Just got my General ticket and want to mount my htx-10 in the car.

Greg-

1. As Ralph said, try it barefoot and see how it goes. Generally, if you hear
a station well, they will hear you well unless they're running a LOT more
power.

Rather than waste money on a CB amplifier, you should consider upgrading to an
all-band rig such as a Kenwood TS-430, 450, 570, et cetera. Then there are the
nifty little radios like the Icom 706 or Kenwood TS-50, that are barely larger
than the HTX-10.

2. The Hamstick is a good choice. It would be easy to change to a Hamstick
for another band if you were to upgrade the rig. It compares to the Hustler
mast plus resonator I use. However, it may be a bit heavy if you use the
trunk-lip mount. In that case, there are lighter antennas available that work
almost as well. If you have any old CB antennas that would fit the mounting
location, you should be able to cut them down. Be careful you don't cut too
much!

3. No, you should not need a second battery. Suppose you ran a 100 watt rig
on Ten FM, that would draw about 20 Amperes. Divide the amp-hour rating of
your battery by 20 to see about how many hours you could hold the key down
before a fully charged battery would be depleted. Normally you don't operate
in a continuous key-down mode, and SSB draws less average current still.

If you are worried, be sure you get the largest battery that will fit the
battery compartment in your car, the next time you replace it. A larger
battery usually means more amp-hours. (My Toyota came with a smaller battery
than it would hold.)

4. When you get on the air, ask about the Ten-Ten club. Also try checking in
to the Titusville, FL, ARC Mosquito Net on 28.333 MHz, Wednesdays at 7 PM
Eastern Time.

73, Fred, K4DII

PS: Is that your picture at www.qrz.com? You may have passed the General test
but the FCC data base doesn't reflect it yet.