Amateur Radio mounts for the MKX

[punch-card]

This is for you Ham operators , others are welcome to read...

 

So I wanted start a thread to exchange a few idea with other operators, and show you what I did and maybe see they way you mounted your rig.

My objective was I did not want to drill holes, take the dash apart or anything major. So it isn't as clean as some would want.

 

So as you can see I mounted my Icom on a "engineered" bracket that mounts to a magnetic cell phone mount.

Then I took small black tie raps with about 1/2" to 3/4" tail and slipped it in the crack to keep the cable in place.

The control head is in the perfect location for me because it does not block either the speedometer or the park button, yet easy to reach without having to take you eye off the road much.

 

I continued down the side stoping in the pocket to spool extra cable and a connection point for the mic.

Then I have the cable ran under the drivers seat, then under the carpet mat then back to the plastic tray in front of the spare tire where the radio base is located. Also I have an external speaker under the drivers seat.

 

  

 

Then I have a Diamond 2/440 1/4-1/2wave on a mag mount, then you can see how I laced the rg-58 back down the side of the opening to come into the cabin at the bottom of the door, I figure there will be less chance of water penetration there.

 

 

 

So now the next step is to install a relay under the hood and run a power back to the radio. Right now  the radio is fed with the 12v plug in the back, but I can only use 5w out because of lack of circuit capacity.

 

Then I probably will try to pull both the 12v line from the engine compartment and then along with the other cables run them under the carpet, hopefully I can find a wire chase that I can utilize.

 

So has anyone else out there solved the power feed issue mounting their rig?

 

Thanks for your feedback...

Mike  & 73

de wa4qfy

[Cosmos36]

Back in the day when flying Navy recon patrols out of Adak, the only communication link with our wives stateside was via ham operators throughout the Aleutian Islands. When the 'BIG ONE' strikes the Cascadia Subduction Zone in Oregon, folks like yourself may be the only communication links to the outside world.

[thisguy159]

And for next trick a turn table will be installed with cutting edge seven-inch records

[mtmtmt]

Looks good - I haven't done anything yet, but hope to.

 

Mark

KC3FCJ

[akirby]

Serious question - what do you guys actually talk about?

[Cosmos36]

While camping in eastern Oregon a few years ago, the most memorable ham radio 'conversation' I ever overheard in my life was some guy narrating a float plane landing on a local lake and taxiing up to a dock when a young lady came running toward the plane and ran into the spinning prop. It was reported later that the pilot was joining his fiancé (the young lady) for the weekend.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Cosmos36

[punch-card]

Serious question - what do you guys actually talk about?

 

I think Cosmos36 is just reminiscing, if you don't know what Amateur radio is, then I need to send you some CW (morse code)

[akirby]

I know what it is and at one time I owned a CB radio but that was before cell phones and the internet.   I'm sincerely curious about the types of things that ham operators talk to each other about nowadays. 

[Cosmos36]

Mike...are you adept at CW? Straight key, Navy knob, or sideswiper?

[PDX97229]

I am surprised at all of the responses to this thread. Cosmos we just got back from Goldendale...saw Saturn's rings! Also saw smoke from the Oil Train fire!

 

I was so good at CW even as a Novice as I found that my parents always caught me if I got on the air when I was supposed to be doing Homework. I found with CW and headphones (cans) I never got caught. My CW speed went very high and I could talk on the telephone and copy cw at the same time!

 

'73 ALL

Dave W6TGE

Edited June 6, 2016 by PDX97229

[punch-card]

Straight Key then to a sideswiper, But I am so rusty now, I guess when I retire I will polish the contacts

 

Mike...are you adept at CW? Straight key, Navy knob, or sideswiper?

 

Better man than me.... I never got real fast, but I did not get my ticket until junior in high school, and I did not have the gear until college, then I was too busy working on my BS EET.

 

I was so good at CW even as a Novice as I found that my parents always caught me if I got on the air when I was supposed to be doing Homework. I found with CW and headphones (cans) I never got caught. My CW speed went very high and I could talk on the telephone and copy cw at the same time!

[enigma-2]

In today's wars, our servicemen have real-time computer connections with video. Back during the Vietnam era, we talked to our wives via the MARS amateur radio network.

 

We stood online for an hour or two at a fixed base, rhen used a telephone and they set up a country-by-country connection, from Southeast Asia back to the "world".

 

"Hi honey, I'm fine, over". And the you cold hear click, click, click as one after another operator would click over from send to receive.

 

Thank God for those guys, they made a real difference back then. CQ20. Thanks.

[Cosmos36]

When I wasn't boring holes in the sky over the Marshall Islands (Operation Redwing A-bomb/H-bomb tests), I occasionally did duty as the squadron's base radio in Kwajalein's NAS radio shack. Quite often I shared the facility with a career Navy Samoan who certainly qualified as the most gifted radio operator on the planet. In brief: he wore a split headset while simultaneously monitoring incoming coded (Morse) messages over two different frequencies. With two typewriters in front of him, he would acknowledge multiple incomings, putting low priority traffic on hold, copy the priority message(s), and immediately transition to copying the waiting messages while alternating on the two machines. He always transmitted with a bug and worked a duty shift without breaking a sweat.

 

Sorry for hijacking the thread...couldn't pass up some recognition of an amazing military person on D-day.

[chazmink]

Old thread but still relevant to hams today. I’m hoping resurrecting it will generate an exchange of ideas and solutions.  For those that are interesting in finding out more about ham radio here is a good starting point http://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio

 

I just got a 2016 MKX Reserve in mid-January   I have a Yaesu  FT-857D which I’m considering installing.   As a compact HF/VHF/UHF rig many of the OP’s solutions are on point. My rig also has a remote head and is conducive to mounting the main unit and an external speaker under the driver’s seat. My rig draws at most 22 amps on HF transmit so will need to be powered directly from the battery.  The mag mount antenna will be fine for VHF/UHF but a more substantial mount will be needed for the HF bands. Any suggestions from those of you who have been down this road would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks. 

Charlie

W2TV