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Updates: Oct 2004: finishing up the mobile antenna shootout July 2004: Added antenna testing and more photos June 2004: |
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[Mobile Station] [Antennas] [Mobile Power] [Noise Noise] [A Mobile History] [Sold Equipment] [Fixed] [Walkabout] [Other Hobbies] [Links] |
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It started out so innocently: just one radio. The Kenwood 9130 It was (once) once a pretty good radio. Really simple to use, I could find all the controls in the dark, just by touch. The display of LEDs (No wimpy LCDs here, this is a REAL radio!) was bright. Nice chrome panel, and lots of power! Of course the radio is just about useless now. It is limited to 5 memories, no tones, no programmable split, no scan, cannot receive out of band frequencies. (But it really is pretty) So finally after listening to the radio to all the repeaters I could not use (no tones), and upgrading my license, I decided a change was needed. I needed a radio that would actually make contacts! (Nope: I dont want to sell it.. one day I will get schematics and install a tone generator!) At this point, I did not have an HF station. So why not go all the way and get a Icom 706 (yep this was a while ago) Full remote, this radio promised everything would be easy. Visions of routine contacts 1000s of miles away on the way to work danced in my head. (Hams are weird!) This was a while ago, before all the improvements in the radio were made. . I would look much more carefully now but back then was a different story. I installed it in my Ford Bronco and it worked! Kinda. It is downright hard to use, the big LCD is pretty, but you definitely have to look at the screen to use it. Not all that much fun at 65 miles an hour. Splits, Tones and scan/search were all pretty limited. After playing with it for about a year or two , I decided to get a 144M/440M radio along with the 706. (And maybe I would finally get the time to put the 706 on HF!) So I bought a Yeasu 8100R. Visions of cross band operation danced in my head! Nice Radio! Solid power output,was easy to install and use. Great Display, True dual receive is great. Solid Performer. I was happy. Maybe I’ll get that 706 on HF now! But then, the Bronco started rusting away. (The tailgates are an awful design.) The brakes needed replacing, exhaust system was shot. $3000 just to make it pass inspection.. nope time to get rid of this. (I really liked the Bronco and if they fix the design problems I would buy one again in a moment.) The problem with this radio was the fan noise: it was downright distracting and annoying. I sold the radio to a friend. He has been having some trouble with the remote head operation: the finders to the cable keep on failing... darn annoying...) Ahh, the dream truck. I had been driving my wife’s beat up, “had to pull it to the shoulder and restart it every once in a while”, Tauras. (I dont like it!) One day driving down I287, sweating like I was in the shower (the AC died a year before) that was it. I had to find something. (We had replaced the engine and went thru three transmissions all paid for by Ford) I had always wanted a pickup. I had a Jeep J10 before and with my other hobbies (ATVs, home building) it would be perfect. Visions of hauling the world . while making 1000s of contacts danced in my head. Well you try to find a used Ford F series in good shape. I also wanted 4WD and F250 minimum with extended or crew cab. I looked for almost a year, all while driving that *($% Taurus. . Suddenly a friend mentioned he was selling his truck: 1994 F250 4WD. I knew the mechanic and it was in fine shape. So while trying to pretend I was negotiating, I bought it in a flash! Ahh the promise of Air Conditioning! So I started to move the 8100 and 706 into the pickup. In the meantime between the Bronco and the Tauras I had the 8100 with the faceplace remote from the radio. In the truck it was much easier to put in a mount (Galls) and eliminate the remote. Hey what is that whirring sound? That is annoying. There is a FAN behind this radio and it runs all the time! This is really annoying. I looked for a fix and found all the negative reviews of the 8100. Yipes! I guess I had been lucky, mine worked fine all these years. Answer? Time for a new radio! I had wanted to add 220 operation anyway. The TM742AD looks perfect! TriBand operation, remote control, lots of power and features features features. ( Visions of meeting new friends on new bands danced in my head.) While the radio does not have a PC interface or an alpha display, it