Another step in turning my TT into a rolling ham shack

I finally got the wiring done today.  I added a fuse block wired direct to the battery, 4 power pole outlets, 2 cigar plug outlets, and antenna connections.  Also installed a Kenwood TM-V708 that I had sitting around as a spare.  The connections are all on the dinette bench and the Kenwood is hidden away behind the dinette back cushion. 

A few pics:

Neat! Thanks for sharing those pics. Some good ideas there...

Thanks.

I'll admit drilling through to the outside wall gave me pause.  I was very worried about hitting a stud or a wire.  I used a sonic stud finder and tried to map things out, but when dealing with just an inner and outer layer of thin plywood with styrofoam in between I wasn't expecting it to be all that accurate.  So I just went for it and took the 5/8" paddle bit to the outside and got lucky.  To keep the water out, I used a large fender washer behind the SO-239 nuts with a generous squirt of butyl caulk behind the washer.

Now the VHF/UHF is permanently mounted and I just take my Kenwood TS-2000 out from the house for HF.  Plop it on the table and connect power and antenna and away we go...  Ready for Field Day now!

Mike
W9PXZ

I'm thinking of having a welder friend do up an aluminum bracket on the 5er ladder on the back for a mobile 5/8 wave VHF/UHF antenna.  This would be low enough so the top of the antenna is below the highest point of the 5er. The bracket would be horizontal towards the window but angled out so there's room for the radials.  Then run the coax down the ladder and up through a hole drilled in the floor.  Finally mount the radio body in an appropriate location so as to minimize coax length.  Then mount the head and speaker right next to the slideout desk so I can use it while working on the computer or sitting in the arm chair.

Tony,

I have a Comet B-10 VHF/UHF antenna on the roof of my MH.  It is only 12" tall which means it is about 13' from the ground as we are going down the road.  It is not the greatest antenna but since most of our contact in those bands are through repeaters, it works for me.  Just a thought and a lot easier than what you are proposing.

Now for HF ...?

Jim Godward said:

I have a Comet B-10 VHF/UHF antenna on the roof of my MH.  It is only 12" tall which means it is about 13' from the ground as we are going down the road.  It is not the greatest antenna but since most of our contact in those bands are through repeaters, it works for me.  Just a thought and a lot easier than what you are proposing.

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Yeah, but  I expect I won't be all that close to repeaters that much so I'd prefer the slightly longer range.

Jim Godward said:

Now for HF ...?

Click to expand...

Arrgghhh.  I thought I had saved the link from another posting to a relatively expensive, $500, 90 degree tilt up antenna base for a 23' vertical.    The ultimate in convenience.  Hit a switch and the vertical is ready for operation.

Tony_Alberta said:

Yeah, but  I expect I won't be all that close to repeaters that much so I'd prefer the slightly longer range.

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Our repeaters here in MT are often 50 to 150 miles away and I can still use them although I do have to kick the power up sometimes.

Arrgghhh.  I thought I had saved the link from another posting to a relatively expensive, $500, 90 degree tilt up antenna base for a 23' vertical.    The ultimate in convenience.  Hit a switch and the vertical is ready for operation.

Click to expand...

Tarheel antennas has one for screwdriver antennas but they would not say it would work with a long vertical.  They may have one now though.

This was some years ago so I had one made.  I convinced a friend who is a Mechanical Engineering professor to get a student to do it as his project for a grade.  It is sitting in the garage waiting for Scrooge to come up with the money to get it powder coated and mounted.  I have a 23' Shakespeare Marine 3 to 30 MHZ antenna laying on the floor of the garage.  I may get them both out and take them to field day for a trial.

Let's see what I have for antennas.....

First: Cockpit, I put in a RIG-RUNNER power pole strip, it powers many things including my GPS, the Dorian Pressure Pro, two CB's a dual band Hm rig, a fan and my Engel freezer.  Spare power pole pairs do exist on the strip.

The antenna for the ham radios is mounted on the mirror, arm (Velmac Mirrors) I do not recommend a 3/8" snap in (though that is what I used) A PL-259 feed through would have been a better choice here.

Main radio room (AKA Front head)  sits on the main 12 volt distribution panel (It is accessed for fuse replacement from the hall, but for connections from under the restroom sink) the TS-2000 sits atop the counter, about 6 inches avove same on a custom built plywood box.

Power runs directly off the main house fuse block  No power poles here. Coax down through the floor to the KAT-1 on the back of the rig for HF (The KAT-1 is a marine grade auto tuner, Designed to be out in the wet-her and does not mind the rain a bit.  This in turn feeds an assortment of antennas depending on where, (And if) I'm parked.. My favorite is a 100' long wire, currently tossed over tree limbs. I also have a 16 foot support pole for it I can use if I wish. (Guyed support)

It also feeds the "Goat rail" on the roof (1/2 inch copper tube, about 30', plus a CB whip at the front (90 degrees to the pipe) and a few feet of #1 wire to connect it to the KAT, overall about 40 feet electrical, works very poorly but work it does)

and my Four Band Trap Verticle (KAT can be bypassed on 40 even though I trashed the capacity hat, Needed on other bnds)

Six meters is a quarter wave on the back
2 meters is a "J" pole on the back
70 cm went through the roof (PL-259 mount, They are long enough to make that trip if you get the right feed-through) it comes down in a wall, completely hidden.

For all bands there is a vent, like a stove vent, in the bathroom wall, I "Nailed" (Screwed) the flapper closed and put PL-259 feed through (Bulkhead) fittings in it, half a dozen.  These connect to switches in the radio room.. One for 70cm, One for 2 and two for six and HF (THey both use the same antenna connectors on the TS-2000)  These can be used with "Alternative" antennas. For VHF/UHF I have a Flagpole either 20 or 25 feet (I'm thinking 20) with a park-0n base, the back tires are right there behind the restroom so I put the pole there. A wood platform replaces the "Final" on top of the pole, it can hold a 2-meter "T" pole (Think two j-poles phased) a 70cm T pole and a six meter dipole, all 3 can be mounted either verticle or horozontally.

It can also support the center of assorted dipoles.

Futeure expnsion includes dipoles for 10, 16 and 20 which I'll hide inside another "Goat rail" on the other side of the RV finishing the rail on the roof, All rails will be painted black,  Just PVC on the curb side, Copper on the driver's side.

I'm hoping the dipoles outperform the "long pipe"