HF Radio Install Considerations

[ontheheel]

Looking at upgrading my ham license to play on HF frequencies.
What are things I need to consider when installing a mobile HF radio in a Bronco?

how does the mix of steel and aluminum panels impact grounding and noise? I have an aluminum roof rack (TRMR) - is that a suitable location for an antenna? Are there specific types that will work better mounted to the corner of a roof rack? I have a SkyCamp 2.0 that takes up most of the rack.

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[JMB]

A good place to start is with an Elmer. Short of that a screwdriver is worth considering. https://www.tarheelantennas.com/mobile_antennas has good pointers on placement.
Grounding straps and filters will be your best friends. Tuning is a must. On the lower bands you will just warm the coil unless you have a decent whip.

 

[Rocky905]

Looking at upgrading my ham license to play on HF frequencies.
What are things I need to consider when installing a mobile HF radio in a Bronco?

how does the mix of steel and aluminum panels impact grounding and noise? I have an aluminum roof rack (TRMR) - is that a suitable location for an antenna? Are there specific types that will work better mounted to the corner of a roof rack? I have a SkyCamp 2.0 that takes up most of the rack.

I had an ICOM 7000 mounted in my 4Runner. The radio itself was mounted on a Molle panel on the right side of the footwell. This kept cable runs short (power through the firewall—there should be room to fish the cables through). I had a mount that attached to the edge of the hood near the cab on the driver’s side. I needed to put some beads on the power and mike cables to reduce electrical noise from the engine. Mobile HF antennas are generally too short for the freqs, but it still can be fun, especially now near the sun spot max. The ARRL handbook has excellent discussions of various considerations such as antenna mounting, matching, losses, tuning, airbags, RFI, cables and wiring. Best wishes for success on your license upgrade!! Don’t have a radio in my BRONCO at this time. Respectfully, Rob Freedman WC0R

 

[ontheheel]

Thanks y’all, I appreciate the input.

 

[ND1C]

The yaesu ft-891 And the ATAS 120 is a great opton for a HF mobile. Also i see that you have a fusion capable 2m rig I have a repeater and you can contact me on my fusion room the # is 80751

73
ND1C

 

[Mammal]

A plethora of information about all aspects of this at k0bg.com .
A lot of good info there. His focus is on operating while mobile which has different needs than operating when the car isn’t running.

good luck!

 

[ontheheel]

Thanks for that. I’ll check it out. In other news, I passed my general class license last night. That was much easier than I thought it would be. I think I may just keep studying and get my Extra while I’ve got momentum. Why not, right?

 

[Mammal]

Thanks for that. I’ll check it out. In other news, I passed my general class license last night. That was much easier than I thought it would be. I think I may just keep studying and get my Extra while I’ve got momentum. Why not, right?

Go for it! I’m actually trying to get my extra before the study guides are outdated this summer.

 

[ontheheel]

What happens this summer?

 

[EasternSierra]

What happens this summer?

There will be a new question pool for the "Amateur Extra" ham license. The actual exam taken at any one exam session is drawn from a much larger pool of questions which are public. The information in the study guides generally won't be obsolete but the questions themselves change every four years. It's good to go over the actual questions before taking the exam to test your knowledge.

Other levels of ham license have their exam pools changed on a different schedule. For example, the entry-level Technician exam will change again in 2027.

 

[ontheheel]

Ah, ok. I was looking at the Extra question pool and felt lost and overwhelmed by it. I may need to expand my skills and knowledge a little further before I take the exam, just to have a baseline knowledge.

 

[EasternSierra]

Ah, ok. I was looking at the Extra question pool and felt lost and overwhelmed by it. I may need to expand my skills and knowledge a little further before I take the exam, just to have a baseline knowledge.

You're way ahead of me! I'm still studying for the Technician exam.

 

[ontheheel]

I used hamstudy.org. Each day, I would read the questions from a sub element briefly, then do study mode for 20-30 minutes until my “aptitude” level was at 100%. That’s probably overkill, but it was attainable without too much effort. Ten days later, I finished the final sub element and took the exam the same day. I got 35/35. I completely credit the spaced repetition memorization system that hamstudy uses. The key is to set a hard deadline and just rip the band aid off. Seriously, 20-30 minutes a day for ten days will get you your license with flying colors if you use it.

 

[ontheheel]

The yaesu ft-891 And the ATAS 120 is a great opton for a HF mobile. Also i see that you have a fusion capable 2m rig I have a repeater and you can contact me on my fusion room the # is 80751

73
ND1C

Curious if you have ideas for mounting an ATAS on the Bronco. I had a thought of mounting it to the front bumper, but I don’t think there is enough clearance. Rear bumper is plastic, and I’d be wary to mount it higher for vertical clearance issues.

 

[Gnomad]

https://www.radioddity.com/collections/accessories-antenna/products/radioddity-hf008-antenna

This came up in the Radioddity spam the other day and I'm strongly considering this one. Probably inspired by the "Outbacker" antennas that seem to have utterly disappeared. Mate this with a FT-891, or similar, even a Xeigu ? For a hundred bucks it looks to be worth a try, cheaper than the ATAs.

de N8FF

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