I want to outfit my car with a mobile setup. I'm primarily concerned with 2m and 70cm, but getting 6m and 10m is a nice bonus. If possible, I would like the option of removing the radio from my car and using it as regular desktop radio outside of my car.
It looks like the Yaesu FT-7900R fits the bill, but I've never used the radio, and I don't know if there are better products out there. I looked at Yaesu because I'm familiar with the VX-170 I own, and I like it.
An antenna choice is a bit harder. There's a regular AM/FM antenna on top of my car. It's the kind that is on a swivel so that it will bend forward or back if it gets hit by a tree branch. I would like to utilize that mount to put an antenna on the car, if possible, and also have the antenna retractable so it's not sticking up all the time.
Any assistance you guys can give me with this pending purchase is much appreciated! Thanks you.
Probably not. Not much activity on FM on 6 and 10 here in Seattle. I had a 6 FM rig in my truck a few years ago and took it out and sold it after about a year. I recently bought a FT-7900 from HRO and I like the radio. Not my first dual band mobile by a long shot too!
What kind of car do you have?
The FT-7900r will do you good for 2m and 70cm but it is a FM only rig and you are only a tech so you will NOT be legal to use that radio on the 10 meter band. Your Tech license only allow you to use 10 meter between 28.3000 to 28.5000 MHZ SSB ONLY not FM. Good luck hope you find what your looking for.
Yeah, I know my limits on the bands. I'm primarily interested in knowing which, if any mobile radios can be easily removed from the car and used as a regular desktop unit.
Yeah, I know my limits on the bands. I'm primarily interested in knowing which, if any mobile radios can be easily removed from the car and used as a regular desktop unit.
Any rig can be used that way and many people do just that.
That depends more on how it is mounted in the car than anything else. There used to be some mobile rigs that had a "quick" remove type of mount. I don't know if there are any like that anymore. You would slide the radio into a mount and a lever would lock it in place. Don't use those quick release mounts for CB radios! Those things are just disgusting!
For what its worth, I have a ft-7800, have used it mobile and now is being used on my bench.... excellent rig.......... if the 7900 is an improvement on the 7800, I cant see why you wouldnt like it!! If monitoring 2 bands at one time or crossbanding interests you, I would recommend saving a few bucks and buying the 8800..... but I've been very happy with my 7800, which is very similar to the 7900....
ahhh using the car antenna has been a novel idea but has never been practical
.1 you'd have to cut the antenna
.2 the coax isnt high quality
.3 no more car radio
they make small mobile antennas that wont get in the way and fold down
a trunk lip mount would suit you well
Dan KE7TBB
__________________
Gun control is hitting your target
Picking a radio, I bought the Yaesu FT-8800R. But a Yaesu FT-7800 or 7900 is also a decent choice. Depends on your pocketbook - I guess. If you wnt a full-featured radio; then the 8800R is the choice.
As far as mounting it for dual use - that is another can of worms. You would need to use a plug that is the same for your car as it is for the shack. That will make the transistion easier and quicker. AS far as mounting it goes - that may be easy or hard. I use the 'sawtooth hump mount' that was made for CB's. But it works equally well for a 2m rig and can easily be carried in to the shack.
Tearing up the antenna system of the car just to mount the antenna is just that - tearing it up. I use a Diamond NR-770; but a clamp/bracket that attaches to a luggage rail is very solid and has a great ground. I surely wouldn't tear up the car - even if it is old or new...
I have an 8900 and would not do it again - the 6 and 10 meter bands are not overall that useful - not enough for the extra money and hassle that the antenna is. I have two 8800 and like them just fine - if you want true 'dual band-dual watch' capability it's a good choice, but not the only one out there. Lots of people like Icoms and Kenwoods.
Regarding the car radio antenna as amateur antenna: Unless you really like to furful, I would NOT do it - go to a car radio shop and get 'em to show you the coax - last one I saw had a center conductor about the width of a strand of hair and very minimal shielding. In other words: It won't work all that well.
If putting a hole in your car is the problem, there are any number of other mounts that will work FAR better and with much less trouble on your part.
You can get very low profile dual band antennas if you must.
Oh, and moving from car to house and back - you will get tired of that really fast.
You know in my experienced I got bored with the FT-7800R I had in my truck. I did not like one repeater I used and the other one I could only hit part of my drive to and from work daily. That is why I removed it from my truck and put it up for sale here on QRZ.
If (more likely when) I put another rig in my truck it will be an FT-857 so I can start using HF in my truck. I think I would have a better time with that rig than I ever did on 2m.
We appreciate your support.
NEw rig for my car
Hmmm...
Linear Mode
