March 8th, 2010, 18:26 hours
I wasn’t originally going to post this, but the end intermediate result turned out so well as to deem it worthwhile. In setting up the forward mount for the roof rack I had planned to pick up, I found out just how easy (and inexpensive) it is on a Discovery to add mounting space for antennas, lights, or whatever else you may want to add up on the roof. To make the bar, you’ll need:
- 1/4-inch x 3″ x 48″ aluminum flat bar is more than enough for antennas, consider 3/8 or 1/2-inch thick if you are going to add lights (or tweak as necessary for your needs)
- four 8mm-1.25 bolts with matching flat washers (double-check this if you have a pre-2004 Discovery)
- tape measure, a marker, a 4mm allen wrench, a drill with a 9mm (or 5/16ths) metal bit, a chop saw or even a hacksaw (aluminum is easy to cut), medium file (for rounding edges), fine-grit sandpaper
- mineral spirits, bedliner and appropriate brushes (I’ve had good luck with Rustoleum, Duplicolor came out awful)
Home Depot carries the bolts and washers, Metals Depot has great prices on the aluminum.
There are two threaded holes near the rear of each factory roof bar on a Discovery, these are intended for the OEM cross-bar accessory for which Land Rover charges ~$300. These holes are weight-bearing and designed to handle things like canoes, roof racks, and other cargo. They also make for quick-and-easy attachment points for home-built accessories. With the 4mm allen wrench, remove the two protective caps currently occupying these holes. Then grab your aluminum bar and start measuring. I suggest adding a curve to the aluminum bar as this will add strength and rigidity, and provide additional clearance for your antenna/light mounts.
The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. Measure twice and drill the holes in your aluminum bar, including the holes you’ll need for your accessories. Once that is done, test fit the bar with your lowest-hanging accessory and bolt it down so you can make sure nothing touches. At 48-inches, the aluminum flat bar will be within a couple inches of where it should be so you’ll only need to trim a little off the end. Measure and mark for the amount you wish to trim, then take the bar down and trim it. Double-check the fit, then use your file to round the corners and the leading edge of the bar (for aerodynamics). Sand it down all over with the fine-grit sandpaper, then rinse the bar well with mineral spirits and allow it to dry. Follow the instructions that came with your bedliner, and give it an extra day of dry time before attaching the bar. When the bar is completely dry and hardened, attach it and your accessories to the roof. Once everything is in place you can use a little extra bedliner to cover up the shiny bolts.
A Note on Wiring
There is only one clean way to run wires down off the roof, and that is to drill a hole. Despite the horror stories regarding such things, if done right there is no reason for this to cause any leaks or rattles. Where you place the hole is really a personal preference thing, but the location of the new antenna/light bar does happen to be right above a spot in the headliner that has ample room for wiring and an access panel to get at the roof. This panel can be found by sitting in the rear seats and looking up… it serves double-duty as a dome light. Pop the lens off of the light, then carefully pry the light housing out of the surrounding plastic. With the assembly out you are looking up at the bottom of the roof metal, right where the new roof bar is located. A little careful planning and some fish tape and you can finish up wiring your new accessories without even dropping the headliner.
Tags: aluminum, amateur, antenna, cb, cb radio, Discovery, HAM radio, Land Rover, light, lights, radio
Posted in LR Discovery | 1 Comment
September 10th, 2009, 20:16 hours
Columbia Rovers Aluminum Fuel Tank Skid offers 1/4-inch of fuel tank protection at only 18 pounds of added bulk. I’ll admit, I’m still a skeptic of aluminum when it comes to protecting a two-ton truck from rock damage, but recent conversations with other off-roading experts have convinced me to give it a try. I’ve opted to do this test with a fuel tank skid, since there is not one available from the factory, and it is not a place I would consider in the least bit vulerable (in 5 years of wheeling a Discovery, I have never hit the fuel tank).
This ultra-light skid is currently available for first and second generation Land Rover Discoverys, and the Range Rover Classic, from Columbia Rovers for $275 plain or $300 powder coated in black. Installation is extremely easy (on a Discovery 2) and can be done by one person with two jack stands, a floor jack, and a couple 2×4s in about 30 minutes. You’ll need a 13mm socket for the two rear bolts and a 15mm for the front two.
25 gallons of fuel is heavy. The first thing you will want to do is go for a drive. If you have a full tank, a long drive. Carry a fuel can full of extra fuel and drive until well after the low fuel light comes on and you think you have about a gallon left, then head home and let the truck cool off (you’ll be under the truck working next to the exhaust). You’ll need to be careful to make sure that the fuel tank doesn’t drop more than an inch or so while you’re swapping the factory strap for the new skid plate, which is why you want it to be as empty (light) as possible. The easiest way to do this is to put yourself under the fuel tank and hold it up with your knees while you slide the strap out, the skid in, and get the bolts back into the rear end (leave them loose). After that it is an easy task to hold up the front end of the fuel tank and skid while you put the front nuts back in place and tighten them down. Then, go back to the back and finish tightening the rear bolts.
