Ham Radio in A/S

[MrKenmore]

Hello everyone. KD2FIQ here (XYL is KD2FQE). Have a new 2017 Base Camp on order. Looking forward to setting up some equipment inside. I certainly want to have a 2 meter 70 centimeter radio set up permanently to act as our "Base Camp". As the Base Camp roof is a little unusual in profile compared to other AS models, I am not certain how to best install an NMO style antenna mount. Would be great if it could be done at the factory but I don't know how realistic that is. My expected HF rig to take on the road will be my Yaesu FT-991. Any other tips would be appreciated.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by MrKenmore

Hello everyone. KD2FIQ here (XYL is KD2FQE). Have a new 2017 Base Camp on order. Looking forward to setting up some equipment inside. I certainly want to have a 2 meter 70 centimeter radio set up permanently to act as our "Base Camp". As the Base Camp roof is a little unusual in profile compared to other AS models, I am not certain how to best install an NMO style antenna mount. Would be great if it could be done at the factory but I don't know how realistic that is. My expected HF rig to take on the road will be my Yaesu FT-991. Any other tips would be appreciated.

Put the antenna on your TV. Makes a good ground plane for HF.

[rmkrum]

It's going to take drilling holes to do an NMO connector. Possibly an access panel on the interior that neatly screws over the internal access to the NMO mount.

On my AS the UHF/VHF antenna is simply bracketed to the solar panel mount. Works good enough. The HF antenna is a bit harder.

KE4GNK


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[Rich Jenkins]

Well, not a ham but I am a retired EE (Aerospace)

Can someone point me to a good thread here for the basics of getting started, what equipment / radio I might need, how small an antenna I can get away with...thanks!

Rich

[blucloud]

First would be to study for a license. Not difficult since they have done away with the code requirement.

Secondly would be a UHF/VHF radio ( base or mobile) The antennas are much shorter then HF. Some are very easy to build. They may also be mounted on your tow vehicle or trailer.

Once the bug has bitten (HI HI) time for HF

Good luck with your quest.

Best 73
Dave- WV8P

[68 TWind]

There are lots online ham course study, sites where you can take practice test for you ham license.ARRL has excellent study guides that you can order from the ARRL web site or Amazon. The question pool for each license level is published. The Tech license gives you privileges on VHF and UHF bands and on 10 meters. The next level is General and that allows you to use the HF bands. That opens up the world to you. I would suggest you seek out a local ham club in your area. Go to a meeting and meet some folks. Most big clubs have ham testing sessions on a regular basis. Way too many consideration on which radio will fit your needs to even suggest and you will find folks who can give you pro's and con's of many different radios. For a starter radio, there are some really good Chinese hand held 2M/440mhz for under a $75.

[MrKenmore]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

It's going to take drilling holes to do an NMO connector. Possibly an access panel on the interior that neatly screws over the internal access to the NMO mount.

On my AS the UHF/VHF antenna is simply bracketed to the solar panel mount. Works good enough. The HF antenna is a bit harder.

KE4GNK


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My Base Camp will have solar panels. So that is a good idea. Thanks!!!

[JimAspinwall]

Rich/Llando88,

There are a couple of good forums/exchanges on Facebook - HamRVers, Amateur Radio, Amateur Radio Elmers. I'm trying to get a WBCCI ham page started as well - pending the club's approval. Local ham clubs, even a MakerFair should have some tips to local resources and classes.

I'm slowly building up steps, pics, tips for ham radio in general and unique issues for RV/portable operations. Check out a few of my A/S install pics at www.no1pc.org.

I 'exploited' the FM radio antenna mounting and routing path to an interior cabinet and provided for the requisite Ch 14 CB rally radio and a dual-band rig inside. Using a proper 3/4" hole saw and standard NMO mounts for 27 MHz and 144/440 antennas was easy. I typically use RG-223 coax but any good RG-58 will be fine. No need for special LMR-whatever for any run under 25 feet.

