Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

I know that a corner of a truck isn't the best place for an antenna. Ideally I'd have a NMO mount on the roof like my last 2 trucks. However I have plans to add a roof rack so that's not an option for this truck.

This is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!

Quick question, how much metal was left around the hole after drilling it to 3/4?

 

Thanks!

I used a 3/8" NMO mount, you just have to make sure it can handle the thickness of the relentless fab bracket, which is 3/16." Not many cable assemblies say how thick the mounting surface can be, and I ended up purchasing a separate NMO mount off of eBay because the first one I got didn't cut it.

 

I have the bed rail mount from Pelfreybilt. It also came drilled for 3/8 and I drilled it out so a NMO bulkhead would fit. It's aluminum so it was easy to drill but after mounting the antenna I realized the bend in the bracket isn't quite 90 degrees so the antenna looks a little like /. I'll pull the whole thing apart this weekend to adjust it.

 

The tab with the hole is 1-1/4" wide. So after drilling it out there was 1/4" of metal left on each side. Plenty since it is 3/16" steel. I also used a thick NMO mount.

 

I very much feel the same way.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

@maineah Tim N3YLT (hasn't been active in this thread for 1.5 years) had his HF Screwdriver antenna mounted on the back bed pillar and he talked all over the world with his setup. He has reported in this thread that he did not have to bond anything in the truck.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...d-callsign-thread.260643/page-25#post-7802965

 

Just a thought... You could add the antenna to the roof rack. That's how I did mine. Very happy with it.

I know it's best practice to center the antenna in the ground plane. Here in the photo below, mine is on the extreme edge of the steel roof rack. In my experience, it's not deaf in any direction, and I can still hit mountain top repeaters 100+ miles whether I am parked forward facing or reverse facing. Seems to make no difference.

 

Sweet I just ordered my bracket after getting your info. Thanks again!

 

Welp. I think I'm gonna have some fun with a new radio later today.

I got to watch the UPS guy drop all the packages at the package depot. Not quite Ace Ventura style, but it reminded me of that scene. lol

It's a good thing Gigaparts packaged it so well.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOJiEgxt7RY

 

I don't think that was what you really wanted to order. Just grab my address off QRZ and send it, I will give it a good home.

 

Show up at Rock Therapy next week and you can play with my mobile antenna farm, and the big portable dipole I have with me.

 

Maybe for xmas.

 

$50 between the 7900 and 8900..... the Dual band vs Quad Band

 

I would love to be at Rock Therapy and play with you antennas. Just not in the cards this year. I have a 3 week motorcycle ride with my dad and brother in July.

 

W9IMS special event station for the Indy 500 was on 14.255 this morning

Good luck

 

I have a question for those of you familiar with Yaesu.

Last night I updated the firmware on the FTM-100DR. Yaesu requires that a small rubber cap be removed from the transceiver body, and a micro dip switch be moved on the main board to allow firmware updating. It's a lot like playing that old game "operation." I have no issues with the procedure... However, If I mount this transceiver under a seat I don't see how I'll ever be able to move that tiny switch again without pulling out the seat, or somehow making the mounting bracket removable. I even tried leaving the switch in the programming position, but the radio would not power up.

Do other Yaesu radios work in a similar way? Suggestions?

 

I have my TM-D700 mounted under the seat, and while not a dip switch/jumper I have a similar difficulty with updates/programming modes.
I'd recommend putting thumb screws in to hold the radio to the bracket, so it's easier to remove. OR you could do what I did with the Icom IC-706, and just put the hook side of velcro on the base of the radio, and stick it to the floor.

It WON'T move around, and it is pretty easy to pull out when you're motivated.

 

Thanks Lars. Appreciated. I guess I'll have to get creative with mounting it.

 

TM-D700 under the passenger's seat.


My old TS-480Sat under the driver's seat. The IC-706MkII.g is identical, with an LDG Z100 tuner next to it now.



I've since routed all the cables under the carpet, by cutting a single slit under each seat.

 

Looking forward to this!

 

Excellent! Great radio! Did you get the Larsen NMO 2/70B?