Any Members in Arkansas?

Oh... why didn't you get the NGP?

 

Y'all need to jump over to ham.

 

Stupid is as stupid does, maybe? I dunno, seemed like those were intended for RV's, they don't have the same range, and I figured I could work out any grounding issues. I guess if I have issues I can just buy a NGP antenna.

Doesn't that require a license? Taking a test and all that?

 

Absolutely. You are licensed through the FCC. The Tech exam isn't difficult at all. That's all you need. There is no comparison between CB and ham.

 

But I like Spam.

Those things are expensive and I am not much of a talker, but I will check them out a bit more.

 

Um, yeah, here's a nice kit: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yaesu-FT-8...002868?hash=item1a39fc8fb4:g:2TIAAOSwB09YGiNe

Not sure I'm ready to dive in that deep, though, lol.

 

That's certainly an option, but would be considered overkill by most hams. Something like this would be more than sufficient. https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-011362

This, your antenna and antenna mount would cost you less than $250. Your exam would cost you around $15. Ham gets expensive when you start talking about your home station. IF you wanted to go cheaper, just get yourself a little HT.

$63 BAOFENG BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...oken=TiU8ij0rHvtpnfI4hYICJQ&slotNum=1&ie=UTF8

 

Ok, not to be ADD and change the subject, but if you like PB&J's, check out this article.

https://www.outsideonline.com/22945...ignmonitor outsidemagazine&utm_term=READ MORE

 

I'll be there "soon." I plan to get a Yaesu FTM-100DR. I am yet to sort out an antenna solution

Ah, I didn't even know FireStik sold antennas that weren't NGP. Just going to run a ground wire down through the hole in the tailgate jam (that you probably have) to the frame I guess?

 

Had one last night, love my PB&J. I had PB with me on our trip but forgot jelly. Always good on mountain biking trips -- PB&J for protein and energy, and a banana to replace potassium. And some jerky and trail mix. I can't do the energy chews or gels (make me feel sick) and don't really like the bars much. They'll do in a pinch.

Not sure yet. I need to see how the bed is bolted together. Since I have to drill to put the mount on, it should be well-grounded to that metal piece on the bed side between the bed and tailgate. I just need to make sure that metal piece has a good connection to the frame. If I can't find a good place for the ground strap, I will run a ground wire along with the antenna wire down to the frame. Antenna wire should run along the frame along some other wiring, and I found a grommet where wires go into the cab along the door sill right off of the frame there, so should have plenty of length to work with.

 

Sounds like you've got a plan

 

Yeah, but you know what they say about best-laid plans. Expecting some frustration along the way. I got under it last night, and it looks like all the metal parts, while thin, are connected to the frame. Main issue should be paint blocking a good ground where they are bolted together. I've got a multimeter, so I should be able to figure it out.

Luckily I've got a convenient spot to tune SWR. I live at the very back of a subdivision on a big circle with only one other house that is at the entrance to the circle. Nobody comes back here, so it's like I have the entire circle to myself. I can just pull into the middle of the circle to do SWR tuning with nothing in the way for 50 - 100 feet in any direction. If I need to fix something, I can just pull back into the driveway.

 

Keep an eye to the sky this afternoon and evening, gents, and stay safe. Tis the season

https://www.weather.gov/lzk/

 

@TenBeers If possible, I'd recommend putting some kind of load through your ground path to verify that it has decent capacity. A resistance measurement is a good start, but it's really only half of the info you need. A power probe would be handy for this. If you don't have one then a 9v battery, some scrap wire, and a flash light bulb should be all you need to verify that it will be a good ground.

 

Good call, I like your low-tech engineering approach. Sometimes we forget how simple things can be with all this technology. I can easily rig something up between the antenna mount and frame to check load, probably easier to do that than use the dang multimeter!

Everything arrived today -- EXCEPT the dang antenna! I was pissed at first. Trying to give the little guy some business and they mess it up. I sent a note to them (RightChannel) and they got back to me really quickly, seems the antenna package got separated and will show up tomorrow. They sent me the tracking info to validate, so I can't blame it on them. I have plenty of stuff to do before I need the antenna anyway. The fuse tap they sell doesn't look like it will work on Toyotas (really big fuses), but I know AutoZone has the right ones or I can go another route, just really like those fuse taps for a clean and easy install. Either way, the RightChannel guys seem solid and have good prices on the main stuff you need, get the little stuff at a local place.

 

Sounds like we ought to do a communications workshop ....

Where am I?

 

Albuquerque

 

Noooooooo, this is ABQ

 

Well I can't help you then, hope you figure it out.