Ham Radio in A/S

[switz]

Just checking into this thread - WD9EMC

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by Safari-Rick

When Cell towers go down and land lines (i.e earthquakes) etc. It's the Ham operator that is still able to communicate and get the message out.

this is what makes the Ham Operator network so important and reliable.

The link below has a lot of good information.

Amateur Radio Emergency Communication

[themartaman1]

N4KNQ Stockbridge, GA.

[aa9zz]

I worked all 3077 counties in the US and over fifty countries mobile using a bumper mount vertical grounded to the frame. I used 80 watts with no tuner but I did tune the antenna. Even a mag mount to the top will work well but you will need to remove it when traveling.

de Phil, AA9Z



QUOTE=K9GVF;1280039]Ramblings...

I've heard of the flagpole stand idea for a vertical antenna, and am considering trying this as I just acquired an LDG 31' telescoping vertical, and use my SGC-230 at the base. As with any vertical the most important element is the missing one - the counterpoise - without it a vertical is almost useless. The other aspect is that a vertical has a low take-off angle and we'll lose a 45-90 degree swath of coverage in the direction of the nearby trailer, and anything else. You also risk projecting a lot more RF to nearby folks at that low elevation.

My second idea is to mount a plate to hold a 3/8-24 ball mount (I have one of the old heavy duty ones) stood-off atop the trailer, and mount an SGC-230 auto-tuner next to it. Excellent 'native' counter-poise, omni-pattern... and... with a 10' CB whip I get vertical. Pull the tip over and I have NVIS. Remove the whip, attach a wire and toss the other end into a tree...

As soon as I get the right stand-off channel to mount probably a 19" rack panel to hold the ball mount and tuner, I'll get some pics. The stand-off channel would be secured to the internal roof frame rails.

If all else fails, the old wire in tree to tuner grounded to A/S frame or water pipe may have to do.[/QUOTE]

[rmkrum]

KE4GNK here...

Our A/S has a Yaesu FT-857 control head and external speaker carefully mounted on the desk in the rear, with the main unit in a steel enclosure in the front closet. Has power distribution, low voltage cut-off and fans for cooling (WestMountain parts)The radio main unit has both RF outputs run into the upper refrigerator door are so it's easy to connect to external antennas. Have a permanent mount 2-meter antenna on the roof for easy use.

Also working on a remote control self-raising mount for an HF ATAS-120B screwdriver antenna on the roof for easy setup. Seen a few ideas in stainless steel from the Tarheel folks, but want to make it out of aluminum to match the roof contour and make it a little more low-profile. The solar panel on the roof has to be worked around to make this fit easily. More to come when I get it working.

[wxbuoy]

Would love to see pics as I am in the early stages of a remodel and would welcome any ideas!
KB1JFZ

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by wxbuoy

Would love to see pics as I am in the early stages of a remodel and would welcome any ideas!
KB1JFZ

Unfortunately the trailer is parked 90 miles away right now, but here are more details.

The steel box is a Leviton 14" by 14" white steel box designed for home networks (Home Depot) with a screw-on cover mounted on the rear wall of the closet in front of the A/S with short screws (lots of them) into the plywood wall. For ventilation, we punched out ALL the holes in the top and bottom of the box, and have a small computer fan mounted in there to move air. Switch is on the side of the box.

Future plans include a screwdriver vertical with a self-raising mount on the roof as well--more cables to run!

The mobile mount for the 957 is screwed into the same wall, through the steel box. It's mounted high enough to clear the cover over the hot water heater in the bottom of the closet and be easy to reach. We ran a heavy power cable to the underside of the FB and connected it to the house batteries through a pair of 30-amp automotive-style fuse holders at the ground junction and the house side of the relay. The other end has PowerPole connectors to plug into the rig runner mounted inside the box. The rig runner has a low voltage alarm to remind us to disconnect from battery when this is not in use. A low-voltage cutoff would be a better idea--that's next.

The remote cables for the microphone, control head and the speaker were painstakingly run under the kitchen, under the shower, and into the desk at the rear. My son and I exhausted most of our vocabulary getting that to happen...fishing under there is an exercise in patience.

