Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Thanks dude I appreciate the help!

 

Yeah dude, no problem.

 

Also, just looked up the radio you said you first had. That is exactly what i would like. Simple and not to much going on. Now i don't have to have a huge antenna on my roof for something like this would I? Theoretically I would like something as small as possible.

 

Don't know what your definition of a huge antenna would be. My antenna on my roof is around 49" tall. You can unscrew it from the base also if you need to go into a parking garage. And you don't need to have it on the roof. I just did it because it was the best ground plane. You can mount off your bumper, hood, bed rails, ect. @Lars can jump in and you can see his setup. I swear his truck sprouts new antennas.

Buy the ham book and start reading. It will not only make you legal to operate on ham bands, but the stuff you learn is invaluable. Plus you can save lives.

Edit: Forgot to say, there are a boat load of different antenna options...like more than you want to know.

 

what is that flat antenna for XM or GPS?

 

The little black box is a Byonics GPS5, Which is connected to my dedicated APRS transmitter

 

If you click on the "07 Mobile Antenna Farm" link in my sig, you'll get to see most of the radio installation I've done on my truck.

As for not wanting a huge antenna on your roof. If you go with 2m only. a good quarter wave is only 19" tall. (see the silver whips in the below photo.)
These are currently just sitting on the roof, I was looking at placement, should be drilling holes tomorrow or Friday after work.

I've got a dual band transceiver in the truck (2m and 70cm.) That accounts for one of the Stainless steel whips, and the little "film can" antennas. The second 2m whip is for a dedicated APRS transmitter, which broadcasts Telemetry from my truck (lat/lon, altitude, speed, direction, and a message) every 2 minutes.

I've also got a tiny CB radio, and an HF transceiver. So four radios total, and five antennas.

 

Any reason for putting it on your roof and not mounting it on your dash? (dumb question)

 

Here are some Antenna Options I've gone through...

CB Antenna Mount - 2' Firestick on a spring.


This is a Diamond SG-7700 mounted on half of a Comet hatch back mount. (dual band 2m/70cm)




This is that same comet mount, when it was whole, attached to the hood. with a Comet

$72 SBB-2 146/446 MHz Dual Band Mobile Antenna 18" PL-259

SBB-2 dual band antenna (2m/70cm)


Big white coil in the middle of the tool box, with the stainless steel whip is my HF antenna.


In that photo you'll see the big Diamond antenna is on the opposite side of the toolbox from my CB antenna. That's where the APRS antenna used to be mounted.

I eventually moved both 2m/70cm antennas to new hatch back mounts hanging from each of the Access Cab Doors, with Generic clones of Comet SBB-1 flexible dual band antennas.


Long term though, both of those are going away and being replaced with the three antennas on the roof from my previous post.

 

it was magnetic, and the radio is mounted under the rear seat on the drivers side. Was easy to just run the cable through the back and into the cab, and satellite lock happens faster this way I figure.

 

QSL that.

 

Soo... I’m wondering what folks use to update such dedicated transmitters with status and/or frequency info.

 

serial cable, and software that runs on Windows, or Linux. (in my case, I'm using Linux.)

 

Hey guys so I'm pretty new to the whole vhf radio thing. I've got an icom f121 for my truck, but I'm getting lost in a sea of antennas and mounts. I got the radio for my off road adventures as vhf has become extremely popular here and cb is basically dead. What I'm having trouble with is I need an Antena that can withstand being caught in trees and branches etc. Mounting locations I'm kinda limited to two the easiest being drivers side L bracket type the other option is somehow attaching one to my rear swing out. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated

 

Passed my basics with honors today. Put in a request for call sign "VA7FTS"

Should officially have my call sign by tomorrow morning.

 

Why so limited on location?

Honestly, if you're willing to commit for real I'm super impressed with how well the 1/4wave 2m Larsen whips are working on the top of my truck.
They're flexible enough I can drive into the 7' ramp at work. (my factory stereo antenna is 7'3") Due to the large solid ground plane under the antenna the 1/4 wave works better than any of the short dual band antennas I've run along the bed rail, or on the edge of the hood.



If you're opposed to drilling holes in the roof, you could either do a small magnet mount NMO with the 2m whip on the roof. OR you could do a truck edge/hatch back style mount on the hood like this... This is a Comet mount, with a Comet

$72 SBB-2 146/446 MHz Dual Band Mobile Antenna 18" PL-259

SBB-2 Antenna

 

Excellent! Congrats!

 

Ya I'm not drilling holes in my roof. My locations are limited because most of the bed space is used up, most of the time with my rtt and tools and gear and due to the tool box I have my rack and rtt sit back further than most. I just figured those two locations would be the easiest to setup. I was mainly concerned about bending my oe antenna is pretty beat up and needs to be replaced the threaded part is bent badly it touches my snorkel now lol

 

I run this around town for better tx/rx, but when I'm in the woods I bought a rubber duck and just switch them out.

 

Rubber duck?