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CreeperSleeper

CreeperSleeper

Cascade Cruisers
SILVER Star
Joined
May 16, 2005
Threads
179
Messages
7,450
Location
Canby, OR
After having my HAM ticket for 4 months, I got a FT2800 for Christmas and all the stuff to get it mounted in my Cruiser. Today I bought a power supply and a hard mounted J-pole antenna for the house. I got to make my first transmission today! Right now I'm on 146.9800 if anybody wants to hit me up...

I will post pics of my mobile install in the 80 as soon as I decide to freeze my butt off in the shop.
 
Congrats! Nice to have another HAM with a Cruiser out there.
 
Well, I finally got my 2m installed in my 80… My set up is a Yeasu FT2800, Diamond K400 hatch mount and a Comet SB1 antenna. I know that this won’t give me amazing reception, but if you have ever seen how hard I wheel my 80, you would understand why I went with a short, flexible antenna!

Here is the antenna and mount.
P1160003.jpg


Here is the routing of the coax.
P1160004.jpg


And this is where it ends up.
P1160005.jpg


Wiring for power was pretty self-explanatory. There was enough wire from the harness included to reach the back of the console. I didn’t feel comfortable mounting my radio to just plastic, (Again, you would know why if you watched me wheel!) so I fabricated a bracket out of sheet metal that bolts between the center console and the floor. That bracket extends up the back side of the console inside the plastic. (Sorry, no pics… My hands were full.) I then secured the bracket to the metal with rivets. This is how it looks all together:
P1160006.jpg

P1160007.jpg


The mic will be mounted in front of the rear cup holder. This ended up being the perfect mounting spot for this radio. It is also very easy to disconnect so I can use it in my house! Now I just need to fine tune my programming and it will be good to go…
 
It's wired to the battery, through the rubber gromet in the firewall, zip-tied over to the DS front of the console, than streched underneath the console to the rear PS... What you see is all that is left. It's really close, but it worked! I do have the newer dash, but I don't think that would make a difference.
 
:doh:
Im going to delete my post. Im a dunce! I just got back from my truck.
Found out what happened after all these months.
 
Congrats!

Best advice I got starting out from several 'Elmers' was to just listen for awhile to aquaint yourself with local custom and repeater groups and then jump in!

I like your routing of the initial coax from the K-400c. I've got too much coax exposed to potentially get snagged by a branch.

BTW- I have both the SBB-1 (short and quarter wave) and a much taller SBB-7 (tall and half wave). While there is definetly a difference in range, the SBB-1 is a great little antenna and a wonderful first choice for an offroader as many on this board before me have attested to (thanks Norcal gang!).
 
CreeperSleeper said:
I thought about getting a SBB-7 also, but it really isn't needed. My truck drives to the trail and back. I really don't use it for anything else.
Click to expand...


:D Totally understand - I still put in a good deal of freeway driving with scouts, so the longer range is nice to have too!
 
Congrats. I have two FT-2800's and they are great radios, perfect for mobile in a 4WD truck IMO.
 
CreeperSleeper said:
Yeah, I think the snow covered road we decided to go down hadn't been used in a while!
Click to expand...

Well, at least the antennas are the cheapest part of the entire set up! Hell, even the k400 hatch mount was more expensive than either the SBB1 or SBB7 antenna!
 
CreeperSleeper said:
That is true... The mount held up great!
Click to expand...

Where did the sbb1 break? I've had that antenna curved at 90deg more than a few times.

Given that the base (the rigid part) is below roof line with the lip mount we are all mostly using, I'm trying to understand how/where it broke

The 'inside' of the antenna is a spiraled 'spring' that gives it the flex. It is then covered in a plastic sheath. The base end is the only part I could imagine would break since it is the only rigid section.

cheers,
george.
 
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