I've received an interesting suggestion / request for a new article for the repeater-builder web site.
Topic: Mobile installations. I have a bit of a problem on this - because it's so wide a topic - where do you start, and where do you stop? I've seen an install that was just a handheld coupled to a mag mount. I've seen an install that had a Kenwood mobile in the glovebox with a fold-over trunk lip antenna. When the driver parked, he tossed the mic into the glovebox, closed the door, popped the trunk lid and folded the antenna over and closed the lid. Instant invisible installation. I've seen an install with an Alinco in the dash where a optional CD player would go, with a disguise fender mount antenna. I've seen a 2m/440 J-pole at the top of a 6 foot piece of steel rod screwed into a CB whip ball mount... the coax from the J-pole was taped to the rod, and plugged into a panel-mount BNC mounted in the car body next to the ball mount. He referred to it as an elevated feed point antenna, and claimed it worked better than anything else he'd tried. I've seen a installation of a Mastr-II with a front mount control head, bolted to the underside of the roof of a road grader, with the ball mount base less than 8 inches from the radios antenna jack. I guess the installer believed in short feedlines. I've seen a van that had two 19" racks bolted to the floor in front of the back doors and the doors were opened to allow work on the rear of the equipment. An old Moto "J" cabinet lived behind the drivers seat. And the gear was powered by a Caterpillar bulldozer battery and a second alternator. I've seen a ex-California Highway Patrol car with wall-to-wall control heads, eight microphones, a trunk full of radios, and nine mobile antennas, including the original CHP twin ball-mount whips (used for 6m and low-band commercial). I've seen a commercial police car console mounted in a Chevy Tahoe, with three Kenwood 742s, a scanner, and a Spectra on 900mhz... One 742 had 10m, 6m and 2m, the second had 220, 440 and 1200mhz. The third had a second 440 module plus the not-imported-to-the-USA double-high 2400mhz module. Oh - and in the console between the scanner and the cup holders was a CD changer. Gotta have some tunes on long road trips... I've seen a private aircraft (a Cessna) with two amateur radios and three LMR radios in it. The antennas were standard NMOs mounted into inspection plates on the belly of the plane. My first mobile install was a dynamotor based radio in a 1957 Buick. My next was two Motracs and a Standard mobile in a 71 Ford station wagon. My most recent was a Kenwood dualbander in a Volvo 940. It will have a 900mhz ex-commercial radio mounted next to it soon. So my dilemma is this: How basic do I go? Where to start? How do I handle conflicting opinions (like fusing the negative lead of a front-mount radio) ? Now mind you - I do computer systems for a living and radio as a hobby. I've not done a "professional" install in several years. I know that there are group members that do installs every day for a living. So what I came up with is this: I'm asking the members of this group to write the article. I'd like you folks to give me your opinions, or even to take a stab at writing a section of the article itself. I'll take all contributions and merge them into a finished article. I will list ALL contributors (unless specified otherwise) to the article as co-authors. Any photos will have credit. Any differences of opinion will be handled by presenting ALL sides. I will post the article as it develops in a "hidden" folder, and the contributors will be able to view it as it proceeds and comment. Only when most everybody is happy will it "go public". Replies can be made to a comment thread here, or if you want to be anonymous just send it to article-ideas /at/ repeater-builder /dot/ com. I've set up that mailing address to point to my email, and I've set up a sort in my mail reader to divert those mails to a separate folder. Mike WA6ILQ
