I heard the loud bang as he released the antenna but I'm sure it was on the drivers side. At least in my area in the desert a lot have the large antenna but not a lot of metro areas seem to have them as I see through google images because I've seen some monster antennas from a few K-9 CVPIs we have out here. The only thing I can speculate is the little white tab on the roof drivers side, I think that's what they hook it on. You can kind of make it out in your first picture, but here's one from somebodies Flickr.

 

I love your model!

 

On 9/3/2018 at 11:25 AM, HP Deskjet said:

 

Ohhh, good find! I didn't even notice that white piece up there. I guess that's probably the safest bet. Thank you so much for your insight, man. I really appreciate it.

I haven't noticed that little piece up there on other vehicles before.

When you say he released the antenna, you think they swing the antenna down when going into certain areas?

 

The extremely tall antennas were mostly used by state agencies like CHP or other highway patrols because they used low band radio systems in order to allow the signal to cover a larger area. As you said, you don't really see them in metro areas, because they are covering a smaller area and can put up more repeaters or towers in order to provide radio coverage. There should be some type of slot or hook wherever the antenna is being held down. Although I have never worked for an agency that used these types of radios/antennas I would think that unless you are working a non enforcement detail that you would always want to work with the antenna up so it would be as effective as possible.

It's been a while so I guess this will be for information sake but our local office had an open house today and I got pictures of the tabs for the Explorers and Chargers.

 

 

1 hour ago, JJ9856 said:

It's been a while so I guess this will be for information sake but our local office had an open house today and I got pictures of the tabs for the Explorers and Chargers.

 

 

 

 

You are amazing! Thank you so much man

CHP units are spec'd to go anywhere in the state..   From Death Valley (middle of nowhere with non existent radio coverage) to the tallest mountain ranges in the lower US  (Mt. Whitney) to Pacific Coast Highway  from Pt Mugu to Santa Monica  (notoriously horrible radio reception)   vast deserts,  lots of hilly, empty, terrain.. metro areas, rural areas, forests, canyons, mountains  and everything in between.  So the coms need to be quite versatile.    A CHP car can go anywhere in the state, and still hear and be heard 10-2, which, on some occasions, requires unleashing a really really long antenna. 

On 9/3/2018 at 1:30 PM, JJ9856 said:

 

I'd say it's safe to assume it's just a hook and the antenna gets caught under it to stay held down, just reach up and take it off the hook. I don't think they'd stop at every low clearance area to bend it down and get out to release it again, just when they park their vehicles because it could bend the antenna for extended periods of time.

That's all it is. It's to prevent it from damaging structures (and the vehicle itself) when if the unit needs to quickly drive into a parking garage or some other low clearance. 

I spoke to a CHP fleet engineer about this a long time ago.