HAM Radio

It looks like you have to move the coax from one antenna to the other? It would really be a sweet set up if you could install a weatherproof remote coax switch. Then you wouldn’t have to unscrew the coax from time to time. It sure is a nice clean looking installation.

 

Congrats on getting your General. I've been thinking about upgrading my HF rig one of these days. How do you like the Icom 7300? It sounds like a great radio with the new receiver RF sampling design. The only thing I would be concerned about is marking up the touch screen face over time. The other radio I've been interested is the Yaesu FTDX1200.

 

So far I love it. It's a great radio to replace my old but trusty Kenwood TS-450s/at. It has a great receiver and no problem with the touch screen so far. You should get one

 

I don’t use 2 meters when i travel because too many repeaters require pl codes and it’s too much hassle to program as you’re traveling.

Maybe i’m wrong but i don’t remember so many repeaters using pl codes 20 years ago.

 

True. But then there weren't so many repeaters then either

 

my TM-281A searched for tones on repeaters. Works great when traveling. I wish my TM-D710GA did the same thing.

 

I typically only use 2M or 440 while mobile when I can preprogram a wide area machine; otherwise it entails lotsa fiddling whilst trying to keep my eyes on the road. Speaking of which, for the first time since I retired from public safety I've got a rig with an ISB300 Cummins & air brakes. It's just a 37-foot motor home, not a "real" truck.. Since the roof is Fibreglas(TM), I had the opportunity to make an elaborate counterpoise with aluminum and copper tape. Then a horizontal loop runs around the perimeter of the roof, held 8 inches above the roof and fed with balanced 300-ohm twinlead. My Icom 730 is way too complicated to work with a manual antenna matcher when moving, so I either operate once we're parked, or when The Smarter Half is at the wheel. That also gives me a chance to set up the next couple of VHF/UHF repeaters in the dualband Anytone rig.
I also leave one rig parked on 146.52 for local QSOs. I figure the only way for other drivers to know I'm there is with a decal on the back that has my callsign, the frequency on an adjacent decal, and a Masonic square & compass. That way, if someone is following me (even if they pass me) they have the opportunity to give me a call & exchange greetings until they're out of range.
Just my solutions for hamming whilst on the road and not drive into a ditch
73
diddly dahdidah
dit dit

 

I have a bunch of 2 meter preset programmed from places I drive through all the time, as well as 176.52, that I keep on scan. When I come across a new repeater on the move it's easy to copy to VFO and hit the button to search for PL tone. That's how quick it is on my TM-281A.

 

My FT7900R has a cool feature. While it's receiving a station, you can turn on the PL tones and it will rotate tones until the right one matches up and let's the audio through..

 

Does anyone with an 857 have a spare head? I've had mine for 12 years and the display is unreadable. I keep meaning to get a BT CAT adapter, but then I'd have to actually think about how to mount an antenna on this Cascadia in worthwhile fashion.