HF is a different and evolving challenge... first stage is the roof top ball mount - it's not yet wired to the interior as I play "field day" on a table outside the trailer - for now. Coax routing for it would likely exploit the A/C system mounting then the interior center channel to get to the same front cabinet. I play with a variety of using a small Tarheel screwdriver up there, or a 16 foot whip or tag-on random wire to an SGC auto-tuner. Nothing stays mounted while underway, so ladder scrambling, for now. The whip+SGC installation replicates that used by the military and Motorola's commercial HF mobile installs. (If I don't feel like playing on the roof I also carry a 40M OCF, random wire, a small cross-bow and masonry line for tree shots.)

The Airstream itself is only a little larger/better than most auto/truck bodies and frames for 'counterpoise' - do NOT expect it will be any better by itself below 21 or 28 MHz... but the advantage of a large, low-slung frame does help ground-effect coupling for 18 MHz and below. At least the skin and frame ARE all metal, metal-to-metal contact - MUCH more so than crimped and glue car body panels which require a LOT of additional bonding to be effective.

One thing I am hoping is that I encounter sites with all copper pipe, if not at least metal-pipe water feeds - which if you think about an RV park layout is a HUGE grid of questionable resistance but better than soil as potential counterpoise. I have a lug point on the trailer frame and a piece of #6 wire I variously clamp on to the water system pipe - it's not ideal - just an experiment - may not help RF directly but can bring the RX noise level down a bit.

Good news is that the A/S 12v power system is clean - the chargers, etc. aren't a noise problem and there is nothing fancy about the DC system to worry about whine, etc. facilitated by ground loops and compromising power management sensor systems in most vehicles. (I added a 75A PowerPole pig-tail at each battery to facilitate adding extra external batteries and as power take off point for the external "field day" table. I do intend to bring the 500w solid state amp along eventually!)

The original owner of our trailer installed a marine bulkhead 'suicide' plug up near the hitch and tanks for his generator convenience. The wiring for that plug was accessible under/behind the front sofa, adjacent to the charger and DC distribution. I re-did that plug to provide a faceplate for an N connector and SMA connector feed-thru - the SMA I will be using to facilitate a custom WiFi client and router to have a secure internal hotspot bubble fed by 2.4 GHz yagi to pick up local camp 'donor' WiFi access point. (I'm due to take some pictures and document that system vs the other expensive WiFi-interference systems being sold.)

If you were out here in NorCal we'd have this setup clean and happy in a day or two !!

I'll go out and snap a few more photos to add to the on-line album for the rest of my install.

de Jim, NO1PC

[Rich Jenkins]

^^^ Cool, Jim.

Believe it or not, I followed most of this.

My brother is an Amateur Extra (?) ham so I will be chatting with him also.

Thanks again for the informative post!

[Robert12]

N6nbf

[explore more]

My wife and I are both hams. We have our mobile radio installed in the tow rig, not in the Airstream. It'd be nice to have in the Airstream, but I'm too worn out from installing our radio in the TV.

[rmkrum]

We put the radio head on the desk at the rear and main unit in closet on street side forward.

Yup, it was a total pain getting cables from closet under kitchen and bath to the head end. Tidy, but a lot of work and vocabulary exercise......😀


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[K4TCJ]

Going to QuartzFest , January 22 to 28 in Quartzite, Arizona. Anyone else heading that way??

[explore more]

Strongly considering attending quartzfest this year. We're only a couple hours away right now.

[Robert24341]

N6NBF in Southern California

[Spinonedad]

K7SRD
Ken
Spokane WA

[pacer]

N7DD with Land Yacht 33 (1996)

[JandDcam]

WA4P
Jim
Flower Mound, Texas
2013 Flying Cloud 25FB

[JimAspinwall]

Flower Mound! Ex-neighbors of sorts. Used to live in Grapevine near the border with Colleyville - 3 years at CFD circa 85-89.

[JandDcam]

Sure has changed a lot since then! Metroplex is growing daily