works wonderfully. (I changed my mind about the alpha and PC control later!) Lots of power, and three bands in one radio! Awesome. This is getting pretty neat. I installed the 742A and have been delighted with it. Humm... maybe now I’ll get the 706 on HF! Interrupt! I joined the rescue squad. The squad gives me a pager.Ok , nice of them, but this is a poor excuse for a radio. Even as a receiver, it is boring, dull, and ugly. (I have to write the HT story sometime soon.) So the HF had to wait for the scanner install. I had tried using the 742, but I did not want to give up listening to 2M while waiting for alerts. Scanning between frequencies was just too slow. After not looking high and low, I walked into RadioShack and bought a 2067. The ease of walking into the store and buying something was too much to resist. Not bad on the price, I could just walk in and pick it up! Plugged it in and it worked. Visions of knowing everything going on in town danced in my head. I could hear the dispatch frequency, squad operations channel, the various Fire channels... it was great! until.... (and I still have this radio: my son uses it) But I dont see very well and the display is really small. But worse of all, the sensitivity did not compare to the 742A. I simply cannot depend upon it for rescue work. . Ok, shame on me, I decided poorly. I was beginning to really depend upon this radio. This time I looked high and low. Examined all sorts of radios and choose the Bearcat 780XLT. This is awesome unit. (and many years later, I still think so!) Well guess what? Now I know everything that is going on in town! This is a great radio. It receives more than I want sometimes. Excellent sensitivity, easy to use, ready for trunk tracking it works great. I did have a scare with it once. The truck heated up sitting in the sun, and the display contrast went to zero. After a couple of days in the AC, it came back. (Yep the truck Air Conditioning is enough for a penguin.) Whew! Everytime I pull out the manual, I learn something new and play with a new feature. Now I can start my way to the squad building before “tones” go out. Great radio. (And I am hoping for upgrades to digital.) I bought it from “Scanners Unlimited”, good bunch of folks there. (I’ve done alot of testing on this radio and will write my comparisons some other time.) Humm, now the 2m/440/ 220 is working and the scanner is in place. . But look at that poor 706 just sitting there. It is just screaming: GIVE ME AN ANTENNA! I’ve learned my lesson, it is worth looking into the reviews before I buy. (Okay I am slow!) I started looking at HF mobile antenna solutions. I considered and AH-4 with a whip, considered building something but decided upon the Tarheel screwdriver antenna. The screwdriver just makes sense to me. It actually changes length when I change frequencies. I bought the AMCOM controller along with it. Ahh, now finally visions of 1000s of HF contacts is becoming a glimmer. (I must admit it is more fun having the visions than actually building it!) I installed the Tarheel mount on the toolbox on the truck. Humm, this is a big chunk of metal should be enough of a ground! Ran wires to the Amcom.. Gee there is alot of equipment in here... lots of wires. The AMCOM ended up being a waste, so I switched to the AMAC controller: nice.... almost!!! I tore everything out. Ran wires directly to the battery then to a distribution block thru fuses on both sides. Each radio has it own filters. The collection of switches for the lights was replaced with a nice (but $$) box from Galls. I bought the 6 function button panel (see it here) The entire effort took a couple of weeks. Well that shows those alarm people up. This is downright pretty now! Ok Ok time to get back to HF! I left for a work related trip and upon arrival the Antenna was at a weird angle. The mount broke. The folks at Tarheel replaced it it instantly, but those visions are getting dimmer and dimmer as this turns into real work! ’ Well.. the kids are growing and time for a new vehicle. I was right, a crew cab is needed. So I traded in the old truck and bought a new 2002 F250 Diesel. (in 2003.. there were only 2 left in the state!) Excellent machine: I am very impressed. But of course, it is time to start all over... that story continues (restarts) here. I have been working on two problems: Noise and Antenna Tuning. See my setup now |
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[WB2EWB Ham Radio] [Mobile Station] [Fixed] [Walkabout] [Other Hobbies] [Links] |
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Copyright 2004 by Philip P. Thompson, All rights reserved. |