Mobile rigging
 

Hi all,
Just got a new 2006 Forrester and want to get my 2M/440 rig mounted
along with a mag mount antenna. Someone pointed me to the "rig of the
month" web site, but that site appears dead..

Anyone have any web sites that I can look at for information on setting
up my radio in my car ?

Mobile rigging
 

"Jerseyj" wrote in message
...
Hi all,
Just got a new 2006 Forrester and want to get my 2M/440 rig mounted
along with a mag mount antenna. Someone pointed me to the "rig of the
month" web site, but that site appears dead..

Anyone have any web sites that I can look at for information on setting
up my radio in my car ?

Looks like K2BJ pulled the plug on the Mobile pages. Twas nice site too.

Mobile rigging
 

Jerseyj wrote:
Hi all,
Just got a new 2006 Forrester and want to get my 2M/440 rig mounted
along with a mag mount antenna. Someone pointed me to the "rig of the
month" web site, but that site appears dead..

Anyone have any web sites that I can look at for information on setting
up my radio in my car ?

Not to much to study...Find a good place for the radio.
Mount it. Throw the antenna on the car, and run the
coax through the best opening you can find. The only
real important thing to consider is the power source.
Don't !!! use cig lighter plugs, etc. Run fairly thick
wire directly to the battery, and fuse both the + and -
wires. If you do that, you may have to find a plug or
hole in the firewall. Most have a rubber plug of some
type. If not, you might have to drill a hole.
But at least you won't have problems with the rig
from big voltage drops due to too thin a wire, or
crusty corroded cig lighter connections/socket.
MK

Mobile rigging
 

Mobile rigging
 

"jawod" wrote:
I have a question, though. If you're running, say 10 to 15 watts to a
automatic screwdriver HF antenna, can you get by with cig lighter
connection?


My GMC pickup has two auxiliary connections in addition to the
cigarette lighter. My IC-706 runs 100W SSB just fine off of one
of those aux connections. But pickups may have bigger wires than
cars.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

Mobile rigging
 

jawod wrote:
wrote:

Jerseyj wrote:

Hi all,
Just got a new 2006 Forrester and want to get my 2M/440 rig mounted
along with a mag mount antenna. Someone pointed me to the "rig of the
month" web site, but that site appears dead..

Anyone have any web sites that I can look at for information on setting
up my radio in my car ?



Not to much to study...Find a good place for the radio.
Mount it. Throw the antenna on the car, and run the
coax through the best opening you can find. The only
real important thing to consider is the power source.
Don't !!! use cig lighter plugs, etc. Run fairly thick
wire directly to the battery, and fuse both the + and -
wires. If you do that, you may have to find a plug or
hole in the firewall. Most have a rubber plug of some
type. If not, you might have to drill a hole.
But at least you won't have problems with the rig
from big voltage drops due to too thin a wire, or
crusty corroded cig lighter connections/socket. MK

Large wires, Anderson plugs are good ideas.
I have a question, though. If you're running, say 10 to 15 watts to a
automatic screwdriver HF antenna, can you get by with cig lighter
connection?

Thanks,

John
It is still recommended that you use direct dedicated wiring to power
your radio. You may be at 15 watts to day, tomorrow who knows.

Dave WD9BDZ

Mobile rigging
 

Large wires, Anderson plugs are good ideas.
I have a question, though. If you're running, say 10 to 15 watts to a
automatic screwdriver HF antenna, can you get by with cig lighter
connection?

Thanks,

John


Many years ago, I used a 35 watt transceiver on a cigarette lighter
plug. Someone told me I was making a mistake. We measured the output
of the rig, connected it direct and measured it again. The output of
the rig was a few watts lower on the plug as opposed to direct wiring.
It wasn't significant enough to be detected on the air, but it proved
the inefficiency of using the cigarette lighter for a source of power.
I now use #8 wire directly to the battery for all my mobile amateur
radio wiring.

I never tried to determine if it was the plug itself, or the wiring
that caused the power drop, but I found a website that allows you to
calculate the voltage drop of wire given the length, wire size and
current.


--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Mobile rigging
 

I never tried to determine if it was the plug itself, or the wiring
that caused the power drop, but I found a website that allows you to
calculate the voltage drop of wire given the length, wire size and
current.



35 years experience tells me that biggest issue regarding voltage drop
in most wiring harnesses is the connections, not the wire itself.
Unsoldered metal to metal connections, especially crimp type, are
especially problematic.


Ed K7AAT

Mobile rigging
 

On 01 Jun 2006 17:01:18 GMT, Ed
wrote:





I never tried to determine if it was the plug itself, or the wiring
that caused the power drop, but I found a website that allows you to
calculate the voltage drop of wire given the length, wire size and
current.



35 years experience tells me that biggest issue regarding voltage drop
in most wiring harnesses is the connections, not the wire itself.
Unsoldered metal to metal connections, especially crimp type, are
especially problematic.


Ed K7AAT

That may well be. However, I still use the wire with the least
voltage drop I can reasonably afford. (#8 was available, flexible, and
relatively inexpensive for the length I needed, #00 was too stiff and
large to manipulate in my car. :)

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Mobile rigging
 

The fuses actually have a good bit of voltage drop across them.

-Dan
N3OX

Ed wrote:


I never tried to determine if it was the plug itself, or the wiring
that caused the power drop, but I found a website that allows you to
calculate the voltage drop of wire given the length, wire size and
current.



35 years experience tells me that biggest issue regarding voltage drop
in most wiring harnesses is the connections, not the wire itself.
Unsoldered metal to metal connections, especially crimp type, are
especially problematic.


Ed K7AAT