The remote speaker is mounted on the desktop, as is the control head. A smallish table-top grommet from Home Depot provides wire access from the stack of drawers on the right of the desk. Microphone clip is mounted to the side of the Lav wall to provide a space for the microphone.

Two short RG-8 jumpers carry the main unit's RF connectors out of the box. An extension cable carries the UHF output to a ceiling hole that is inside our solar panel connection on the roof and it exits through a packing gland on the rear of that junction box. From there it goes to a 2-meter antenna bracketed to the side at the solar panel mount. There are two so-239 extenders about 6 inches long that go through the back of the closet close to the interior skin into the refrigerator upper vent door area (side mounted) to allow easy connections to any portable antennas.

Future plans include a self-raising screwdriver antenna mounted on the roof.

[AlumaTurtle]

aa0ae
just new to AS forums not new to AS
am i right that there is no activity here since 2002

[Wayne&Sam]

Nope. The thread started in 2002 and there were posts just a couple of weeks ago.

[AlumaTurtle]

just saw that after i posted new to AS forums didn't realize new post were on p 25

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by davedora

just saw that after i posted new to AS forums didn't realize new post were on p 25

I have AirForums set up to display newest post first on my computer (reverse order) just so I don't do the same. Can't remember exactly how I did that.

[Lightbender]

N7LHK - Setting up remote head-unit in back table area for an ICOM IC-901A with modules for 2m/440/1.2/10m in our 27' International FB. Would like to use small Kenwood TH-28A handhelds to keep in touch with XYL.

May even wire in one of my dual band Kenwood mobiles for cross-band repeater operation to extend the range of two handie talkies; one on 2m and the other on 440.

This way, I could be fly fishing down the river and my wife could be anywhere in the campground or just outside the AS and pick up my calls on her 440 handheld while I come in on 2m. She would not have to be inside the AS to hear me and to communicate.

73,
Rick

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Lightbender

N7LHK - Setting up remote head-unit in back table area for an ICOM IC-901A with modules for 2m/440/1.2/10m in our 27' International FB. Would like to use small Kenwood TH-28A handhelds to keep in touch with XYL.

May even wire in one of my dual band Kenwood mobiles for cross-band repeater operation to extend the range of two handie talkies; one on 2m and the other on 440.

This way, I could be fly fishing down the river and my wife could be anywhere in the campground or just outside the AS and pick up my calls on her 440 handheld while I come in on 2m. She would not have to be inside the AS to hear me and to communicate.

73,
Rick

That sounds like a good setup. Maybe we'll be the same place at the same time sometime.

73,
Ken W7TS - I spent the first 50 years of my life in King County

[Lightbender]

Thanks for the reply. I've got all of these nice radios and it seems nobody is into Ham Radio anymore. Oh well, I like all this stuff and all the rest of my fly fishing and camping stuff and soon we are going to just pull up stakes and head out.

[rmkrum]

Hey, there are LOTS of us out here into ham radio--and not just when camping. We have a complete Yeasu setup in our Silver HamShack plus a ton of radios both fixed and portable. We live in earthquake country, so I am always ready to communicate after a shake...

Just need more time for casual operating...

KE4GNK/AE

[MrAgent007]

Finally installed my Kenwood TS-480SAT and Chameleon antenna on my new Ford F350 King Ranch. Installation ideas if you need them. My Weatherguard tool box is grounded to the truck fame and body. RF choke mounted just below antenna.

[MrAgent007]

[nm1oqrz]

Hello fellow Streamers. There is a blog where a couple built ham radio into their Airstream. Google "dream stream odyssey...chasing 75 degrees" and they have lots of neat ways of mounting and utilizing the radios in their Airstream.
Happy camping nm1oqrz

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by MrAgent007

Finally installed my Kenwood TS-480SAT and Chameleon antenna on my new Ford F350 King Ranch. Installation ideas if you need them. My Weatherguard tool box is grounded to the truck fame and body. RF choke mounted just below antenna.

Alex,


Very nicely done. I'll drop my truck off next weekend. Can you have it done by Wednesday of the following week?


Ken W7TS

[MrAgent007]

Yes! Just leave a very big tip please!

My original post indicated grounded to truck fame... It should be to truck frame...