How many ham radio operators on this forum?

[woodworker414]

KDØKLJ Bill Crystal City, Mo. no I'm not net control, just wondering how many hams on this forum,what rig you are using, the freq that you are monitoring as you travel, and probably the most important question where did you mount your radio. In our E-450, man just not a lot of room to hang a radio. Really don't want to put a radio on top of the dog house. Really don't want to hang it on the side of the dog house. There is enough room in our C for the driver and passenger now but to put extra stuff, wow where. I don't want to put it on the top of the dash either.So I guess the only place is to hang it from the bed above. What are you doing. Where did you put your radio, where did you put your antenna and what kind of antenna did you use? I plan on having a nice shack at the dinette in the C someday. We don't eat at the dinette anyway, so its a good spot for the shack and the computer. Plus i can look out the window.
73's
Bill

[Elkhartjim]

Are you only interested in class c owners? I know two but one has a class a and one a tt.

[woodworker414]

Heck no this is open to anyone just hoping that I can get some ideas for my C. So anybody who wants to just jump in here and let the good times roll. Heck maybe we could get a good rag chew going.
Bill

[TXiceman]

We have a Ham/CB forum here. Please introduce yourself there as well.

I use a Yaesu FT857D and a ATAS 120 screw driver on my F350 while on the road. I have a mount for the antenna on the trailer and a power cord connected to the batteries with an Anderson Power Pole connection in the trailer at my "station".

73's
Ken
KE5DFR

[GreatWhite]

Been messing with radio since 1956 when I was KN5MPJ (My Pal Joey).
Later, WB6PBQ.. and Now N6GHG.. much better for CW

[mudpuppy]

I installed a Kenwood ST-480 in our class A with a screwdriver antenna on the back.

[woodworker414]

Good Morning mudpuppy, I'm sorry for the mistake of posting in the wrong forum, I'll try not to do that again, my question, what kind of screwdriver are you using, and why didn't you put it on the ladder to get it higher up? I was planning on using a screwdriver also, the ASTS120A with a FT857D by Yaesu, since they are a matched pair. But I was going to put a mount on the ladder of the C and put the antenna up higher at least get the whip part above the roof, is that necessary? What kind of coax did you use? I was thinking of stepping up to the LMR-400 because of the chasis frame which the coax will be running along to get to the back of the C.
Bill

[TXiceman]

Bill, you did not post in the wrong forum. I was just pointing out that we do have a Ham forum.

As for the ladder, you need to be sure you have the ladder well grounded to the chassis. I really like my FT857D and ASAS120 set up in the truck. It is a great little radio for the money, but nothing like my Yaesu FT950 at home.

Have you looked at using the 857 with the separation kit?

Hope you get the radio set up to work for you.

[mudpuppy]

Bill,
I did not use the ladder due to the lack of a good ground as well as overall height considerations. The unit I used is a Tarheel 300 and I had a second reciver tube welded to my hitch so I could still pull a car in the future. I ran the stock RG-8X that came with the kit.

[woodworker414]

Good Morning TXiceman, I haven't made any decision as yet, on which way to go. I really like the 857 I will probably use it as a base most of the time, but will want to take it when we can travel, not able to go now the DW is really ill. I know that I will need a power supply in the huse, and I thought that the NCG CHA-250B antenna would be a good choice for my location, got to keep the city fathers happy and the DW also. Man what a great hobby, I am having so much fun with this. I am a retired carpenter with poor vision, but I can sure play with this stuff. A quick story, not knowing where this hobby is going to head, I bought the Yaesu FT270R hand held, well with the rubber ducky, I wasn't having a lot of fun our local repeater which is only 1 1/2 miles from my hoouse is hardly used, the most active one is south of me by about 50 miles, so I moaned to a buddy, he has been a ham for a little over 50 years, well he said I think that we can do something about that and he loaned me a 5 element beam, man what a difference, I have been on the air almost everyday now, the beam is on a 5' piece pipe tied to a tree back of the house, hey it works. got mo on the air right after I got the radio. Its still there, and will be until I make up my mind on what I am going to do.
73's
Bill

[TXiceman]

Bill, I have used the 857 in the house with a power supply. In the RV, I run off the RV battery and don't mess with a power supply.

I got my license in about 2003 or 2004 and found I needed to get to the General class. I had an FT897D in the house until I for the FT950. For home antennas, I use a ground mounted Butternut HF9V with 12, 30' radials. I also us a Carolina Windom 80 Special at 50'. We are on a wooded acre and not antenna restrictions. I have a 50' pushup pole and a Butternutt HF5B, butterfly beam that I need to get up when I get through with the RV projects.

When on the road, I will some times use my 20/40m dipole as an inverted V using a fiberglass push up pole.

[AFChap]

I run an Icom IC-207H 2/440 mobile rig in the MH with a Larsen thru-the-glass antenna high on the driver side window. The antenna works amazingly well, especially considering it is mounted on dual pane glass!!! The IC-207H has a detachable faceplate that I velcroed to the bottom of the dash with the main part of the radio crammed up beyond foot reach.

Most of the time when driving I am monitoring 146.52 unless I am in an area where I know the most active repeater freq.

[wa8yxm]

Not only am I a Ham (I think I mentioned that earlier) And of course my call is my screen name.. But I'm a happy ham

For some time now I've had a bad connection either in my mic plug or the radio's mic socket.. Well.. This evening I narrowed it down the the mic plug.

Opening the plug up I narrowed it down to a WHITE wire (Which was a good 1/16" from where it should be) A quick application of iron and solder and.. I don't have a problem any more.!!! (Ok, I still have problems.. Just not that one)

[AFChap]

I am debating with myself on doing surgery on my Icom IC-207H, for less serious problem than a bad mic wire. In the faceplate, the left half has just recently become darker than the right half. I am presuming there is a small bulb/backlight that has burned out...