The skid seems well built and the finish is perfect. Overall I’d give it 5-stars, though I haven’t had it out on the trail yet. For strength, all I can say is that it certainly does well supporting the weight of the vehicle from the center of the skid when used as a jacking point to raise the rear of the vehicle. I have a trip to the Mojave National Preserve scheduled for later this month, so with any luck I’ll have the opportunity to bash it on a few rocks and see how it holds up.
August 10th, 2008, 20:07 hours
Rating: 5 / 5
Pros:
Strong, stays sharp under heavy abuse, quick opening, good grip, all-metal
Cons:
After 2 years of carry – none
The Bottom Line:
If you need a good, solid, all-purpose folding knife you can count on for daily carry this is the blade to get. After over two years of abuse opening boxes, slicing cord, shaving wood and cutting .25″ steel cable the blade is still as sharp as the day I got it, the edge has no nicks or chips, and the finish is still in great shape.
My Gerber EVO has been retired since damage to the frame now prevents auto-quick opening. Yes, it was seriously abused (prying) to cause the damage. I still consider Gerber to be the best cheap steel available.
Replacing it is a SOG Flash II (the black/aluminum variant) with “SOG Assisted Technology”, which so far has been a good solid knife and goes with me everywhere. It costs about twice what the Gerber EVO does, but it is as close as you can get to legally carrying an auto-opener in communist states like California. The blade has held an edge nicely for the past 4 months or so on wood, cord and cardboard. The pocket clip is attached from the rear of the knife, allowing the entire knife body to sit out of sight. The clip is reversible to either side, or can be removed altogether. Yes, it has a “safety” to prevent accidental opening while in-pocket. The only thing I don’t like about this knife is the clip, which is way too strong and sometimes difficult to get over some pockets with reinforced hems. On the other hand, there’s little chance of the knife getting lost because it came unclipped.
January 12th, 2008, 10:15 hours
Rating: 4 / 5
Pros:
Searing 225-lumen output in a small package, good runtime, durable, 2 output levels, spare parts included, price
Cons:
Bulky and a little heavy, twist-select for light output feels “grainy”, orange button, no filters or accessories, odd shape limits mounting options
The Bottom Line:
A great first attempt at a tactical flashlight from Fenix, I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.
Not bad for their first tactical entry. The light is a bit on the heavy side, but really no heavier or larger than a comparable-output Surefire of the same class. Both brand’s entries in this category are too big for pocket carry. The low output setting is pretty bright, but dim enough to be useful in tight quarters. Twisting over to the 225-lumen “turbo” mode is easy, but unfortunately cannot be done one-handed. The built-in clip is sturdy, and as promised the light will stand on end to act as a candle. This works on even a slightly tilted surface despite it’s forward-heavy balance. The “olive” color is definitely a natural olive, not the traditional camo green, and has a significant amount of “gold” in it. Still, it’s a pretty well subdued color and shouldn’t be a problem. Black is also available, on a limited trial-run. The light feels reasonably sturdy, but not nearly as much as a comparable Surefire unit. I’m not sure how much pressure it would take to crush the light, or how big of a fall it could take. The orange tail-cap bothers me a little as well – tactical lights are not to be seen until they are used and orange just doesn’t mesh well with this logic.
I don’t have a 225-lumen capable Surefire at my disposal, so I was unable to compare on even ground. I did run it side-by-side with my 100-lumen Lumamax L4 though, and while certainly brighter I’m not convinced of it’s “more than twice as bright” rating. The other drawback is the lack of available filters and other accessories for the front bezel. Still, when you consider the price is less than a third that of it’s Surefire counterpart, this is a very nice tactical light. Fenix also throws in 3 extra washers, a lanyard, an extra (orange) switch cover and a carry pouch that will work on a belt or clip on to other gear.
All said and done, this is an excellent light with good build quality and a fair price. The number one thing they should work on is getting us a design that supports different color filters. I give it 4.5/5 and recommend it to anyone in need of a good, bright tactical light but unsure of Surefire’s outrageous price tag.
I picked up this unit from Fenix-Store.com with the 4sevens LightBar I ordered, as I said excellent shipping turnaround.
In both output shots below, the Fenix T1 Tactical is on the left at 225 lumens, with a Surefire Lumamax L4 on the right at 100 lumens.
August 15th, 2007, 18:38 hours
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Pros:
Bright, good runtime, useful multi-purpose beam pattern, durable
Cons:
Gets hot during prolonged use, price
My usual impatience waiting on transcontinental warranty service has rewarded me with yet another flashlight. I’ll admit for some time now I’ve wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and if a land-use flashlight with a triple-digit price tag could really be justified. While I’m still not completely convinced on the price, I really like this flashlight – so much in fact, that it’s found its way to daily carry in my pocket instead of the originally intended spot in my bag. It’s small enough to slip quite nicely into a pocket or onto the accessory strap of a certain tactical pant I’m fond of, despite having a better field of vision and brighter output than its Inova counterpart. The optional filters also make a good (and cheap) lens protector while it’s in your pocket, and protect you from the heat after use – and it does get quite hot. Fortunately, it is clearly designed to handle such heat and the unit is just as bright now as it was on day one. The only thing I don’t like about the flashlight is the lack of a rear lanyard attachment point, but as a “pocket” light I haven’t been using a lanyard anyhow.
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