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Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:13 pm
by OLLIE
Great install Mike. Exactly how mine is installed now. I have my 8800 head unit under the driver's seat and the 857 head unit under the passenger's seat. Works great. Should give you several years of great use.

Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:45 am
by FunJunkie
actually i didn't want to penetrate the floor so I bougt short screws and just mounted it to the floor liner. I figured the soft fiber under the plastic floor would dampen the vibration enough. If i am wrong please speak up. BTW I am passing the practice tests at 80% and above now. yaya time to do it for realz
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:41 am
by BlueFJ
Way to go on the practise tests! Good luck on the real thing!
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:31 pm
by cruiserlarry
FunJunkie wrote:actually i didn't want to penetrate the floor so I bougt short screws and just mounted it to the floor liner. I figured the soft fiber under the plastic floor would dampen the vibration enough. If i am wrong please speak up. BTW I am passing the practice tests at 80% and above now. yaya time to do it for realz
The problem with not mounting it to the floor is that the unit will bounce around more - the unit will move with the car when bolted through, but will just wiggle around constantly when indirectly mounted - more chance to create problems long term...
80% on the practice tests ??? Great - what are you waiting for ? Go take the real deal !!!

Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:13 pm
by OLLIE
cruiserlarry wrote:FunJunkie wrote:actually i didn't want to penetrate the floor so I bougt short screws and just mounted it to the floor liner. I figured the soft fiber under the plastic floor would dampen the vibration enough. If i am wrong please speak up. BTW I am passing the practice tests at 80% and above now. yaya time to do it for realz
The problem with not mounting it to the floor is that the unit will bounce around more - the unit will move with the car when bolted through, but will just wiggle around constantly when indirectly mounted - more chance to create problems long term...
80% on the practice tests ??? Great - what are you waiting for ? Go take the real deal !!!

What he said...
On both topics...

Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 9:20 pm
by BruisedFJ
Here's my install of the same ham unit. Larry from Dirty Parts did the work, originally mounting the face plate on top of the dash at my suggestion. But after seeing Funjunkie's pics and needing to find a place for the external speaker, I moved the face plate to Funjunkie's spot and put the speaker on the dash.
I cut a piece of 2" wide steel and painted it for Larry to use as an antenae mount. The roof rack would have created interference if the antenae was mounted to the roof.
Thanks to Larry for tons of help and Ollie for making the radio available to me for purchase. The unit performed great on Mojave Road and for the first part of the 1-15-09 net on extraction equipment. After I came North over the hill into the San Fernando Valley, the volume was so low and transmission full of static that I couldn't discern much of the net. Looking forward to listening to the rest of it on this website.
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:28 pm
by cruiserlarry
Glad to see the radio performed well during your trip over the Mojave Trail...
I have the same problem with reception of the net. I hope that soon a link can be arranged with a more northward repeater so that those of us in North Los Angeles county can listen to and participate on the nets...
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:42 pm
by OLLIE
Nice install Jon. Glad I could help with the radio.
[quote="bruised After I came North over the hill into the San Fernando Valley, the volume was so low and transmission full of static that I couldn't discern much of the net. Looking forward to listening to the rest of it on this website.[/quote]
Check out echolink. Some people have a lot of luck with it and others don't. You can participate in the nets via your computer.
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:06 pm
by Hardluck
cruiserlarry wrote:Glad to see the radio performed well during your trip over the Mojave Trail...
I have the same problem with reception of the net. I hope that soon a link can be arranged with a more northward repeater so that those of us in North Los Angeles county can listen to and participate on the nets...
That would be great if we could link to a northward repeater. I can only catch a portion of the net when I leave downtown LA. Once near the 5/118 interchange I get to much interference, and of course no reception in Simi Valley.
Re: Installed my HAM radio
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:49 pm
by NotAMog
Keller Peak is reachable from the North. You just a 15.8dbi Yagi pointed in the right direction, live at 4000 feet, and make sure your path is relatively clear of obstructions.
To reach Keller from my location I'm shooting at a ridge full of wind turbines which is at least 1000 feet higher than my antenna. Fortunately I'm getting enough knife edge refraction over the ridge and a clear path from there to Keller to make it into the machine.