Ham Radio in camper

[Mostly Harmless]

I used to be more active on the air; not so much, these days. But used to get on HF when out in a camper. I used a cut-down base-loaded CB antenna for 10 meters with my Kenwood TS-120 (about 50 watts out). Worked quite a bit of DX with this setup, even an Australian station (of course, that was when sunspot activity was up). Also strung an inverted V to work 40 meter CW.

I never had any issues with anyone -- very few noticed my 10 meter antenna, and nobody paid attention to my inverted V supported with a fiberglass "crappy stick." Of course, I worked low power if there was any potential of folks coming near my antenna. Mobile HF antennas will also get you on the air -- I also worked a lot of mobile DX using Hustler and HamStick type antennas.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[Summit1]

Amateur Radio (aka, "ham radio") can be a lot of fun and be useful when traveling and camping. My wife and I are both hams... she became curious about it after we met, and then sat for the technician license exam (one of the last "code" Tech licenses issued). The couple with whom we travel and camp with are also both hams, so we use the radios to communicate between vehicles, as well as when hiking after we are set up. Between 2-M and 450 mHz, there are usually plenty of repeaters available as well. My wife and I got into D-STAR several years ago; that allows communication over a much wider coverage area. My next step may be a (Elecraft) KX3, provided I can stop spending as much money on camping stuff. The next dilemma will be a potential lack of available time to use it because we are often doing other stuff when camped.

 

[Fourpells]

Just got my tech license. Because of all the hiking I like doing just picked up a Yaesu VX-6R to have with me. A big learning curve over the FRS radios I used with the kids. Picked up a diamond magnetic antenna but can only use it on the tool box behind the cab because everything else is aluminum.

Tony P

 

[Summit1]

Just got my tech license. Because of all the hiking I like doing just picked up a Yaesu VX-6R to have with me. A big learning curve over the FRS radios I used with the kids. Picked up a diamond magnetic antenna but can only use it on the tool box behind the cab because everything else is aluminum.

Tony P

Congratulations on the new license... next comes the fun and learning. The VX-6R is a great HT... pretty much unstoppable. I just switched from Larsen to a Diamond dual band (mag mount) mobile antenna for the truck... so far, so good.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Fourpells]

Anybody have pictures of their radios mounted in their trucks? I was looking at just a 25 watt radio (DC plug) to have in the truck mounted and since my truck has a HUGE center console I was going to mount it in there and it would be out of sight. Still looking because I want the speaker in the microphone so I can have center console closed.

Tony P.

 

[[email protected]]

Here is what I installed a couple of days after getting our 2014 Ram 3500. I later added a Uniden trunking scanner in the slot above the CB. The body for the Kenwood is mounted on the floor just in front of the CB and scanner. The control head is on the dash.

http://www.RVHOME.SCHOOL/radios_1.jpg

 

[Summit1]

Update: While my previous post showed my consideration of a KX3, that has changed. I just bought an ICOM IC-705 and am loving it. Working on antenna ideas for when the weather warms up... probably starting with an end fed 65' or 135' wire, using a9:1 balun. A friend is trying to convince me to get a Chameleon CHA F-Loop Total. If we do an upgrade to a 303RLS, that antenna may have to wait.