Quad band/all band mobile

[WUzombies]

I'm reading up on this topic right now as I'm studying for General and dreaming of significant upgrades in my mobile comms. The Yaesu 8900 is a single antenna quad band with a couple of companies making multi-coil quadband antennas, but tomorrow a new antenna arrives from HRO (this one a Larsen NMO-2/70B) to test my theory that I boinked the coil on my current dual band.

I just don't see how those antennas could survive very long, am I wrong?

What are you guys running? The FT-857D would be nice, but that's a lot of coin.

 

[Lars]

Three things, If you're in Austin and want me to hook up the MFJ analyzer on both antennas I'd be happy to. I don't have the UHF model, but if it's "good" on VHF, it'll be good on UHF as well. These never fail a little, they always fail catastrophically and Texas sun is murder on the plastics.

Second, I have a Yaesu FT-8800r in my wife's car (The dual band version.) Fantastic radios.
I've owned an FT-897, and FT-857 in the past, and currently have a TS-480Sat in the truck.

I personally subscribe to the idea that a good dual band FM mobile, and an HF rig, or HF +6m, 2m, 70cm rig is the way to go. I dislike having to turn of 146.520 in order to play with 20m while I'm going down the road.


Finally, if you have questions about the General test, and want someone to help work through explaining what a question, or concept means feel free to shoot me a message. I'd be very happy to help :)

 

[vicali]

I have the NMO-2/70B on my FT-7900 and it's been great.. five by five on our local nets.

 

[WUzombies]

Three things, If you're in Austin and want me to hook up the MFJ analyzer on both antennas I'd be happy to. I don't have the UHF model, but if it's "good" on VHF, it'll be good on UHF as well. These never fail a little, they always fail catastrophically and Texas sun is murder on the plastics.

Second, I have a Yaesu FT-8800r in my wife's car (The dual band version.) Fantastic radios.
I've owned an FT-897, and FT-857 in the past, and currently have a TS-480Sat in the truck.

I personally subscribe to the idea that a good dual band FM mobile, and an HF rig, or HF +6m, 2m, 70cm rig is the way to go. I dislike having to turn of 146.520 in order to play with 20m while I'm going down the road.


Finally, if you have questions about the General test, and want someone to help work through explaining what a question, or concept means feel free to shoot me a message. I'd be very happy to help :)

Awesome! I'm in College Station so Austin is an easy trip. I'll see how the new antenna runs over the next couple days and might have to take you up on some help. I'm far from saying I installed anything correctly.

 

[vicali]

Ha, you know what, I was thinking back to when I put my radio in and at first I was having trouble hitting our local repeater. I borrowed the clubs tuner and was getting crazy high SWR numbers. Unscrewed the NMO and the contact had gotten bent;



Carefully pulled it back up and everything was great.

 

[WUzombies]

The new antenna is better, (there was definitely something wrong with the Brown quarter wave I had) but things are spotty cutting in and out, I'm thinking perhaps a bad ground? Thoughts?

 

[Lars]

Could also be an internal conductor has broken free, Whether ground, or the driven element. Toss it in the van, and the next time you're in the Austin area, we'll take a look. Even if the new antenna works better it won't hurt to validate you have a good, or worthless spare :)

 

[WUzombies]

The antenna is mounted to the rack, the rack showed good ground to the van (multimeter), added a ground strap from the rack to the van and things are improving. The repeater closest to me comes back perfectly with the auto ID reply, but no one is ever on it. The repeater most are on still fades in and out badly, but it didn't back when I first installed the mobile setup. So something is still amiss but I'm getting closer.

I need to get to Austin for the offered help, but it's going to be a bit.

 

[Lars]

Which repeaters are closest to you. Feel free to shoot me frequencies and PLs. I might be able to reach one or more of them depending on the exact implementation from home.

 

[WUzombies]

Which repeaters are closest to you. Feel free to shoot me frequencies and PLs. I might be able to reach one or more of them depending on the exact implementation from home.

146.680- 88.5 (this is the one giving me some trouble)
146.820- 88.5 (good signal, no traffic)

 

[Lars]

I'll check when I get back on the road and again when I get home.
I'm at the Williamson County ARES meeting currently.

 

[Lars]

I'm able to hit 146.680 from Wyldwood.
I am also able to hit 146.820 from Wyldwood.

If you're still up, I'll send my call sign :)

 

[WUzombies]

I'm able to hit 146.680 from Wyldwood.
I am also able to hit 146.820 from Wyldwood.

If you're still up, I'll send my call sign :)

I was long asleep, thank you though! Friday I spent some time trouble shooting it all, did some more research online, broke out the multimeter then got mad, went to HRO's website and a few clicks later the upgraded radio I wanted with a new antenna cable is coming my way. FT-7900r.

 

[Lars]

FT-7900R is an excellent choice. I'd like to get one for my desk here at home.
Looking at an FT-2900R to turn into a dedicated APRS station too.

 

[vicali]

Nice, way to go!

 

[WUzombies]

FT-7900R is an excellent choice. I'd like to get one for my desk here at home.
Looking at an FT-2900R to turn into a dedicated APRS station too.

Well that's what I'm pulling out of the van, assuming you test it, it functions and I just used a poor install job as an excuse to get the radio I wanted in the first place, I guess some horse trading might be in order.

 

[WUzombies]

I found where the old coax was crimped badly between the roof and the shelf bracket, so that could have been the problem. No one was on the repeaters this afternoon while I was programming it, but I could pick up the local Unicom from the airport and the SO's primary radio channel (one of the few here that aren't only APCO-25) clear as a bell. This radio does more of what I want than the single band (like being able to scan local Unicom). I do like how easy both radios are to program from the interface without having to flash them using CHiRP or similar.

 

[Lars]

If you're still up, shoot me a repeater frequency, and I'll see if I can hear you.

 

[Lars]

Sounds like I can raise the 146.820- 88.5 machine from here.

 

[WUzombies]

Sounds like I can raise the 146.820- 88.5 machine from here.

Give me a few minutes and I'll hop on that repeater.