Pearly White from Downunder

[aussiebob]

Hey all
So a break in the otherwise miserable weather lately allowed me to get a quick wash and polish in.Australian TL Spec in Ivory Pearl

[DaveBerlin]

Bob, at long last a photo of a QQ from OZ and what can I say about the color. Very nice and hopefully you will enjoy your time with it. Do I see Cross Bars on the Roof Railing ? are these from Nissan or another Supplier - Dave

[aussiebob]

Hi DaveI do indeed have crossbars on there, and I usually prefer to go with genuine accessories, however I chose not to go with the genuine Nissan crossbars.I don't know if they are the same ones available in Europe but the ones they sell here include feet packs that make them sit a further 10-15cm or so above the rails which I think look a bit silly, and tend to result in more wind noise.Instead I went with aftermarket the Whispbar Railbars which sit more flush with the railshttp://www.whispbar.com.au/products/11/rail-bar

[Dr_Niss]

Yes the Whispbars are available in the UK, I have some which have not been used on the QQ yet but I used them on my last car a Kuga.I agree they look much better than the official ones.

[Gel]

aussiebob, what's the aerial for, on front o/side?

[duncho]

Those who want to buy Whispbar just to add, they are the same bars used for J10 and J11 (Whispbar S55).They are quiet and looking good. New Thule aren't as good as these.My guess, the aerial is for mobile phone
duncho2015-06-09 23:54:23

[aussiebob]

Yeah, the Thule were the other ones I was looking at. They have the crossbars sitting just above the rail with a rubber strap thing that wraps around the car rail and secures inside the end cap.The whispbars are more like a C clamp that just clamps onto the roof rail and the bulk of the crossbar sits in between/at the same height as the car rails.One thing to note is that the first thing I threw something up on the roof it was hitting the radio antenna. Ended up removing it for that trip and then a quick visit to ebay and I had a shorter stubby one on it's way to me.Gel, the antenna is for a CB radio (nice try but no cigar, duncho). Here we have some pretty cheap radios (2-way walkie talkie style) that are useful for car to car when travelling with people, talking to other road users (truck drivers / caravanners /etc) when you're trying to overtake, or even with handhelds and a spotter to help you hook up to your trailer. Also, very importantly, unlike mobile phones, they are legal to use whilst driving.

[duncho]

aussiebob, then I'm wondering on what frequency the radio is operating? Is it CB (27MHz)? If so, the antenna will not be balanced on that frequency Amatur radio (443MHz) seems more likely to be, but still antenna is low gain version. Can be fine on short distance talks, but not very useful in outback, right?

[aussiebob]

Build list so far...Genuine Nissan Accessories:Wind deflectorsDoor sill protectorsCarpet floor matsRear scuff plateRear protection trayTow hitchAftermarket Accessories:Front window tintingWhispbar CrossbarsTravall Pet BarrierX-Shades rear window shades

[aussiebob]

duncho, it's UHF around 477. Given that you're not going to get comms spanning 100's of km across the country like you do on the old 27mhz, it's really for more "local" stuff.Yes that is a 3db antenna. Lower gain is said to be better for hilly terrain etc, but the real problem is travelling around the city as well.With a 3db antenna's the car's clearance is just under 1.98 meters. Lots of underground/multistory carparks have a 2.00 to 2.05 height limit.The antenna can easily be unscrewed and replaced with a 6db or higher antenna. Doing so takes the clearance to around 2.6 meters.Usually radio's go off in major cities, or you get off the usual road channels (there's not 80 or so available), as once you hit the major cities the usual road channels are full of goons broadcasting garbage all day long (lots of 4 letter words and suggestions as to what your mother gets up to at night).