I passed my Tech exam So i went out a bought me a Yaesu FT-7800 dual band radio. Installed it Today.







I don't like the antenna mount or location. I have don some searching and found a few options. I know i want to mount it on the front hood Passenger side.
I'm looking at a few Diamond mounts.


Now I just need to learn how to use it!!!

 

Congratulations! Nice job on both the test and the install. We need more hams in the 4WD community. Get your call sign yet?

Is the radio in the back behind a wheel? I don't recognize the location. If it's already in the back, you may want to consider a spare tire bracket antenna mount instead of a hood mount.

Glen
KC0VXL

 

Glen Thanks


"JUST CHECKED CALL SIGN CAME IN TODAY "KI6NRF" WAY COOL ONLY TOOK A WEEK."

The Radio is right behind the driver seat. If you look closely you can see the Seat belt roller in the lower right hand of the PIC. I'm still learning but, everything i have read about antennas, The front hood is about the best place on a jeep. I plan to build a roof rack some day and it will go there when i do.
73
Jerry

 

Can you guys explain the benefits of having a HAM radio while off road? Can it be used for emergency purposes? What or how will you use it? Can this HAM radio be used to talk with other Jeepers who have CB's? I know the range would be limited but it would be great to be able to use one radio for both purposes....

Any help would be appreciated!

 

You Hams I am unable to get my schedule arranged to make my local club meeting and need to take my test. Anyone in Charlotte, NC area have any advice on who to contact to take my exam? ARRL website wasn't a lot of help, haven't been able to goto area Hamfests yet. HELP!

PS Congrats 1leg

 

KI6NRF: It's amazing how fast the new licenses get entered in to the FCC database once you pass the exam. I think mine was in within four days of passing the test. Thanks for the info on the location of the radio. I originally thought is was a backseat seat belt reel instead of the front in the photo.

The hood on a Jeep is indeed the optimum location for any antenna needing a ground plane (1/4 wave dipoles memory kind of fuzzy here?). I haven't installed my antenna on the Jeep yet. On my Tundra, I have the antenna mounted in the rear corner post holder of the driver's side bed rail. It works well enough although I'm sure I could get more range with it on the roof. I think on the spare tire mount would be the Jeep equivalent of this location. I'll let you know how it works once I get it mounted.

Here's what I see as some of the benefits of a ham radio vs a CB.

1) better sound quality (FM vs AM, more bandwidth)

2) better propagation characteristics for communicating short distances between vehicles (VHF or UHF vs HF)

2) more power (tens to hundreds of watts instead of 4 watts but power should be scaled back for communicating short distances in small groups)

3) more range directly between vehicles (> 15 miles over flat terrain w/ good line of site)

4) repeaters (30 - 75 miles w/ good line of site to tower)

5) repeater networks (I can hit a Colorado Connection repeater in Fort Collins and converse with anyone anywhere in the entire state)

6) even the lowest quality ham radio is manufactured better than the most expensive CB radio. Many are manufactured to Mil Spec tolerances for resistance to dust, vibration, temperature, etc.

7) APRS - combine GPS and ham tech to know where all your buddies are at on the trail

8) better etiquette amongst operators

As for using a ham radio for emergencies, it works well but not as well as calling 911 yourself directly on a cell phone. If you can reach a repeater, there's a good chance you can either dial 911 from a phone patch connected to the repeater or you can find a ham monitoring the repeater to call 911 for you. You can often reach repeaters where you can't reach a cell tower.

The FCC will not allow CB radios and ham radios to interoperate so if you want to use both, you need to carry both radios (and probably a FRS / GMRS radio too).

I'm going to install both eventually. This is another good thread on the subject:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-cb-ham-radios-128/ham-radio-installed-kenwood-d710-16048/

Glen
KC0VXL

 

Here's the list of upcoming exams for North Carolina on the ARRL website. Sorry if you already found this list. I'm not familiar with what towns are near Charlotte.

http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml?State=NC

 

Ham radios transmit on different frequecies than CB radio.

Communication distance is much better than CB.

Below is a good startin point for info.

http://www.hello-radio.org/whatis.html

Jim

KD7YLZ

 

congrates on your ticket , i love radios have for over 38 yrs now aprox. started when i was about 12 yrs.old with a walkie talkie ive had several rigs, beams you name it, now just boiled down to my cb...galaxy i think can't remember my brother in law the trucker gave it to me. i goes to all kinds of freqs, sideband etc. since we are close to several truck stops you can imagine what my ears can hear LOL ham is alot different.. in many ways

 

Good job. I had mounted an antenna on the spare tire carrier, but took it off. I don't have a radio in the jk now, but am thinking about putting it back in. Congrats on the ticket.

russ
n4rwe